Use Of Technology In High School

alexia

Jun 23 2005, 01:23 PM

I really despise high school students that can learn real computer skills in their school; part because my school's computer program is crap. Anybody can use the computer better than the computer teacher, and most of us don't even get a computer class.

The result? Half of my classmates doesn't know how to use Excel or Powerpoint. Most of them hardly know what Photoshop is. Technology is progressing at a really high rate, and it is becoming a big part of our lives. You're basically disabled if you can't use a computer. So why doesn't high school education put so focus into teaching the use of technology? Why wait until the college days?

I don't see any reason how a technology class would not enhance the traditional subjects. By learning more, we can enlarge our view and broaden our knowledge.

Maybe this is more social than technology lol.

htmlmaster

Jun 23 2005, 03:12 PM

Thank you!!! I'm not alone in the world of school technology stupidity. I agree, the most advanced thing that we have done in computer class this year was probably powerpoint. No one in my class has a clue what Photoshop is and wouldn't dare try to use it. I would be the only one who owns a website or even knows a web programming language. Some people need help logging out of a networked computer, and some just can't. (I have turned the computer *when it was in standby mode* and about 3-4 times this year the same person was still logged in, tend to doubt that person ever longs out.)

melkonianarg

Jun 23 2005, 07:16 PM

Well at my high school, we have 64 bit athlon prccessors, perfect for DVD's, Image editing, 3d Graphics/Animation, .net Programming, u name it...u know what all 40ish computers are used for, online games, it sucks...atleast some people ahv the sense to use them for their rightful purposes maybe 5 dvds/day and 2/graphics realted thingys, the rest is surfing the net...i am at my HOUSE now surfing on a thin client because i am at bording school....it is really slow and annoying, no CD drive, music etc. just surfing a dn typing...i suppose thats enough for any chemistry prep or history essays lol

Yipster

Jun 23 2005, 08:32 PM

Do you go to highschool or elementary? I know that my former elementary school still has crap computers. But in the highschool we 6 labs of top quality computers. Though we don't learn how to use Photoshop because the licensing is too expensive. So were stuck with Dreamweaver and Fireworks. I feel sorry for you if your school doesn't have industry standard computers. But don't worry, all post secondary schools have top of the line comps. So I guess you'll just have to wait till then or purchase one for yourself.

Kubi

Jun 23 2005, 09:49 PM

The computers at my school (P.V. High) are crap. We have Window XP Pro, but the computers are hardly fast enough to support it. In our "Computer Apps" class, only teaches Excel, Word, DB, and Publsiher. We only learn the basics, it's so stupid. People come into the class and do nothing. They learn nothing becuz the teachers half the time don't know what they're talking about. I've proved a teacher wrong before, and they got mad. I mean, I'm not teaching this class, they are.

Invader

Jun 25 2005, 08:11 PM

At my prep school our technology fund was very high. They all used XP Pro and you had your own laptop. Most assignments are on the computer and our Spanish teachers didn't go a class without using a computer.

Now on the other hand, my old high school has very little in the technology fund. They have to go to a different school just to take classes regarding Photoshop or Macromedia. So it could be worse, just think about it.

psychiccyberfreak

Jun 25 2005, 08:35 PM

I know, my school forces us to "learn the basics" AGAIN. Why do I want to review how to save a docunment when I have a couple hundred on my web site!!! I learned that stuff in elementry school, and they want me to do it again, when I can be found after school with my palm pilot tapping into the school's network on AIM. Wow.

Hamtaro

Jun 25 2005, 09:23 PM

I wish my school had some better computers, AND have some teachers in a computer class where I can actually LEARN. In my keyboarding apps class this past year, I didn't learn anything, except for how fast I can type! We used Word, that's it! Oh, and I've also had to deal with them telling us how to save documents EVERY YEAR! Our computers (Windows XP Professional) are also a piece of crap. Slow, messing up all the time, and some won't even start up right! I envy all of you who have a school with decent computers!

TimothyA

Jun 26 2005, 01:22 AM

Schools with slow computers and low budget....please use *nix and hire a REAL IT expert with EXPERIENCE. (Not one of those certified it experts who know nothing). Windows XP Pro is total bloat, Microsoft Office is total bloat.....what more could there be bloat with the word microsoft on it?

Back to topic...there are worse schools that are beyond help...like my school. Last year we got top-of-the-chart computers...meaning Windows XP Pro on a 100MHz P1 computer with 28MB SDRAM.... seriously.....I wonder how they managed to get Windows XP Pro on it

And then our "IT Expert" woah....I knew everything better than him, heck, I even knew more than him and I'm not even half his age while I already knew it when I was 7 years old.

They should pay ME 20 USD an hour if they want to teach kids something, not some IT Expert that's certified and has no hands-on experience with whatsoever has to do with computers... the guy didn't even knew what unix stood for or what a kernel is....comeon man!

Btw, I'm 15

On another note...we had the BIT test (to choose out professions we will be able to get if we follow a specific course...) and the teacher comes to me and says I need to learn spanish, english, papiamentu and economics to become an IT expert....wtf?

Ralphie

Jun 26 2005, 05:00 AM

my school has an ok budget for technology stuff. they replace the computers like every other year in some parts of the school. they are not top of the line or anything but they are good enough to get the job done. But i agree that schools really need to expand the curriculum in the technology area. two years ago i took a website authoring class and they hardly teach you anything. they tell you the basics and make you use frames (which i rarely see used anymore). then they put you on dreamweaver which does everything for you, so if you didnt understand things in the first place, it didnt really matter. and everything i do seems to be almost self-taught stuff in school. the teachers hardly do anything except give you a book to read or an assignment. it just seems that technology is speeding ahead while a lot of the education about the technology is just lagging behind in many schools.

Latest Entries

elhadi

Mar 12 2008, 01:12 PM

may be in the future we can use computer in primary schooooool

Unregistered 012

Jan 31 2007, 01:28 AM

Ya my school is really big on technology. I think there are like 4 to 6 computer labs with probly around 30 some computers in each room. We have like 10 different computer based classes and then some classes you use computers, and do other things. But i really like the classes and im going to be taking a bunch of them next year. Plus i go to a new high school so that helps too.

zyzzyvette

Jan 24 2007, 05:24 AM

In middle school, I remember our computer classes were terrible... I really didn't like the teacher, and the program itself didn't teach you much.

Anyway, it got better once I got in HS; the compsci teacher is an engineer, and he teaches for FUN on the side (he is also our school's network admin). The computers aren't top notch, but they're still pretty decent. Part of the reason is that the students help to upgrade and maintain everything as a part of the course. I'm sure this saves the district enough money that it makes it more affordable to buy new PCs and parts (since they aren't paying for the installation, which can often cost more than the parts themselves).

Anyway, if your school is unwilling to improve their program, you can always resort to learning at home. Online tutorials and the local library can be your teachers.

And if your classmates are too foolish to do the same, their loss is your gain because you now have an advantage over them. Harsh, but that's life and we may as well get used to it...

darran

Jan 23 2007, 06:01 AM

When I was in secondary school (high school in other countries), there wasn't much computer lessons, we only had 2 computer labs and this labs will be booked by teachers to teach their lesson, not on computers but on their respective subjects, incorporating IT into it. Definitely technology is very quickly seeping into our society, and I feel that even at high school the students need to be exposed to technology. Wireless is just so convenient, imagine kids saving up to 300 dollars a semester, not having to buy any textbook, everything could be available online. As far as I know in Singapore, they are trying to bring this to reality for high school students to be equipped with a laptop and attend class whereby an online portal is available for the students. However I think the reason why this is taking so long to be implemented is due to the cost, imagine this: 10 000 students, each with a laptop of 2000 dollars for a decent one and on top of that, the software licenses and network construction, how many access points would they need to build for internet connectivity anywhere in the school? The biggest concern I have about students in high school at least the lower grade ones, is that they do not have the discipline to actually concentrate in class with the laptop in front of them. They could very well surf youtube.com .... etc

Even in my tertiary institution, there are a handful of people not listening to lessons but instead are chatting on MSN. This has to do with their discipline. However expect technology in high school to be used rapidly, very soon and surely each student will have a laptop for himself and the use of notes, worksheets and textbooks would be abolished, everything would be done using their online portal system. We have an online portal where you read announcements, download project files, lecture notes and tutorials from, a student email and wireless connectivity. Quizzes were taken through this portal and our only form of writing was during examinations (yes this is not gone even when technology is involved) and during lessons when we needed to take notes in hard copy form.

kawasu

Jan 23 2007, 02:04 AM

at my high school they had hundreds of computers, all top notch win xp and at bare minimum pentium 4 processors. the school attendance system was done through computers or teacher laptops and our grading, subjects, worksheets and all that were accessed via our local intranet. we learnt how to use vb in lower years and if you wanted you could go into computer elective subjects where we learnt how to use html, word, excel, powerpoint, photoshop and many more applications all to a decent extent. our school was pretty high class techology wise i guess, so having access to a computer at any time during the day was the norm. i remember a teacher from the US coming over to teach our ip class for a few weeks (i live in melbourne, australia). she said that our level of technology throughout the school was higher than most american high schools; which should say something at least.

nearly everybody was knowledgeable with computers; the net, word processing and such where basics everyone knew. i'd say we had about fifteen computer labs each with up to 30 pcs inside, the smaller ones had about 7 or 8. then there were free areas with a lot of computers too, these areas were for anytime access whilst the labs were booked for classes and such. at recess and lunch break you could usually use the labs computers anyway. comparing this back to the first post, it seems unfortunate that students at your school miss out on so much. being able to use computers is becoming a much needed skill, if not that, a must. we're entering a new age of learning and communicating. if you don't have the skills to use a computer, i'd say it would make it very hard on you in the future.

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