World History
at BC
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Bond Passes!
Byron Center voters approved a bond last night by a 70-30% margin. This is good news. Now we have to figure out the best way to spend the money to improve students skills and abilities. There is talk of every high school student having a laptop or I-pad. The immediate response would most likely be positive, but are there potential negative consequences? Will it keep students from focusing in class or will it help them take notes? Are students responsible enough? How much tech support would be needed? If you are a student, do you really believe your education would benefit? My thoughts are mixed - what are your thoughts?
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Check out the 4 chairs in the LMC. If the students get new chairs, these would be the options. Which one do you like the most? Which would be best for a learning environment?
ReplyDeletePersonally, i feel having a personal laptop for every student would be both positive and negative. Regardless, the students should have to earn the right. I know though typing is much easier for me rather than writing so if i was able to have a computer with me all day i know my notes would benefit. A down fall of this though would be the fact that students would be able to cheat much easier because they now have tools infront of them to be communicating all day throughout the day. Overall though i feel that the world is moving towards technology and if we want to keep up allowing students these tools would not only benefit them but also Byron Center High as a whole.
ReplyDeleteThe passing of the bond will definitely have a positive effect. The arts will be recognized with additions of space to accommodate the band and so forth. It will also allow for the acquisition of additional technology such as laptops for all the students. This technology will better prepare students for the world they will be emerging into. At the same time, there will be downfalls that will have to be overcome. Students will choose to not be responsible. It is necessary for the school to think of all the possible failures of the system before hand and have ideas in mind to cope with those problems. If this happens, then the bond would have been a good. If not, then it was pointless.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feeling's of the bond being passed. On a positive note, the bond renewal will give the band more room to expand and grow drawing more people to Byron Center. But with the bond being passed this will extend the amount of taxes the Byron Center Public pays in the long run. For example, if the bond did not pass the price of taxes would have started to go down after 2020. But with the bond extension the price of taxes will be extended so the public will have to pay taxes up to 2035! This raises taxes in the long run. But if the teachers and students are responsible with the technology and the extra space the benefits will outweigh the costs.
ReplyDeleteBrian - I think you are misinformed on this. The original bond was supposed to run through 2028, but through refinancing was reduced by about 7 years. The new bond only extends the original by around 8 years, so you are actually only adding about 1 or 2 years. And it doesn't raise taxes, only extends them.
ReplyDeleteIf taxes are extended, you will still be paying more money. For example, through this bond you are paying more tax money. If the bond was extended for another year or two you will continue to pay a higher tax. This bond extends the time until taxes are reduced which in effect causes the public to pay higher taxes until the bond ends. So in reality we could have been paying a smaller tax 7 to 8 yrs from now but with the bond we are now extending that time period by 1-2 yrs. Costing the public to pay more tax money. I apologize however for my misinformed dates. Also all I heard in school where the benefits not the costs of the bond. I wish I heard both sides...
ReplyDeleteThe increased taxes aren't really that much, barely noticeable for the public at large, but the effects in school are tremendous. The redistribution of space in the fine arts wing is desperately needed after the increase in our schools students in the past years. There could also be increased tech in the classroom for the teachers disposal. My English teacher said the other day that she wished she had a projector and screen on the back wall so she could have students facing both ways look at things she is doing, and something that will let here do things on the Elmo from all around the room, because she likes to be mobile. There is a lot of POTENTIAL for good in the bond.
ReplyDeleteI really think it depends on if the schools are supplying the laptops/ iPads or if the students bring in their own. If students bring their own there could be apps and other unknown media distracting them from class activitys. If the school supply's them their can be moniterd material creating less of a distraction but some students are unpredictable. Some may drift of to sites such as YouTube and not have the slightest idea of what's going on in class.
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