Broadcaster Press 7 August 8, 2017 www.broadcasteronline.com STUDENTS, Welcome Back Navigating Tech Choices For School Use Technology is essential in the daily lives of students. Whether it’s kids learning their ABC’s or graduate students pursuing advanced degrees, technology has transformed the way lessons are taught and learned. Statistics support the notion that technology in the classroom is irreplaceable. According to data from the tutoring resource PracTutor, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and various colleges, 98 percent of schools have one or more computers in the classroom. In addition, 77 percent of teachers use the internet for instruction, while 40 percent of teachers report students use computers during instructional time in the classroom. Many instructors now assign homework that must be completed online. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development looked at computer usage among 15-year-olds across 31 nations and regions. Many students in high-performing nations reported spending between one and two hours a day on a computer outside of school. Because computers are so necessary in and out of the classroom, families and students may want to revisit their options before buying new devices. Desktop Computer Desktop computers used to be the go-to for families and students, and there are still many reasons why desktops make sense. In addition to their relatively inexpensive sticker price, desktop computers allow students to customize their packages according to their needs and get a powerful operating system in the process. New and advanced processing speeds also mean that many desktop computers can be relied on for educational purposes while also being fast enough to handle recreational gaming. One of the main disadvantages of desktop computers is their lack of portability. Desktops are not easily moved, and if repairs are necessary, it can be a hassle to have them fixed. Laptop Computers Over the last decade, laptop computers have become more popular than desktop computers, largely because of their portability. Laptops are designed to be taken from place to place, so students can use them for note-taking in the classroom and then studying at home. Although laptop processors have just about caught up to desktop processors, they may be lacking the processing pop unless consumers are willing to pay more for laptops with high performance. Another shortcoming of laptops is that they generally have smaller screens than desktop computers, which can make working on fine details more challenging. Tablets Tablets offer the most in terms of portability. They’re lightweight and small and offer a wealth of access in a compact package. Today’s tablets offer much more than the first such devices to hit the market. Some can run apps and equivalent programs that were once exclusive to desktop and laptop computers. Tablets also tend to be less expensive than desktops or laptops. Where tablets may fall short is in the peripherals. It’s difficult to connect backup drives and other accessories to tablets. However, with advancements in cloud-based storage, this may not be an issue. Also, notetaking on virtual keyboards may be more challenging, and working on tablets’ small screens can be tiresome over time. Convertible tablet/laptops are now emerging to bridge these gaps. Shopping for a new computer can be complicated, but basing purchases on need rather than want can help guide the process. Finding Balance With Extracurricular Activities Many high schools, colleges and universities emphasize their goals of producing wellrounded students. Extracurricular activities teach students important life lessons, provide them opportunities to socialize and often stimulate their minds and bodies in ways that differ from the stimulation provided in the classroom. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau states that, in 2014, 57 percent of children between the ages of 6 and 17 participate in at least one after-school extracurricular activity. Children are more likely to participate in sports than clubs or lessons, such as music, dance and language, but each of these activities can be beneficial to students’ development. Students who participate in extracurricular activities may want to limit their participation to 20 hours per week. This is according to a group of professors from Stanford University and Villanova University who have been collecting data on the issue since 2007. In their report “Extracurricular Activity in High-Performing School Contexts: Stress Buster, Booster or Buffer?”, Jerusha Conner and Sarah Miles found that 87 percent of kids who would be considered to have packed schedules were perfectly happy unless they were doing more than four hours a day. The “over-scheduling hypothesis” may be overhyped. This is the concern that too much organized activity participation leads to poor developmental outcomes. This hypoth- esis also suggests that hectic schedules also undermine family functioning, detract from schoolwork and possibly increase the risk of copycat behaviors and excessive competitiveness. However, in the study “The OverScheduling Hypothesis Revisited: Intensity of Organized Activity Participation During Adolescence and Young Adult Outcomes,” researchers J.L. Mahoney and Andrea Vest determined that, controlling for demographic factors and baseline adjustment, extracurricular intensity was a significant predictor of positive outcomes and unrelated to indicators of problematic adjustment (e.g., psychological distress, substance use, antisocial behavior) at young adulthood. Even though extracurricular activities are largely positive - even when schedules are packed - parents need to be aware of the diminishing returns of too many activities. This is something called the “threshold effect.” Benefits from extracurriculars can level off when too many activities are being juggled. If a child is experiencing anxiety, sleeplessness or depression, or seems overly stressed, it could be time to reduce students’ time spent doing structured activities. It’s essential that families use the cues given by kids to assess what students can handle. And children should be encouraged to be honest with their parents about their extracurricular activities as well. Fall Registration Preschool through 5th grade is on Wednesday, August 16th 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. General Assembly at 5:30 p.m. Did you know? Modern technology has forever transformed the classroom. As calculators replaced abacuses, mobile phone apps have now replaced calculators, and such advancements continue to change how students learn. One way schools are notably different from those of the past is through the absence of a once major component of the classroom layout. Chalkboards are either missing or completely retrofitted in modern learning environments. In the 1800s, slate blackboards were the new technology, replacing handheld tablets of wood or slate. Within the last few years, schools have increasingly opted for cleaner “white boards” or “smartboards,” which are digitally connected to computers and offer touch interfaces similar to those on tablets and smartphones. As ebooks replace textbooks and more assignments are handed in via digital documents, lockers may be the next to vanish. Registration will take place in the classrooms & new addition. Please come, even if you are pre-registered. Call if you are unable to attend. Classes Begin: Wednesday August 23rd, 2017 at 8:20 a.m. Contact: St. Agnes School, 909 Lewis Street, Vermillion, SD 57069 • 605.624.4144 Wake up with Corner of W. Cherry & Stanford 605-624-8050 Convenience at your back door - 24/7 Hot Coffee • Hot Chocolate • Lattee’s • Juice • Pop • Breakfast Pizza • Breakfast Sandwiches • other great Breakfast snacks Or try one of our energy drinks morning, noon or afternoon to keep you going in Vermillion Serving Clay, Union, Turner Counties in South Dakota (605) 624-5311 Hands are not for hitting and words were not meant to be cruel