How technology supports and constrains classroom life and learning: A case study of a fourth grade classroom

The purpose of this ethnographic case study was to explore the ways in which providing students with their own computers supported and constrained life and learning in one fourth grade classroom. Participants included 15 African American and 5 European American students in a low to middle income suburban neighborhood. Data were collected through participant observation, document analysis, and interviews with students, teachers, and administrators. Data were analyzed through the lens of the American Psychological Association's 14 Learner-Centered Principles.; This study found that high levels of computer integration in the classroom both supported and constrained learning for the participants. Learning was supported through technology by allowing the students to engage in activities that covered a range of cognitive complexities. The integration of computers into the everyday curriculum of the classroom supported high levels of motivation and engagement for the students. Lastly, student computer leaders emerged based not on academic ability but on their proficiency with technology. Findings also revealed a shift from more teacher-directed to student-centered classroom culture when computers were in high use.; Computers were also found to constrain learning in some situations. Collaborative learning activities utilizing technology were limited. Also, the individualized instruction options computers afford were not utilized in this classroom. Lastly, the use of the computers in the classroom decreased significantly before and during the state mandated testing period.