Technologies Influence on Education in Schools
Technology is ever changing as it changes so does the world we live in.
With every new invention or innovation something changes for someone be it as small as the ability to send emails faster or as massive as full stores being online ready to ship products to consumers 24/7. As newer generations grow up with this technology already prevalent and invented they are referred to as digital natives even if they are not proficient with this technology. As more and more “Digital natives” enter schools and the education system the education system should integrate technology more and more as these people are growing up around modern technology and are accustomed to it they will be able to effectively utilize it to aid in their education in many different ways. As technology improves schools see new ways to help student by implementing these new technologies within the schools. “These technologies are meant to enhance student learning, allow students to interact in new ways, and develop skills needed in the modern world. Some schools districts and schools are integrating technology into their curriculum with the idea is to allow students a more personalized experience based on their learning style and speed at which they learn certain materials .
This allows students to learn in an environment that benefits them the most while minimizing the amount of time that they are completing busy work that will not help them such as if a student excels in a certain area of a subject such as science they will be given more in depth work to complete on that certain area. The work will be more difficult because it goes further in depth not because it is new content that way they class can still discuss topics as a whole. Within an environment such as this one teachers would be needed to create lesson plans, direct discussions, and make sure students are on topic. The current attempts at bringing technology into schools are working well. However with further integration of technology into schools the education system can be improved in many ways ranging from catering to the needs of students with learning disabilities to making textbooks and resources easier to access through E-books. “E-books are weightless, existing only as digital files rather than bulky paper volumes.
A single device may be able to hold thousands of e-books as well as access the nearly unlimited information of the Internet. E-books may feature web links and interactive features impossible with traditional books, are more environmentally friendly, and may be updated. Classrooms would be able to have a set of laptops or other Ebook readers that students may use in class to access the text but they would also be able to use these books at home through their personal computers without having to carry around physical textbooks. Why are schools integrating technology and why do they need to? As technology changes the way we interact through social media and other mediums such as video chat and text messaging it also changes how we access information such as the news or research for school.”Now the World Wide Web brings a seemingly endless amount of information on almost any subject, and it is possible for students to choose topics based on personal interest rather than availability of resources. The fact that students can choose to research something even if there local libraries lack resources pertaining to the subject.
This endless source of information on anything from local news to world events happening across the world makes students now a days more knowledgeable about the world as a whole if this could be better integrated into schools students would have the potential to learn more than they would within a standard classroom setting. Another major advantage of integrating technology into classrooms and schools is the motivational advantages it gives to students. When a student takes a pen and paper test it has to be taken and graded by the teacher usually taking at least 3 or 4 days for teachers with normal sized classes. After the test the students move onto new material and students have to wait for their test grade by the time they get it back if they did well they will be happy and move on if they did poorly they might choose to pretty much ignore or forget about it instead of working on fixing what they did wrong. With technology and computer based testing students can get there score back instantly and what questions they got wrong shortly after that once everyone has completed the assessment.
Another benefit to using Online testing for classes is students may complete the test even if they miss the class that day. Some more advantages to further integration of technology into schools is that “Students, even at the elementary school level, are able to acquire an impressive level of skill with a broad range of computer software Although the specific software tools in use will likely change before these students enter the world of work, the students acquire a basic understanding of how various classes of computer tools behave and a confidence about being able to learn to use new tools that will support their learning of new software applications. The fact that within the current workforce computers and phones are becoming a major benefit to employers as they allow the employers to complete certain tasks more easily than before. If students have knowledge of how to use computer programs and other technology before entering the workforce they will have an advantage especially in the future as more and more businesses incorporate computers and robots more and more. Students would benefit immensely from the technological change to classes and schools but what about teachers as a large part of learning is through teachers.
“The digital push here aims to go far beyond gadgets to transform the very nature of the classroom, turning the teacher into a guide instead of a lecturer, wandering among students who learn at their own pace on Internet-connected devices. This digital push for students to have technology not only aids them in their education but it allows teachers to do more with there time be it something like instead of grading papers they can be planning a better lesson or just taking some time to relax in the week instead of having to grade papers because the computer can do that for them. Already schools are implementing tests that students take and teachers can grade with there projector camera. This saves teachers a lot of time and allows students to know their grade even before they leave the class sometimes. Technology as a whole has a whole ton of benefits to bring to education if people are willing to invest in it and really use it to the fullest extent.
Technology also has many detriments to bring if students are not well educated about it and teachers do not receive proper training in how to use the newer programs or devices they receive for their classrooms. To truly give students what they need to compete and succeed in the changing workforce where technology is becoming more and more a part of almost every job the education system must further integrate technology into student curriculum.
