The decreasing cost of tablets has made it increasingly feasible to provide one computing device per student.
In the U.S., schools are expected to purchase 3.5 million tablets by the end of 2014, giving kids access to a variety of modern educational tools and opportunities, Guardian Las Vegas reported. "The trend is not just popular in the U.S. schools. It has been reported that worldwide, the spending on tablet computers by schools has increased a dramatic 60% just over last year."
The increasing availability of tablets has impacted not only how students learn, but also how tests are given. By 2015, 45 states will be giving tests via electronic devices (tablets and traditional computers) as part of the transition to the Common Core.
Many, however, are calling for changes in how classrooms are run and see the increase in available technology as a catalyst for making those changes.
U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan believes it is possible to untether schools from a traditional calendar system, Guardian Las Vegas reported. "Currently children are forced to follow a bell schedule, which tells them where they need to be at all times. This method of learning was created in the agrarian era and students were taught that teachers were the source of all knowledge. Now, students are able to direct their learning and discover new information that the teachers may not be aware of."
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