Reacting to a New Generation: The pros and Cons of Technology in Education.
By: Todd Fitzpatrick
Over the past twenty years technology has become and integral part of communication within society. Notably, one area of which this is highly recognizable is in today's education system. Many districts around the nation are doing away with the standard books, pencils, and paper, and instead opting to integrate the use of computer based training. (Kirschner, Hulshof, Bruckers 2016). In the school district I work for there is one tablet per child per classroom in the junior high, and at least 3 rotating carts of tablets per elementary school. For the past four years my son, a fifth grader in a different school district than I work in, has been designated his own personal tablet by the school that he brings home on a nightly basis to study and complete assignments on. With the rapid increase of societal dependence on technology it is more important than ever that the youth of today is taught a common knowledge of the role of technology in society, and a realization of the advantages of having said technology at their possession.
Technology in education can be a very effective tool, but in order for it to work it must be properly introduced. A teacher's confidence in handling technology in the classroom plays a direct role in how effective the role of technology will be. (Holden, Rada, 2011). According to Ester Aflalo (2014) this does not only imply to the teacher's skill in using said tools, but also in altering the traditional perception of teaching with a more constructivist approach. Unfortunately, due to this, it is in my opinion that with the amount of technology in education still in it's infancy, not all educators are confident in such skills, and thus does create a disparity among students at equal grade levels due to the difference of technological use in each individual class. This is noticeable in my profession as a current full-time sub because I see how farther along children of even the same district are in relation to their peers when they attend a school in which the teachers are younger, and have a stronger understanding of the effectiveness of technology in the classroom than their older counterparts. Through my personal observations, I believe students who use technology and get a more hands-on approach in their own education seem to grasp the concept of what they are being taught than thse students who are being force fed the information through inactive lectures and non-interaction. Fortunately, teachers in today's society are taught as pre-educators the variety of technological tools associated with the classroom, thus closing the disparity gap for the future (Kim, Choi, 2016)
When technology is used effectively in the classroom, research has shown, and from first hand experience I have noticed that today's youth is more engaged in their education when technology in involved. For instance, my son is assigned fifteen minute or more of game time per night on his tablet. During this time, he gets to choose one teacher-approved game app to play, and at the end of his playing he must submit his final score. Unbeknownst to him, because he gets the option to pick his own game (assignment), and is continuously trying to beat his previous score (raise his grade) he is actively engaged in his own homework than any teacher assigned worksheet would do. Also, just to note that there have been multiple times he has chosen to go above and beyond the minimal time required to play.
Technology is also great because it gives students an opportunity to expand their horizons, no longer limiting their education to the resources available to them based on their living situation. In a 2006 study titled "Distance Education Use in Rural Schools," authors Hannum, Irvin, Banks, and Farmer examined the concept of distance education, computer based education without the need of physical presence, in 417 rural school across the country. Upon examination, the authors found that, while there are barriers in distance education, students in rural areas utilizing the technology were reaching success in higher level courses than those of their peers without the access of distance education (Roden, 2011)
The use of technology has also brought more creative ability to the classroom. Through the use of presentations, out of classroom peer collaboration through the use of chat boards and blogs, tutoring in the form of on-line quizzes, etc, students have a much broader opportunity to build on their fine motor skills through the use of technology. Technology forces students to master their sensory nerves and hand eye coordination.
Today, technology is a growing resource in education, and as such there are some growing pains to be had. Along with the aforementioned problem of teacher discretion in technology in the classroom, the biggest problem I have witnessed is the students' dependency on technology in education. Because so much information is at a students fingertips, they are losing the ability to think for themselves, and instead relying on the information available through technology to find the answers for every day situations. Students do not know how to be creative without the use of technology, and losing the ability to sustain a hostile living situation outside the world of technology. However, it is my belief that the good far outweigh the bad when it comes to technology in education.
The world is changing, and as it continues students need to adapt with society to be successful. If technology is introduced at a young age properly, with a positive attitude by the teacher, the student will see more positive results in their work, and will set them up for future success in life.
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