Performance Task Two: Argumentative Essay
Title: Technology in America
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The state assembly will be meeting to decide whether or not to increase
investment in technology in Connecticut’s schools. This change in statewide
technology investment would also include the increase in online classes for high
school students and the purchasing of a tablet computer for every middle school
student in the state. This effort would also increase the number of cameras in
schools, along with the creation of a statewide system to track students during
their time in school. The state board of education wants students to participate in
the process and contribute their perspectives. As part of your initial research, you
have found the following sources about technology in America’s past and present.
PART ONE: The Sources
Steps to follow:
In order to plan and compose your response, you will do all of the following:
1. Read, annotate and highlight the three sources provided;
2. Watch 2 of the 3 video clips and answer the corresponding questions
3. Answer the 4 constructive response questions;
4. Complete the funnel graphic organizer (attached)
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Source One:
How Do We Fund Our Schools?
By Judy Woodruff (PBS)
“Poverty must not be a bar to learning, and learning must offer an
escape from poverty,”
- President Lyndon Johnson, 1965
It’s a little known fact that when it comes to the funding of our schools,
the U.S. Government contributes about 10 cents to every dollar spent
on K-12 education – less than the majority of countries in the world.
And it wasn’t until 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson passed the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act as part of his War on Poverty,
that the federal government created a lasting program to fund K-12
education.
So where does the bulk of the money for our 14,000 public elementary
and secondary school districts schools come from? State and local
governments. According to the National Center for Education Statistics,
state and local funding accounts for approximately 93 percent of
education expenditures.
What’s the source of these funds? In most states, it’s sales and income
taxes (both corporate and personal). But on a local level, these funds
usually come from property taxes, which are set by the school board,
local officials or citizens. It’s this system that causes the most dramatic
differences between states, and even within districts.
Depending on the property wealth of a community, its schools might
boast gleaming buildings and equipment, or they might be dilapidated
– struggling with the burden of outdated equipment and unpaid bills.
According to the most recent Funding Gap report by the non-profit
group The Education Trust, many states still provide the least amount
of funding to school districts serving students with the greatest needs.
In 1999, for example, Illinois’ funding gap was the second-largest in the
nation. By 2005, the Illinois gap was still the second-largest, and had
gotten worse. Illinois is joined by Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maine,
Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South
Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin at the top
of the list of states in which the funding gap between high- and lowpoverty districts grew between 1999 and 2005.
Jonathan Kozol, the education activist, teacher and author, famously
described these “gaps” in his 1992 book, Savage Inequalities: Children
in America’s Schools. That same year, he told an interviewer: “We need
to have urban schools that are so good that they will not be
abandoned by white people, and this is impossible without equitable
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funding. Until we have equitable funding for our urban schools, there’s
no chance in the world that white people in large numbers are going to
return.”
These inequities have led to court challenges in almost every state.
And in the majority of them, the court has ordered the states to
overhaul their system to fund public schools more equally. These
challenges began in the 1970’s, with a landmark case in California –
Serrano v Priest (1971). In that case, the state’s high court ruled that a
child’s access to public education cannot be based on the wealth of his
or her parents.
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Source Two:
Technology in Public Schools
By Grace Chen at publicschoolreview.com
In recent years, the technology investment in public schools, ranging
from K-12 institutions, has grown astronomically. According to Equity
Review research, in 1998 alone, “the level of spending on educational
technology at the national level was estimated at over $5 billion,” and it
has grown each year in the last decade.
While each school’s budget is diverse and unique, programs have been
implemented to balance the rising costs of technology and education,
aiming to provide all students with equitable access to a learning
environment with modern and interactive equipment.
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Federal Funding in Public Schools
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According to the “Resource Guide to Federal Funding for Technology
in Public Schools,” a five year, $2 billion dollar grant was established in
1998 to provide support at both the state and local level for meeting
national technology goals. National goals for all public schools include:
“modern computers, high quality educational software, trained teachers,
and affordable connections to the Internet.”
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To further support the successful fruition of this goal, the “Technology
Literacy Challenge Fund” was launched in 1997, with over $200
million dollars in funding—this later doubled to $425 million by 1998.
The millions of dollars in funds were dispersed to all fifty states, where
local communities and public schools were to collaborate to integrate
technology into teaching and learning.
The National Education Association (NEA) and Tech Support
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As NEA supports, “every student needs the ability to navigate through
the 24/7 information flow that today connects the global community.
For students to thrive in a world enabled by information technology, we
must give them the skills to make sense of and use the information that
engulfs them. They need to know how to learn new skills as quickly as
technology creates new challenges.”
In order to provide students with access to the constantly evolving
technologies, NEA is working to support the implementation of devices
such as “laptops and pocket PCs, digital cameras and microscopes,
Web-based video equipment, graphing calculators, and even weathertracking devices.” By integrating these tools, NEA hopes to foster the
opportunity for students to “become responsible and savvy users and
purveyors of information. They need to need how to collaborate
successfully across miles and cultures.”
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Laptop Programs
While funding is not realistically available to provide every student in
public schools with a laptop, experimental programs have provided
various schools across the country with access to “laptop programs,”
where whole classes are provided with laptops so that teachers can
experiment with the implementation of technology into their lessons
and activities.
According to the Boston News, Maine is the first state in the nation to
promote a state-wide technology plan that has provided every middle
school student with a laptop—and they’re seeing incredibly academic
results, especially in students’ writing. The program, which was
designed to eliminate the “digital divide” between wealthy and poor
students, has distributed more than 30,000 computers to each seventh
and eighth grade student in public schools in 2002 and 2003.
With the rising access to this technology, schools found that “despite
creating a language all their own using e-mail and text messages,
students are still learning standard English and their writing scores have
improved on a standardized test since laptop computers were
distributed.”
Other studies support that eighth graders’ standardized test scores, after
the implementation of the laptops in Maine, actually improved. As one
teacher explains, “Laptops make it easier for students to edit their copy
and make changes without getting writer's cramp […] (and) those skills
translated when the test was taken with pen and paper.” Ultimately,
Maine Education Assessment scores show marked improvement, when
only 29 percent of students were ranked as “proficient in writing,” while
over 49 percent of eighth-graders soared to proficiency in 2005.
How to Promote a Laptop Program at Your Local School
While funding for schools’ technological opportunities, like the laptop
program, is nationally, state, and locally driven, parents can be involved
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in the decision making process by attending the public school board
meetings, creating petitions for technology funds with community
support, and by meeting with individual teachers to communicate
potential plans for change.
While this particular avenue for change is often long and tedious, one
public school’s parents took the initiative for providing laptops into
their own hands—and pockets. According to the Digital Chalkie, one
anonymous public school, with a population of only 120 students, had a
group of parents who worked to provide students from grades 4-7 with
laptops; to achieve this, parents collaborated with Apple to work on
leases, financing options, and discounts for members of the community.
The parents, however, did not discount families who may be facing
financial hardship; in this case, approximately 20% of families were
provided with a laptop for student use during school hours only,
allowing every child to have access to a computer, without creating any
form of financial or class divides. Ultimately, while parents had to
collaborate with school leaders to implement this plan, one parent
explains how the “staff, parents, kids and Principal understand and
support what we are trying to do”—even though this particular school is
not considered to be wealthy, and does not have excessive funding
allowances.
Incorporating laptops and technology into the classroom can
significantly improve the entire school’s reading and writing levels –
not to mention their technical savvy. By working with your child’s
school, or taking matters into your own hands, you can ensure that your
children are getting the exposure to computers they deserve.
Source Three: Political Cartoons
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Source Four:
Technology and Culture in the United States Today:
A Brief Essay by Chris Wanamaker
Humans and technology have existed alongside of each other since the
beginning. Technology is anything that is manmade that’s purpose is to
solve some problem or make something easier. From the earliest stone
tools, clubs, and arrow heads to the fastest and most complex computers
and particle accelerators, technology has allowed us to prevail as the
dominant species on the earth. Man has been given the intellect to
design, build, and construct these devices, which improve the overall
quality of life, and expand the knowledge base for the whole of
humanity.
Technology has played a huge role in human culture. It has become a
very integral part of our lives; many people could not do without it. The
modern conveniences and the power and freedom that technology
provides us has changed the way we think, act, and socialize.
Technology enables the disabled, empowers the powerless, and
educates the uneducated.
In today’s world, the younger generation is growing up with the Internet
and computers. This has a significant impact on their culture. The
impacts can already be seen. No teen is without a cell phone, instant
messaging, or social networking. This enables them to have instant
anytime communication with all of their friends. The generations of old
did not have that option. Kids today also have the power of the
Internet at their fingertips. Just about any information can be found
within minutes, sometimes seconds, with the Internet. This enables
them to learn at their own pace, perform research on topics, and keep
informed about world events from a wide range of perspectives.
But no piece of technology comes without consequence. There are two
sides to every coin. Modern convenience has been a key player in the
obesity of America. Computers, Television, and other forms of
technological entertainment have lead Americans to seek an ever more
sedentary lifestyle. There are many people today that are addicted to
computer and video games. These individuals play the games for as
long as is physically possible and may never leave the house. The
relationship that modern people have with the outdoors is also
crumbling. Research suggests that a good number of people don’t
venture outside of manmade structures for recreation anymore. This has
led to disconnect and sometimes even disgust with nature and the
natural world.
Even so, a world without technology would be a primitive and possibly
a sad one. Humans could not possibly sustain the current population
levels without technology, nor could we maintain any sort of economy.
On the other hand, the future looks to be an interesting one. New
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technologies emerge every day that may somehow improve our quality
of life. New developments in cognitive science, nano-technology, and
virtual reality may one day allow us to transcend what it means to be
human today. One day people may become immortal or live their lives
completely in a virtual world. The possibilities that humans may have in
the future are unknown, but technology will always be with us, and it's
not going away.
Source 6- Watch the following clips and answer the corresponding questions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbVKPhVCRFI
1. What is the bias to be found in this clip’s outlook toward technology?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZB50BfYlsDc
1. Why does the speaker use the Apollo mission to explain what is lacking in how we view problems
today? Why do you think he does not offer up a solution?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FjXK4cqplY
1. What is the thesis of this clip? Does the fact this clip is sponsored by the White House create potential
bias for the viewer?
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Question # 1
All of the sources provide information about technology in America. Now that you have analyzed all the
sources, develop a statement about technology and its link to success in America.
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Question # 2
Select one of the cartoons and analyze it. What is the message the cartoonist is trying to say? Is their thesis
positive or negative toward technology? Does this message reflect a particular bias? Who is the cartoonist
making generalizations about? Is this an effective method to convey this message?
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Question #3
All of the sources provide information about technology in America. In what ways are the uses of technology
presented as potentially harmful? Support your response with two details from the sources.
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Question #4
How is public education in America funded? Why is there a disparity about the amount of funding generated
by different school districts? In what ways could local school districts raise money? What improvements to
HKHS would you make if you successfully raised the money?
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“Investing public funds toward increasing technology in Connecticut’s Public Schools”
Argumentative Performance Task
PART TWO: The Essay
Steps to follow:
In order to write your essay, you will do all of the following:
1. You will write a 3-5 paragraph argumentative essay
2. CLAIM/STATEMENT: Make a claim (for or against) about the impact of investing public funds toward
increasing technology in Connecticut’s public schools. Example for thesis pro-technology; Technology
is an essential part in preparing todays 21st century learners for college and requires increased support
and public funding from our State.
3. EVIDENCE: Develop your ideas clearly and use your own words, except when quoting directly from the
sources. Be sure to reference the sources by author or number when using details or facts directly
from the sources. Review the rubric that will be used to score your essay before beginning to write. If
you have questions about organization/purpose, evidence/elaboration, or conventions please ask.
Manage your time carefully:
DUE DATES:
Monday 11/16/2015
 Read, annotate and highlight the three sources provided;
 Watch 2 of the 3 video clips and answer the corresponding questions
Wednesday 11/18/2015
 Answer the 4 constructive response questions;
 Complete the funnel graphic organizer (attached)
Thursday 11/19/2015
 Any revisions to graphic organizer
Friday 11/20/15
 Introduction and first claim paragraph
Monday 11/23/15
 Complete rough draft (all paragraphs)
Wednesday 11/25/2015
 Final Draft
Your report will be scored on the following criteria:
1. Statement of Purpose/Focus—how well you clearly state and maintain your controlling idea
or main idea
2. Organization—how well the ideas progress from the introduction to the conclusion using
effective transitions and how well you stay on topic throughout the essay
3. Elaboration of Evidence—how well you provide evidence from sources about your topic and
elaborate with specific information
4. Language and Vocabulary—how well you effectively express ideas using precise language
that is appropriate for your audience and purpose
5. Conventions—how well you follow the rules of usage, punctuation, capitalization, and
spelling.