When I came to Andover, I was surprised by the lack of technology use in comparison to my middle school. Instead of carrying a lightweight laptop, I lug around heavy textbooks every day. Instead of storing my notes in a convenient virtual folder, I spend half an hour digging around in a pile of worksheets for the most recent handout. While I am aware that change doesn’t happen overnight, the integration of technology should not just be limited to a select number of classes. I think that all courses and all teachers should be encouraged to move classes into a virtual space.
Recently, the Tang Institute launched a Lunch & Discussion Series in which faculty lead meetings every Friday to display their independent academic projects. Many of the projects are interdisciplinary, such as the program that integrates technology and BC Calculus. The Tang Institute is currently working on two projects that address the use of technology. First, the project, “Exploring the Use of Networked Tools in the Humanities,” is working to widen our reach of knowledge by using more expansive databases and programs. Two examples are Omeka, which facilitates the building of digital databases, and Neatline, which is used to develop maps. The project “Refining and Implementing our Blended Online BC Calculus Course,” headed by Elizabeth Joseph, Instructor in Mathematics, is devoted to increasing student usage of already available online resources like YouTube, Khan Academy and Canvas.
I commend the Tang Institute’s work in developing some potentially revolutionary programs and projects. Technology should not only be confined to these projects but also integrated into all academic classroom settings.
Some classes admittedly are best accompanied with hardcopies and textbooks, such as English, where virtual annotations are not advanced enough to compete with real books. Other classes, however, such as in the Mathematics and Natural Sciences Departments, would be well suited for tech-centered curriculums. In my current Math 320 and Biology 100 classes, students are required to buy heavy textbooks, and while electronic versions are permitted, they are usually the exception. Teachers should instead actively encourage students to buy electronic copies of textbooks and even go as far as requiring them.
The solution to this issue is as easy as one click on the computer. Our school’s current textbook provider, Follet, has offered the option of buying eBook bundles for a school and sharing the eBooks with the entire campus using a feature called “Follett Shelf.” As an alternative, students could buy digital textbooks, which can also be possible using Follett.
In addition, Andover should invest in buying apps for the classroom. We can “smartcopy” apps, using programs such as Volume Product Purchase that can offer the entire school access to apps and softwares. These programs would allow Andover to buy apps in large quantities and distribute them to all students. Apps such as Adobe Flash Professional, which is already used by the school but is confined to school computers, could be distributed to students taking corresponding classes. Through such a change, students would have the benefit of accessing professional-level tools.
I would also suggest that assignments and homework be submitted online. We already have the tools, such as Blackboard and Canvas, but not all teachers make use of them. It may be that some teachers feel unfamiliar with these online tools or believe that grading assignments is more convenient on a physical copy. If assignments were submitted online, however, students would not have to worry about printing or formatting and deadlines would be easier to meet. Teachers, instead of chasing after students who have overdue assignments, can refer to the assignments in one organized and convenient zip file or folder.
Shifting the setting of our academic curriculums to online spaces can encourage students and teachers to be more organized, efficient and environmentally aware. We should encourage the Tang Institute to continue to expand its visions past specific courses and even to entire departments.
