CARS Model

My topic for this essay is the controversy of having modern technology in schools and how it affects the quality of children’s educations. I think it’s an important topic discuss because more people are concerned with it than one might know. It is also important to see what research has showed, because if it is negatively affecting the children’s education quality then something must be done about it. Fortunately all of the research I have found says that if you used the technology correctly that it can actually improve the child’s learning experience and education. When going through the research I found that most of them did not talk about any negativity to children learning with technology. I feel that they should have included this, there must be some negative effects, and I think they should have been described.

Chapters 7 & 8 Quiz

I believe my core four will be an argument of both fact and definition. In the Lunsford book, it says that what factual arguments all have something in common and it is “an attempt to establish whether something is or is not so – that is, whether a thing exists or whether claims made about something are true”. (pg 178) I feel that this statement applies to my topic of research. I am trying to establish the claims made about how the quality of a child’s education is affected by the use of technology in the classroom. One might think that it would be hard to argue fact, but “facts become arguments when they’re controversial in themselves or when they’re used to educate people, challenging or changing their beliefs”. (pg 178) I find this statement very true from my own experience; I have found that my topic is very controversial, even though a lot of the research I’ve found has proven that technology actually improves the quality of a child’s education. As the book said, when trying to change people’s beliefs, it becomes a very controversial topic. I also find that my topic falls under serious factual argument. These arguments can “touch on public issues”. (pg 179) The books states that most of the public need “well-reasoned factual arguments on subjects…in order to make well-informed decisions”. (pg 179) I agree with this statement whole heartedly. I think that if you wish to make a decision, you would hope that you would have a well-reasoned argument presented to you. That way you can learn all of the facts and make a well-informed decision for yourself. My topic can also be used to “correct or challenge beliefs and assumptions held widely within a society on the basis of inadequate or incomplete information.” (pg 179) I have found that a lot of people think that technology is having a negative impact on the quality of a child’s education. My argument is here to help change these views, off of well researched fact. The book states that “operational definitions identify an object or idea…by what it does or by the conditions that create it”. (pg 225) I feel that technology can be an operational definition when it is applied to being used in schools. I have had an argument arise from this operation definition because “people debate what the conditions are that define something or whether these conditions have been met”(pg 226) People have long debated what the conditions should be to having technology in schools, whether it is a good idea or whether it will just deplete the child’s education. I truly feel that my topic touches in both pools of argument, it might be more so in the factual argument, but none the less has its definition side. I think I will certainly use more fact in my core four, but reading more into it I might use more definition in my final paper.

Research Questions

From the research that I've found, the conversations between the authors are engaging. One author says that there are two ways to use technology in schools, there's the learning "from" approach and the learning "with" technology. Examples of learning "from" technology are such things as instructional television and examples of learning "with" technology are such things as constructional learning environments. When the author goes into more detail it is easier to see the difference between the two. I agree quite completely with the author as long as each form is used correctly and effectively. The of course theres an article where the author describes exactly what a teacher is using in his classroom. They say how the technology and internet is effecting the class and the children's learning. I think this is an excellent approach to discuss the use of technology in schools.

I think all the articles I have found thus far have had a few problems. The biggest one that they all have in common are none of them talk negatively about the use of technology in schools. There has to be some evidence that supports that the quality of learning is negatively effected by technology. I feel that they should have the other side of the argument in their paper/article.