At what point will the educational system adapt modern technologies in place of older, proven methods? Can they coexist? The turnover of technology is much shorter than the replacement of classroom material. Children now have access to myriad devices that can aid in their education. Whether they should be used in the classroom, however, is worth discussing. To manage a class in which students have different gadgets with different operating systems can prove more of a detriment to the learning experience than the help these devices provide. A standardized criterion for acceptable devices should be established for each school or district.
Should the school spend the money necessary to buy these devices? It could be considered unfair to those families that purchase their own devices if they are provided for free for other students. It could likewise be considered unfair for some students to have aids that others can't afford. There could also be social implications as some families are perceived as lower income.
Children who disrupt the classroom have been separated from others in the past. If there are new, more effective ways to engage students that have been problematic, they should be explored. So schools want to use the carrot or the stick? With advances in psychology, there should be corollary advances in school-room discipline.
What method of grouping works best? In any group, there are weak links. New paradigms of group work should be established, like individual tasks within the group. This may help identify problems before report cards come around. Teachers need to establish methods that work well and implement them.