The introduction of Chromebooks into the classrooms of Chamblee Charter High School has apparently caused a handful of teachers to assume that they no longer are required to do their jobs.
Previously, I enjoyed going to class, taking notes, and having an interactive environment to learn in. Now, I spend each and every class period reading assigned articles and Powerpoints on the internet. As someone who learns poorly from just visuals, worse so if those visuals happen to be on a screen, I find myself struggling.
Meanwhile, my teacher spends the period on their phone, texting away while their students face the stress of impending AP exams alone.
A class that is supposed to be considerably more difficult than a general course is now completely teacherless, thanks to the Chromebooks labeled as ‘learning materials’ by the county.
This learning technique isn’t working for me, and I can imagine it doesn’t work for a majority of students. An hour spent in the silence of a dark classroom, staring into a screen is just not an effective way to learn.
A study done by The New Republic, an American magazine with commentary on modern issues, shows that readers comprehend significantly more of what they have read if it is on paper. The reading process may be slower and more tedious, but more information is absorbed through a longer reading process.
The findings of this report are shared by studies done universally, and yet DeKalb County seems to ignore all of this and continues to push digital programs onto teachers county-wide.
When students are able to read information on paper or discuss it in a class setting, their understanding of the subject is significantly increased. But when this information is assigned online, the comprehension is decreased by a large portion.
Moreover, teachers in most cases tend to overestimate the speed in which students can read the sources, and assign more readings than many are able to finish. In a rush to finish all of the work and still get a nightly four hours of sleep, all I have time to do is skim every Powerpoint, taking the bare minimum of notes.
This is causing my grades to fall and my former love of learning to diminish. A subject I was previously incredibly passionate about has deteriorated into reading monotonous articles on the Internet in a mindless search for knowledge.
Teachers must find a way to end their reliance on screens and return classrooms to their former glory.
