Journal 6: “Student Voices for Change” NETS-T I, III, IV, V

Miller, S. (2011). Student voices for change. Learning and Leading with Technology, 38(8), Retrieved from http://www.iste.org/learn/publications/learning-and-leading/digital-edition-june-july-2011.aspx

Miller writes about students from Van Meter Community School in Iowa.  They had a technology transformation in their school, and their students have given presentations to the Iowa House and Senate Education Appropriations Committee.  This school had gone to a one-to-one ratio of laptops to students and it changed learning.  Students are becoming technology experts, but what is more impressive is the student’s enthusiasm for learning.    These students are becoming advocated for change in the educational system and supporters of technology in the classroom.

1.  What is CEWL?

CEWL, Computer Efficiency Workers League, is a student technology group at Van Meter.  They support and assist students and teachers with their technology issues and questions.  They are technology experts for the school.  I think of them as being similar to Geek Squad at Best Buy, but not necessarily as advanced as Geek Squad.

2.  What are some of the things students presented to the Iowa House and Senate Education Appropriations Committee?

A fifth grade student showed her blog on which she has embedded widgets and included a Cluster Map.  Another girl talked about a virtual reality program on which students can create two dimensional or three dimensional virtual projects.  One student showed his Prezi slideshow on CEWL, and the role CEWL plays.  Other students showed YouTube videos they had made on various subjects.