Technology Is Taking Over
In recent years, new technology is being utilized more than ever in schools across the country. There has been an uprise in the use of technology during the school day and for doing homework.
Many students have access to laptops, iPads, desktop computers and many more new forms of technology during their school day. Students are usually allowed to have devices in class with the exception of cell phones. Cell phone use is not permitted in many classrooms nationwide because that specific type of technology does not serve an educational purpose like the computers do. In schools today, technology is a great advantage that both students and teachers have because they provide people with access to seemingly endless amounts of information, and they are generally more favorable than books and paper. Having access to the internet during the school day helps students gather more information right at their fingertips.
Students can find whatever they need online whenever they need it. Also, there are many tools used for studying on the internet. Sites such as Quizlet help students create online flashcards for themselves and gather their information without having the risk of losing what they have created. Also, students can share their Quizlets with each other and help each other study. Not only is it helpful to be able to study online, but taking notes online is also an option that is available to anybody with an electronic device.
Having technology during the school day is important for students because of how much access to the internet they have. Anyone can research more about the topic that they are learning about and get a better understanding of the class discussions. According to LearnPick, an educational website, “students are completely dependent on technology. It is not possible to imagine a day without technology” (How Students are Dependent on Technology and Why). Because technology has taken over the educational world, it is important to utilize it for its benefits. Being able to access millions of websites at any given time throughout the school day has benefitted many students.
As the world of technology progresses, more resources will be available to students which will continue to benefit students in classrooms. In addition to having a lot of access to all of the internet’s tools, technology is helpful for staying organized. Having all of the resources that are usually on paper all on one device keeps many students organized and it helps them when it comes down to studying and finding their work. Before the uprise of technology, students and teachers would carry around all papers and textbooks for all of their classes at once. Now that students have technology, all of those textbooks and documents can be organized on a computer or other electronic device.
This improves students’ ability to access their work at any time. It also makes the physical weight of their work a lot less. According to the Spine Health Institute, “The students that carried heavier backpacks reported more back pain than those that carried a lighter load” (Florida Hospital Medical Group). When students carry around their own devices replacing textbooks, it significantly lessens the weight that the students have to carry. This is helpful because it reduces physical pain that students get from carrying around backpacks all day.
Not only does technology benefit students, but it also helps teachers for many similar reasons. Teachers can have their students submit assignments online to sites such as Schoology and Google Classroom. Also, teachers keep their grades and files on their devices such as laptops as well. Having one place to organize everything necessary for school keeps students and teachers very well organized and reduces a lot of stress.
Some may say that technology is a distraction in classrooms and that students do not pay attention as much in class because of the access to technology constantly. However, the positives of classroom technology significantly outweigh all of the negatives. Negatives include students getting distracted by social media and game sites. Also, there are ways that schools can prevent students from being able to access sites that are not school appropriate through their network system. No matter if it is through online communication or through passing physical paper notes, students who choose not to pay attention in class can do that no matter if they are on a computer or on paper.
It is, of course, true that it is much easier to get distracted on a computer, but if a student chooses to let themselves lose focus, it is their responsibility. Having technology in classrooms has many positive effects on learning which is why it is easy to overlook some negative effects. In conclusion, technology is a very convenient alternative to paper and pencil learning, and there are a variety of beneficial academic skills that can be used on a computer. If technology continues to develop, there will be more opportunities for students to use it to grow in their learning and to look deeper into certain topics in and out of a classroom. Having technology in schools is a great advantage that should not be taken for granted.
