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Computers in the classroom include any digital technology used to enhance, supplement, or replace a traditional educational curriculum. As computers have become more accessible, inexpensive, and powerful, the demand for this technology has increased, leading to more frequent use of computer resources within classes, and a decrease in the student-to-computer ratio within schools.

Origins
College campuses used computer mainframes in education since the initial days of this technology, and throughout the initial development of computers. The earliest large-scale study of educational computer usage conducted for the National Science Foundation by The American Institute for Research concluded that 13% of the nation's public high schools used computers for instruction, although non-users still outnumbered users at a ratio of 2 to 1. The study also concluded that computers proved to be very popular with students, and that applications run on early models included sports statistic managers, administration tools, and physics simulators.

In 1975, Apple Inc. began donating Apple 1 model computers to schools, and mainframes began to lose their former dominance over academic research. Computer usage continued to grow rapidly throughout this era. In 1977, it was estimated that over 90% of students at Dartmouth College had used computers at some point in their college careers. Walter Koetke, the director of a Lexington, Massachusetts school system commented that, "It's still possible for a student to get through here without using the computer, but he would certainly have to try to do it".

Computer-aided instruction gained widespread acceptance in schools by the early 1980s. It was during this period that drilling and practice programs were first developed for exclusive classroom use. Schools became divided over which computer manufacturers they were willing to support, with grade schools generally using Apple computers and high schools preferring DOS based machines. Hardware shortages in schools became a major issue, leaving many teachers unable to provide enough computers for students to use. Despite this, by 1989 computer usage shifted from being a relative rarity in American public schools, to being present in nearly every school district. The early 1990s marked the beginning of modern media technology such as CD-ROMs as well as the development of modern presentation software such as Microsoft Powerpoint. Other computer-based technology including the electronic whiteboard and the laptop computer became widely available to students. In 1990, the Methodist Ladies' College became the first campus to require every student to purchase a laptop. Governments around the world began to take notice of the effectiveness of this policy, and began financial initiatives to significantly increase the use of laptop computers in other colleges as well. In 1996, Bill Clinton made over $2 billion in grants available in the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund, a program which challenged schools to make computers available to every student, connected to the outside world, and engaging. This marked a significant increase in the demand for computer technology in many public school systems throughout the globe.

Correlating with the development of modern operating systems like Windows 98 and the continuing support of government funding, the prevalence of educational computer usage boomed during this era. Between 1997 and 1999, the ratio of students to multimedia computers decreased from 21 students per machine to less than 10 students per machine. Colleges began creating specialized classrooms designed to provide students with access to the utilization of the most modern technology available. Classrooms such as the "Classroom 2000" built at Georgia Tech in 1999 which featured computers with audio and video equipment designed to capture detailed recordings of lectures as a replacement for traditional note taking began to become more common. By 2000, the student to computer ratio at some schools in the US decreased to only 5 students per school computer.

Web 2.0
As the internet developed, it changed into Web 2.0, which emphasizes user-generated content, usability, and interoperability. Consequently, the internet became more connected. Collaborative classroom environments became mainstream, and more schools began to invest in powerful networks and faster internet connections. By 2010, many school districts implemented or encouraged "1:1 learning programs," trying to ensure that all students in grade school be provided with a personal laptop. Computers significantly changed traditional teaching methodology into a more communicative approach. Forbes predicted that "instead of parking themselves in a lecture hall for hours, students will work in collaborative spaces, where future doctors, lawyers, business leaders, engineers, journalists and artists learn to integrate their different approaches to problem solving and innovate together."

Growing worldwide computer usage and the need for computer skills in today's workforce prompted the United States government to create educational guidelines, such as the Core Curriculum Content Standards for education. These are designed to guarantee students' preparedness to meet the demands of the 21st century learning and work environments. Changes such as this, along with the changes in the ways 21st century learners communicate, subsequently changed the ways that classroom computers are utilized. Teachers can tap into the enhanced abilities of current computer technology, utilizing various Web 2.0 aspects to enhance their instruction. Such aspects are also being used to extend classroom communication outside of the campus through online collaborative tools. One of these tools that gained significant recognition was the weblog, or blog. Used for class interaction, blogs allow students to present their findings and writing to a wide audience, in turn bolstering feedback, commentary, and critiques of their writing. Because the students know their writings will reach a much wider audience, they become increasingly cautious and aware of their grammar, spelling, and word choice. However, blogs are open to the public, allowing uninvited persons access to a class they are not part of. Programs such as Google Classroom, which is commonly used today, creates a more secure and private environment for virtual learning.

One Laptop Per Child
In 2005, a new program was introduced called "One Laptop Per Child". The OLPC program was started by two non- profit organizations that work to provide laptops at low cost, and low power to developing countries around the world. The computers are integrated with collaborative UI and a educational software to provide self-empowered learning. Roughly 2 million children and teachers in Latin America with another 500,000 in Africa, Gaza and Afghanistan are a part of the One Laptop Per Child organization. " The results from a large scale evaluation in 319 schools in Peru showed that the program increased the ratio of students per computer from 0.12 to 1.18. Additionally, students gained more ability to use general software (word processor) and access to the internet" At the time of the program launch the typical laptops at retail were around 1000 US dollars. The organizations goal was to create a computer that used low power and had low cost that could be sold at a target price of 100 US dollars. The OLPC XO Laptop was created and ready to use by 2007. Now the organization works with countries all over the world to provide laptops to students in need.

Application
Centered primarily on collaboration and sharing, educational computer applications encourage student self-expression, interaction with peers, and the opportunity for authentic learning experiences. The learning taking place is not simply about typical concepts or facts as laid out in school curricula. The process also builds connections. As a result, the awareness of the importance and the value of communication is becoming instilled into children. With a laptop, webcam, projector, and an Internet connection, a teacher can broadcast and begin collaboration with any other classroom. Google Classroom is a more recent foremost example of this and is employed by many school districts. Creating a virtual classroom for students to engage in, Google classroom assists in several aspects of the classroom, including assigning tasks. Google Docs works with it to create an easy space to write essays and take notes. Google has also given Chromebooks to several school districts, ensuring each student is able to access the virtual learning environment.

Advantages
Computers in the classroom can take the form of a virtual classroom, which have their own benefits. For students who may not be able to attend a traditional class setting, online classes offer an alternative so they can still receive an education. Students with unusual schedules or conflicting responsibilities may fit schooling into a time period that works for them. Exposure to the other students can be changed, so those who need more communication can get it, but those who do not or are shy can remain anonymous.

Classroom technologies can also promote differentiated instruction, tailoring a learning experience to the student. A teacher can record lessons or lectures and make them readily available to students. ESL or ELL students and students with learning disabilities can therefore review class time them at their own pace, increasing comprehension. Usually, these records are in the form of a podcast or vodcast, which is then posted in a virtual classroom environment such as Google Classroom.

Virtual classroom environments also create a common space for the students, creating a location for active communication between students. This communication has three primary functions: presentation, class interaction, and student collaboration. This collaboration also helps students learning to work in a group and as a group, as they must be creators and critics and work with other students on virtual projects. This process of working closely together helps students learn more skills than just those the teacher provides.

Disadvantages
The implementation of technology into a classroom has obvious advantages, but there are also drawbacks. When asked about the effects of classroom technologies on their students’ mental health, 69% of teachers described those effects as “mostly harmful,” pointing to increases in anxiety and depression. More than half of teachers also see a similar effect on the students’ physical health. Additionally, classroom technologies, especially those with access to the internet and its resources, may have effects on students’ basic academic skills. In Montreal, a study observing students’ research strategies found that students using the internet did not learn from their research - they merely looked at the information. Furthermore, some teachers note an increasing rate of plagiarism (intentional or not) and an inability of the students to evaluate problems problems on their own.

The drawbacks of classroom technologies reach beyond direct effects on students and into the indirect. The implementation of of classroom technology requires money, and some schools have prioritized purchasing of computers over other basic schooling features, such as textbooks and funding for arts and music programs. However, these programs have their own benefits for students, with art programs linked to decreases in anxiety and depression and increases in general mental health and music programs linked to higher IQ and better academic performance. Conversely, the use of computers and technology in classrooms have not had a dramatic increase on academic performance, and frequent use of computers during school lower academic performance, according to a study by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

The OECD warns of the consequences of a dependence on computers. According to a global study conducted by the organization, the claim of a correlation between computer access and achievement in school is ill-founded and raises “too many false hopes”. In the OECD’s report, comparisons with scores on international testing (PISA) and the influence of school technology offer insight into the relevance of computers. Schools systems where daily access to a school computer is more limited, such as schools in South Korea, tend to score higher on academic testing than their more computer-reliant rivals. In Australia, a country with high amounts of access to technology in the classroom, it was noted that test scores declined. In Singapore, the OECD finds, only a moderate use of electronics in the classroom is regular, yet Singapore ranks highest in the category of digital skills. Director of education for the OECD, Andreas Schleicher, views the easy access to internet in the classroom as a distraction that encourages students to provide a quick and easy answer by cutting and pasting answers. In Schleicher’s words, referencing the study, “there is no single country in which the internet is used frequently at school by a majority of students and where students' performance improved.”

Young Students and Computational Learning
An obstacle in understanding and using computers is determining at what age is it appropriate to introduce children to the complexities of computer literacy and how. The award-winning children's series Hello Ruby, created by Finnish programmer Linda Liukas in 2014, aims to help teacher's and students learn more of the basics and principles of Ruby computer programming language while enforcing skills such as creativity and storytelling. With these stories of the fictitious character Ruby, classes of young children become familiar with concepts, such as loops, and how the actions they make to accomplish certain tasks are, in fact, loops.

Children are being encouraged to build their own computers and some educator's in American schools have started implementing lesson plans on coding with the very computers the students have assembled. Kits to construct your own computer in a put-it-together style are introducing young learners to the mechanics behind the electronics they use in the classroom. These DIY kits are relatively inexpensive, when compared to already assembled computers,and come with illustrated instructional booklets on proper assembly. Once the computer has been assembled, children are introduced to coding using modular programming. This programming allows for children to create their own games and make alterations to already popular games such as Minecraft.

There is evidence of the growth and application of computational thinking in the United States, this the case in a school district located in South Fayette, Pennsylvania. This concept of computational thinking is taught at every grade level, K-12. With exercises such as creating blueprints for a machine based on the complex and unusual designs of Rube Goldberg, students are exposed in the classroom to robotics, theories in engineering, computers and coding. Having such a strong STEAM program (STEM with an arts component), has created several computer-oriented clubs, some of which travel and compete in challenges relating to fields of computer literacy. One group of students from South Fayette, created an educational flashcard app called MyEduDecks and traveled to Seattle, Washington, presenting their creation at an education technology workshop. Proponents of this model of teaching at the district, refer to the important strides made in so many different fields of technology and conservation, which note that computational thinking is crucial to learning how to problem solve.

Computers in the classrooms of Africa
Computers play a vital role in learning if they are used educationally. Africa, being the 2nd largest continent, holds the 2nd largest population among the other continents. The main concern this continent is suffering from right now is, “computers' effective uses in the classrooms.” Africans have a lot of potential in major careers fields, and they have been quite successful in sports all around the world. It’s a real challenge for some ethnicities to compete on their level. The percentage rates of the ratio to their population and their careers are as follows: in the U.S, in 2013, 2.8% of full time degree pursuing undergraduates were African, with the group comprised 57% of football players, and 64% male basketball players. There would be an increase in the percentage of degree pursuing undergraduates if their education base was stronger in their home country. Africa is falling behind in many things, including lack of technology because the lack of electricity. Even if they get enough funds for installing computers throughout the school campuses, the other major concern comes up is electrical supply. Energy in Africa is scarce–annual consumption is 518 KWh per capita–whereas the same amount of electricity used by an individual in an Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development country is 25 days (OECD – example is the U.S.). According to recent trends, over 60% of Sub-Saharan Africans will still lack the access to electricity by 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa lies in the shade of the success, while the northern region of Africa (Egypt, Morocco and Tunisia) has invested 12 billion USD in their energy power plants, which is going to have an big impact on the region. They will soon be seen marching towards success, as they claim to do business with European countries by merchandising the electrical supply to them. Students of Prince George Community College, located in Washington D.C, worked on refurbishing 100 computers and other accessories, and distributed them to several schools in Africa under the guidance of instructor William Lloyd. The instructor and one of his students traveled to Iringa, Tanzania, and distributed the computers among the schools in need.

Teaching methods in African information and communication classes
Richard Appiah Akoto is an information and communications technology teacher in the middle school of Ghana. In the absence of technology in the classrooms of rural areas in Ghana, he traces the display of Microsoft Word processing window on the chalkboard with colored chalks. His sketch comprised all the features available on the Microsoft Word.

The distribution of laptops in South America
Not all countries in South America can provide computers and laptops to educational institutions. Some South America countries find a successful use with the spread of laptops in places such as Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela. Uruguay was the first country in the world to give every child in Primary school a laptop in the year 2009 and have now expanded out to kids in Secondary school. Since then the Conectar Igualdad program has been lending out 1.8 million laptops across the countries to all schools and institutes for teachers and students. Argentina created a program that was was inspired by Uruguays Plan Ceibal program, to cover all public schools, they have sent out 570,000 computers to all students and teachers. Venezuela started Canaima (operating system) program in 2010, giving out at least 525,0000 laptops to primary school students and they are currently working on getting laptops out to all secondary school students as well.

Youth and the impact of computers
South American countries are unable to access many educational services. In Venezuela about 250 million kids are not educated in the manner that they should be, showing that they can't read, write, and lack knowledge in all subjects in school. An estimate of 22.2 million youth and young adults in South America are either not in educational institutes and/or at the verge of dropping out every year. Because the youth does not have the educational skills needed for work, it makes it hard for them to get employed. A Company called Cisco Systems developed a partnership with CAF – Development Bank of Latin America along with the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (CEPAL), they are working on connecting every classroom in latin America to have access to the internet. With Uruguays Plan Ceibal, almost every student is learning English via video, Through the Cisco Networking Academy, millions of students particate more in ICT classes. The academy is improving education quality by giving a 1 million kids the skills and requirements they need to obtain a job in the economy .Many kids in several cities around Venezuela, aren’t familiar with computer use. According to this article, kids that are nearly 11- 12 years old have never had an interaction with computer or laptops before.

Integrating computers in Asian countries
Following the worldwide increase of computer in classrooms, some Asian countries have been hesitant to give computers to students during the school day. Singapore, has quickly responded to the use of computers in education by providing a tablet computer to every child in schools across the country since 2013. In Thailand the Ministry of Education has distributed a total of 129,632 tablet computers to students nationwide. The education programs in South Korea and China are being cautious of giving students access to computers during school. In these two countries, the emphasis has been set on increasing computer use among teachers. Teachers within Asian countries are required to upload lessons and coordinate with other faculty when planning school material. The teachers can even be scored on the amount of time they contribute to add. With an average of around 10 minutes of computer time at school and where half the children report using computers at school the children of these Asian countries are reported to be the top performers in reading and computer based mathematics tests.

Lessons for young students in computer programming trend all across the globe. In Hong Kong, privileged children as young as six years of age, can attend the out-of school coding center, First Code Academy. Here, high income families pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars in an attempt to give their child a leg-up in an evolving digital world and learn how to use code such as JavaScript. In contrast, students not enrolled in these extra coding classes are exposed to other forms of a computer literacy curriculum which is considered outdated, last being updated in 1999. In 2015, a statement from Hong Kong's deputy government chief information officer, Joey Lam, reads, "What we want to do is to incorporate coding as a mandatory part of early secondary education so as to equip students for the future digital world." Pertaining to such sentiment, the government of Hong Kong is slowly tackling this issue, explains Lam, with an agenda to require a computer programming course for children ages 11 and older in the near future. The exact date of this implementation is yet to be disclosed.