Author: Margaret Wong, lead editor for EnvisionSTEM
Researcher: Jacob Gershovich, project manager for EnvisionSTEM
Technology has grown and evolved over the years, to the point where we use it in our everyday lives and activities. If you want to connect with distant family and friends, you use technology to update social media posts, text, or call whenever you want, anywhere, anytime! How about if you’re running out of ideas for an upcoming project? You can always look up topics and find inspiration online! Yet these are only a few examples of the many uses of our new and ever-changing technologies. There are boundless uses, all affecting the way we navigate our lives! However, there is some debate regarding integrating technology into our school systems. Although there are numerous benefits in this situation, many people are concerned about the possible negatives. Both sides have their own reasons, and by going over both we can hopefully understand the true benefits and consequences of adapting technology to education.
Pros for Technology:
Contrary to popular belief, technology can be affordable when incorporated into the classroom and students’ lives. Although computers and phones for personal use can be expensive and problematic, when these tools are provided through our education system, they can be an affordable and efficient solution. NY public schools offer and distribute computers to students in need, with no payment required, allowing them to access online school work. This isn’t only applicable to school systems, as many companies and businesses will also provide technical resources to their employees so they can be reached and work in various locations. The website futureofworking.com cites, “Most student computers cost less than $200 each, and there are several grants available on local, state, and national levels that help to offset these costs to local taxpayers.” With government assistance, these expensive technologies are available to students who can apply and maximize their efforts.
We have all heard stories from a time before accessible internet use, when our families had to go to libraries and look for specific information in encyclopedias and textbooks, worrying whether there would even be a copy of the books available to borrow. In short, it was much harder to gather the information needed, when it was needed. This can certainly be viewed as inconvenient and unfair given limited resources. Yet now, with the influence of technology, specifically the internet, you can figure out almost anything from a quick search. All your “[sic] technology allows us to give students access to data from a single location…” (as supported by the same website).
Regarding students’ education, we also should look at their parents and guardians. Although it is essential to have communication between teachers and parents, it is sometimes difficult to have easy and accessible methods. Most parents have jobs, roles, and other responsibilities that take up their time. With old methods, like parent-teacher conferences, parents had to fit this into their demanding schedules and would need to determine how much time they can spare, how long it would take them to get to the conference and make any other arrangements to leave work earlier or have another caretaker watch their children. With our new technologies, including internet conferences, calls, and various other software apps, busy guardians and teachers can have the necessary dialogue about students and their progress. In a smaller prescriptive way, parents or teachers communicate through emails, something that is now available to anyone. Our source (futureofworking.com) states, “Using a blog for the classroom can help parents get to see what their children are learning each day. Apps and software options allow teachers to instantly report on a child’s behavior to let parents know in real-time what is happening throughout the day.” There are many, various ways that technology can help improve our education system, with elements of communication made quickly and more efficiently. Technology has helped connect parents and educators so they can work together to advance their children’s education and talents.
Cons for Technology:
With the internet’s boundless resources and websites, a lot of information can be far from accurate, from unsubstantiated statements to highly opinionated views. For young and naive students who don’t know any better, many students may blindly trust the information they stumble onto, absorbing and using whatever sources they find first. Many students know about the internet and how to search for random things, with it being so available and interconnected in their own lives. Yet many students don’t know how to find proper information, leading to a lot of miscommunication and the use of unreliable sources.
Many students, who grew up with the technology we use in schools, often disconnect from their own teachers and lessons, preferring to focus on the computer and tablets in front of them rather than engaging with materials provided by their instructors. I know personally when teachers give out slideshows and work online, and then go on to describe and talk about what they are presenting, I often jump ahead and prioritize what’s on my screen, rather than what the teacher is saying. It makes students and even teachers feel disconnected and separate, breaking down the very important connections the classroom should provide. Similar to this issue, there is also the problem that many students are distracted by tech, not on the work, and the other details technology involves. With this technology, anyone could get lost in the millions of games, music, and various other forms of entertainment available to them through these tools. Yet regarding students, with many of them already bored or unenthused, it is almost guaranteed that they'll lose concentration on the lesson plan and start doing other things.
With the accessibility of online sources, such as websites and apps, that come along with using technology in classes, many students have also found ways to cheat on important assessments such as tests and quizzes. There are so many opportunities for students to get away with slacking, avoiding studying, and working hard, as there are so many websites available that anyone could access and use.
Looking Over the Problems:
To counter the spread of misinformation and downright lies on the internet, we can try to educate students on how to properly look up and find reliable sources. There are many ways to help legitimize your sources, such as only using “.gov” or “.edu” websites, solidifying the fact your information is certified by real institutions. You can also encourage students to look at more than one website and source, rather than taking everything from one site as the sole truth. By digging into the details provided by one source, you can find other sources to research. A prime example of this is Wikipedia. Although known for having many faults, since anyone is able to write and edit information on this site (which can often be false), you can skip the most likely questionable information, and go down to the bottom of the page, where you'll find all the sources the article used. More often than not, these resources can be very helpful, and looking into them can be a great way to broaden views and understanding. Overall, there are a lot of ways to safeguard the spread and usage of wrong information from untrustworthy websites.
Students having issues focusing and paying attention to their teachers and their work, in general, isn’t a problem that has just appeared alongside technology. This has always been an issue that has plagued students for as long as schooling has been around. Another source, digitalworld839.com, explains, “[sic] when there are interactive lessons on a chalkboard or whiteboard, kids can remember about 20% of what they were taught.” Yet technology can help us counter this problem, as teachers can find more interesting ways to incorporate their lessons into the world we live in now. Students can work on more projects, use their own research, and so much more, as technology opens up more and more avenues for creativity and interest. Before, it may have been very difficult to incorporate more hands-on experience, as there were one or two teachers and a whole classroom of kids. Now, not only are there so many ways to engage students in lessons, such as games and videos but there is also a new way to present it, catching more eyes and keeping heads out of their own daydreams.
There are many ways to battle cheating in the classroom, and probably even more to counter it. As I once stated, this is not a problem exclusive to our new technologies. Cheating on schoolwork will always be around. Yet that doesn’t mean we can't adapt to it. There are ways to restrict the use of technology. Simply using paper tests can be a way to completely avoid it. You could also add outside restrictions, making it so computers can’t change tabs (as they do in MAP tests). However, a very different approach would be adapting completely to our new opportunities. Instead of still giving these tests that focus on memorization and practice (rather than real learning or absorption), you can shift to doing more projects, research papers, etc. Do something that will engage students and test their brains at the same time. Advancing technologies also provide safeguards to look out for plagiarism. In Google itself, you can simply have the website check and make sure everything is accounted for. Getting upset and annoyed because students may be cheating shouldn’t be the deciding factor. Instead, educators should figure out new ways to innovate learning and make up for this unfortunate tendency.
No matter what, our technology is here to stay. There is no way for us to get rid of and erase its effect and value within our educational system. Yet we can work and flourish under it. By adapting and working around the problems, while also realizing the benefits, we can make a better environment for our students, not only paving their futures but our own. Obvious benefits, like general and public data and better communication, have been explored, showing off some great rewards for this new way of learning. Some problems and issues that might distract from the great things that technology enables, like misinformation and disconnection, can be reworked and solved. In short, we shouldn’t focus on the way we don’t like change, but rather on how it can help and benefit us.
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