School - Homework & Computers?

[janette]

Just wondering if other schools are like this. My 11yo DD is in 5th grade this year. She's had several assignments from one teacher that require a computer to do. One is a power-point presentation over different topics that will continue for almost the entire semester. The other was a science research paper that had to be typed and printed before it was turned in. It couldn't be turned in hand written.

We have computer at home so it hasn't been much of a problem for my DD, I did have to make a late night run to Walmart last night to get ink for the printer. She didn't mention until late that her paper was due today and the printer wasn't working. I suggested that she take it and print it at school and she said she couldn't. She said today that another student didn't have access to a printer and turned her report in on the diskette and was counted late.

It just seems strange to me that so much of their homework requires a computer. They are given class time on computers and have some access to the school's computers but kids without home computers I quess are having to go to the library.

Is this normal? Seems like that could really put kids with computers at a disadvantage.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

Is this public or private school? I don't see how public school can require that without giving the students access to computers at school to complete the project.

I know that my kids could not have done as well in middle school without a computer but it was never a requirement. Most of the kids that don't have a computer probably don't have parents who can pick them up after school so they can use the school computer.

 

[SeaSpray]

They don't "require" reports and other projects to be printed from a computer, but they do highly suggest it. I think that if a child didn't have a computer at home, or didn't have a printer, they'd make sure the child had access and enough time to get their project finished. Our elementary schools have beautiful computer labs, and there are after-school computer clubs and classes they can take (at no charge, by the way), that would also give the child time to complete a project like that.

I do know what you mean though, that if a school was going to absolutely REQUIRE it to be done on a computer, it'd be a disadvantage for those students with no computer at home, and not much other opportunity to use one.

A little off-topic, but my DS11 does some of his regular nightly homework on his computer and prints it out each evening because of a writing problem he has (disgraphia). (His handwriting is adequately legible, but he has a teacher this year who initially was marking his papers wrong because some of his letters were formed incorrectly, or incompletely). If we didn't have a printer, he would've been allowed to bring it in on disc and print it at school, but we do have a printer...actually, 2 of them, so it's not an issue.

 

[janette]

It is a public school.

They do have a lab they can go to in the mornings and a rotating lab (laptops) that they sometimes use in the classroom. Their power point projects have to be saved on the school's computer to be considered turned in.

They can print in the lab but only at specified times.

 

[DixieDreamer]

My DD is also a 5th grader and our schools do not REQUIRE that computers be used - but it is highly encouraged. Recognizing that not everyone has one though, there is a LARGE computer center that is available to the kids before and after school for their use. In addition, the school was part of a Bill Gates Foundatation grant that provided some additional laptop pc's that can be checked out by the kids. They can take them home to do the assignment, save their work to disk, and then print it out at the computer lab in the morning before school starts. If a child needs access to a computer - they can get it in our school system.

We just upgraded DD's pc to a smoking machine (it's a screamer now!) and replaced her computer center with a much better one that has more room so she can do her regular homework at the computer center area and changed our family network configuration so she goes through a print server now... giving her access to both the color printer and our laser jet. She was limited before to the color printer (which is a cheapo not so great quality) or had to jump on mine or DH's computer to get a good quality printout. Now she has access to everything from her own workcenter. She LOVES her pc and spends alot of time there now... since it is much more pleasant to use with all the changes we made. Now we just need her to learn KEYBOARDING! She does the hunt and peck (albeit very fast) to type... and it drives me crazy!