Improving Technologies at the High School Analytical Essay

Improvements in schools should be closely associated with the improvement in the sphere of technologies and innovation. Today, technologies are available in different educational institutions, and the focus on using them is one of priorities for contemporary educators.

That is why, it is necessary to find the answers to questions about the appropriate use of technologies to work with different types of data effectively as well as about the role of the shift from using traditional wired networks to using mobile wireless networks in school environments.

Why Should We Have Separate Databases and Data Warehouses?

While discussing the ways of recording and storing the data at the high school, it is necessary to state that the separate use of databases and data warehouses is necessary to contribute to the persons’ effective access to the appropriate data because databases and data warehouses are designed to respond to different purposes and tasks. A database is the simple electronic base which contains the multiple data organized in files.

A data warehouse is the more complex database which contains the data systematized according to the definite subject. The data available with the help of the data warehouse can be collected from different sources. Thus, the data found in the data warehouse is organized to be searched and analyzed effectively (Bernhardt, 2013, p. 401).

For instance, teachers are often interested in using databases in which the demographic and student learning data are stored. Teachers also often use the information on the course contents stored in the special databases. On the contrary, school administrators prefer to use the data warehouses to receive the access to all the available information which is systematized according to the categories and topics.

As a result, to provide teachers and administrators with the opportunity to access the necessary data immediately and without any problems and while following their needs and expectations, it is rational to use databases and data warehouses to optimize the teachers and administrators’ work.

Why Not to Have One Large Database for All the Data

To store the current and historical data, it is appropriate to use data warehouses instead of expanding one database. This decision is associated with the necessity to systematize different types of data, including demographic data, student learning data, and school processes data. Furthermore, this information should be accessible at different levels, and only data warehouses can provide teachers and administrators with the possibility to find all the required information from the variety of organized sources (Bernhardt, 2013, p. 120).

While having one large database for all the data, it is almost impossible to record, enter, and store the data accurately because the amounts of the data are constantly increasing, and it is necessary to divide the historical data which is not used often from the current data which is accessed regularly not only by teachers but also by administrators.

The Advantages of the Mobile Wireless Network over the Wired Network

Today, it is necessary to focus on the use of mobile wireless networks instead of using wired networks because wired networks can be discussed as limiting opportunities for teachers, students, and school staff to perform successfully. The use of the mobile wireless networks means the constant access to the information resources and databases from any location and room in the school.

Any sources and data can be accessed immediately because of the advantages of the mobile wireless networks. Referring to the fact that information is one of the most important values today, the focus on the use of the mobile wireless networks contributes to creating the school’s image as responding to the current social trends (Stallard, 2001, p. 12).

How Can a Mobile Wireless Network Impact the Educational Process?

The main advantages of using the mobile wireless networks are associated with the improvement of the educational process. The use of mobile wireless networks can affect the educational process including the teaching process and students’ learning positively because teachers and students receive the limitless opportunities to access the necessary sources and information. First, students can access the necessary resources any time and from any room in the school.

Second, the use of mobile wireless networks contributes to the improvement of teachers’ instruction. Thus, teachers receive more opportunities to focus on differentiated instruction and to respond to the needs of all the students in the classroom. The next positive outcome is the opportunity to stimulate students’ productivity while using different mobile devices to improve the teaching-learning process.

The ability to use online resources or interactive games during the educational process contributes to increasing the students’ interest and to improving students’ productivity and academic performance (Bernhardt, 2013, p. 83).

Technologies influence every aspect of the students’ life, and it is important to reflect these trends in the educational process while focusing on using the mobile wireless networks. Intending to propose a variety of activities for students, teachers can rely on the use of mobile wireless networks in order to make students’ mobile devices become the tools for enhancing their academic performance.

Recommendations for the High School’s Technology Plan

The technology improvement plan for the high school should be focused on contributing to the educational process. That is why, it is necessary to pay more attention to the approaches and ways to improve the teaching-learning process and the students’ academic performance. The first step is the shift from using the wired networks to using the mobile wireless networks in order to provide the access to the online information sources for students, teachers, and administrators.

The next step is the implementation of such technologies as iPads and SmartBoards in every classroom of the school in order to vary the learning activities, to improve the educational process, and to stimulate the students’ productivity and academic performance. These technologies are also necessary to improve teacher’s differentiated instruction which often becomes a kind of challenge for educators.

One more step is the implementation of a database along with the data warehouse in order to record, enter, and store all the types of the school data accurately, while providing the access to the resources at all the levels. The use of only a database or only a data warehouse is not an appropriate decision for such institutions as high schools because of the great amounts of information which should be recorded, analyzed, systematized, and stored.

To emphasize the importance of the provided recommendations, it is necessary to state that modern technologies play an important role in all the spheres of the people’s life. Furthermore, modern technologies can contribute to the improvement of the educational process significantly. That is why, educators as well as students should use every opportunity to use mobile technologies and online resources in order to improve the teaching process and the learning activities.

References

Bernhardt, V. L. (2013). Using data to improve student learning in school districts. USA: Routledge.

Stallard, C. (2001). The promise of technology in schools: The next 20 years. USA: R&L Education.