Student use of technology today: helping plan the school of tomorrow

The purpose of this study was to determine how secondary students attending F.H. Collins Secondary School (FHC) in Whitehorse, Yukon in spring, 2011 viewed and used technology to complete their studies at school and at home. FHC is scheduled for imminent replacement and the decision about what educational technology to install in the new school must be made by the Yukon Department of Education, based on the advice of the new school's Building Advisory Committee (BAC) -- my recommendations are directed to the BAC. Over 50% of FHC students responded to a voluntary and anonymous quantitative survey conducted by FHC staff. I concluded that respondents felt powered down ... while attending FHC because the educational technology students use most often and believe to be most important when completing schoolwork was more accessible at home than at school. Of great concern is that Yukon First Nations were more likely to feel powered down [than] their Non First Nations counterparts at FHC. The greatest limitation of the project was the choice to survey students of today when trying to conceptualize the school of tomorrow. I recommend that all students at FHC have access to school-provided wireless Internet and be encouraged to take personal technological devices like laptops to school, and that the school's Internet site restriction policy be reviewed. --P. ii.