Many California school districts are rushing to spend money to add
computers and internet access to schools in order to prepare students to take
on-line computer assessments next year.
According to Diane Lambert in the Sacramento Bee, of Feb.19, “Sacramento-area school districts have spent millions of dollars in
the past two years upgrading their broadband connections and buying computers
and other technology so thousands of students can simultaneously take the
California Assessment of Student Performance and Progress, which will replace
the former pencil-and-paper STAR test.
The computerized tests will measure how well students grasp the new
Common Core standards, a set of national guidelines that California and 44
other states have embraced as the next big shift in teaching. “ Common
Core claims to stress critical thinking, problem solving and
the use of technology.”
http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/19/6169465/new-computer-testing-boosts-technology.html
See update: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/22/6181489/public-eye-whats-the-best-equipment.html
See update: http://www.sacbee.com/2014/02/22/6181489/public-eye-whats-the-best-equipment.html
Lets get real. Computers can and should be an important part of student
learning, particularly above about grade 3. But, buying massive amounts
of technology in order to facilitate test taking- well that is another
matter. The K-12 education software market in
the U.S. reached 7.97 billion in 2011/2012.
