Just spending some time in the modern-day classroom; I have observed several students on their phones. During my high school years we did not have to worry about cell phones or laptops being a constant problem. In Annie Murphy Paul’s “You’ll Never Learn!” she explains the studies of multitasking while students do their homework with the modern-day distraction of the digital age; resulting in a lower quality of learning. I agree with Paul that the digital age is becoming a problem in education, even though educators are leaning towards teaching on a digital spectrum. In this essay, I will explain how a digital age versus a non-digital age is effecting everyone involved in a higher education. Today’s education is evolving with the new digital …show more content…
I have always found ways of doing my homework assignments while doing something else; mainly due to the fact that I am bored or not totally engaged with the subject. I feel the need to fill the empty space that was revolving around in my mind. When I went to high school there were not any type of digital distractions allowed; we had complete and total silence while completing assignments at school. However, when we got home we turned on the latest episode of “Home Improvement” and did our homework with our TV dad Tim Allen. This was a favorite distraction back then, now the cell phones have become a constant in our lives. “Given that these distractions aren’t going away, academic and even professional achievement may depend on the ability to ignore digital temptation while learning” (Paul 720). I have not owned a cell phone in over five years; even though I do not own one, I have seen numerous people in the classroom setting pop in and out of their messages and social networks. I thought to myself while seeing this, how are people focusing on the assignment before them? I still don’t get it but to each their
Michael Rubinkam’s “Texting in class is Rampant” brings awareness to the fact that most students use their phones during a lecture to text. Many professors are starting to notice it and some have even gone to extremes by having punishments if they see a phone out. Michael Rubinkam conducted a number of surveys with students who attend Wilkes University to see how many students actually use their phones during class. The author also discusses with some professors at the university to see their opinion on how phone use in class can impact the student’s education and how it impacts them as well. There is no doubt that texting is a habit most high school and college students face. It’s our primary way of communication with people. We get so addicted to texting people considering it only takes a few seconds to reply, but with that being said does it interfere with our school life too? Sitting in a lecture and pulling your phone out can be distracting because you’re not paying attention to the professor and the skills they’re teaching you’re practically in your own world at that point. Is the excessive use of texting in class-harming student’s education? The author
This insight correlates with the above insight in that I often use homework, which is productive, as a distraction for homework that is more pressing. In addition to using homework as a distraction, Facebook, texting/Snapchat, and side conversations are also distractions that occur on a regular basis. I found that during the time I reserve for more important things, such as homework or spending time with others, I will absentmindedly pick up my phone and become distracted for an extended period of time. It may start with simply replying to a text message and then somehow, I end up on Facebook and its an hour later. The detracts from my flourishing because I am not longer giving my full attention to the things that matter, completing assignments which is helping me work toward my greatest good, or contributing to building my relationships, for the same reason. Something that I have done to combat this form of spiritual apathy is to delete Facebook off my phone and keep my phone on silent, unless I am anticipating a phone call. I feel like for the few short days I have been implementing these things, I already feel more present in my relationships and tasks. I complete tasks faster because I do not have several “breaks” from the habit of checking my phone, and the time that I spending with my family and friends is of greater quality because if I lead by example of keeping my phone
The Web. 07 October 2011. Engel, George, and Tim Green. “Cell Phones in the Classroom: Are We Dialing Up? Distaster?” TechTrends: Linking Research and Practice to Improve Learning.
While admitting the power of technology, he also points out the adverse effects of excessive use of technology in the education system. He states, “Computers make our worst educational nightmare come true” (279). According to him, improper or overuse of computers hinders learning ability. He reports that over the past few years, computers have been assumed to be a necessity in America’s classrooms and introduced to children from elementary levels. However, technology can be addictive, and students may overuse it, leading to a drop in educational standards.
First of all, using electronics causes people to get distracted. According to Nicholas Carr, in the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” from The New York Times Upfront, “When we use our computers and our cell phones all the time, we’re always distracted.”This sentence stated by Nicholas Carr contributes to my claim of participating in “Shut Down Your Screen Week.” For instance, when students are at home using their electronics they get distracted from doing their homework. This is a way technology is affecting many students. This article by Nicholas Carr supports my argument of participating in “Shut Down Your Screen Week” because many students do get distracted while using electronics causing them not to do their work.
Teachers are finding it harder and harder to separate a student from their cell phones for eight hours. Cellular devices and social media have become a number one priority for many people across the world. Due to the fact that the student will not put down their phones during school hours, their grades tend to be lower, which could, in the long run, affect their chances of getting into college. The use of cell phones does not strictly affect younger generations, it also had major influence on adults at the
The Pew Research Center focuses on technology-related things and conducted a survey for 2,462 teachers. Ninety percent of those teachers believed that technology was causing their students to become more easily distracted with shorter attention spans. An article on Huffington Post mentioned a study that showed that students could not focus on their homework for more than two minutes before having to look at some kind of electronical device like their phone or television. The Kaiser Family Foundation found that about half of students from the ages of eight to eighteen do their homework while using some kind of electronical device. Technology has affected our focus so much that we can't even focus on the little things for too long. Studies have even shown that people who use the internet at work change tabs or check their email about thirty-seven times an hour! All this multitasking can cause us to become more distracted. Sometimes, we can even become distracted towards the people around us.
In “The Laptop Ate My Attention span”, Abbey Ellin describes the advantages and disadvantages of the internet being used in the classroom. Although she does include different types of schools, the author focuses in on business school students. She explains to us that an increasing amount of college campuses are choosing what students can or cannot do with their laptop while in class. Ellin describes what students do use their computer for in school and while some students are starting their own business others are chatting away or just not spending their time wisely. With it being that these are the future leaders of america and the people with access to a higher education, Ellin would expect them to have some sense of manners when it comes to what they are using their computer for during class time. The author gives us an example that a student knows better than to walk out of a
In Renee Wilson’s article, “In Defence of the iGeneration” (2013), she explores her belief of the iGeneration being the smartest generation yet. Through the use of many anecdotes, Wilson reflects on her experiences of teaching the iGeneration and their ability to ignore negative criticism and still show their full potential. In her article, Wilson discusses the iGeneration’s reliance on technology and social media; however, she does not engage the disadvantages of technology, in particular laptops in the classroom, which, as I argue here, is in need of more study. In this essay, I argue that the use of laptops by students in a university classroom is distracting not only to the student, but also to surrounding students. Inevitably, multitasking and distractions in the classroom will result in a decline in academic performance.
Cell phones may be the top of devices those distract students in class. The ubiquitous problem originates from the cell phones. I’m also a high school student, I can see some of my classmates use it for texting every day in class instead of listening to the teacher. Students also use it for playing video games, listening to music, watching videos. And definitely, while you are playing with your phones, you will not be able to absorb the lesson that the teacher is trying to teach. It’s not easy to do two things at the same time, except you are super. Have you ever tried to draw a circle by your left hand and draw a rectangle by the other hand simultaneously? When you do two things or more at the same time, your brain will just focus on one thing and naturally ignore the other. As Peter Bregman wrote in the Harvard Business Review Blog Network that multitasking can reduce productivity by as much as 40%, increase stress and cause a 10-point fall in IQ.
College students in the 21st century are a part of the so-called digital generation. Technology has...
Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).
Throughout history technology has been the driving force of change. From movable type, to television, to the Internet, technology has been embraced and incorporated into our daily lives. Within the constructs of civilized society, the vast rewards of technological innovations have far outweighed the negatives. The digital revolution has altered conceptions of time and distance. It has created a wealth of information that is available at the stroke of a key. Not since the invention of the printing press has the distribution and consumption of information been so democratized. The rapidly changing technological landscape has put students and teachers in the cross-hairs. Can students be positively impacted by this digital revolution? Has the wave of technology that has swept through in recent years improved teaching and learning in the classroom? Utilizing various research tools such as Boise State University's Albertsons Library database, Google Scholar, and other online tools to access peer-reviewed journals, this paper will demonstrate that technology in the classroom results in increased student performance. great intro, Evan. -Barbara Schroeder 5/6/10 7:51 AM
...tudents to be prosperous. Technology, nevertheless, remains as an obstruction to learning. The wireless internet could crash and become a useless tool for a student. What if, and yes this is the “what if game,” a college student’s computer became inoperable with a malfunction? School just became a whole lot harder for that individual. In addition, the internet is full of amusement, which can lead to be a major distraction. New tools of technology are great, but having a real connection with human beings is better. Students need to learn how to control their need to surf the internet or play on their phones. If, not it could lead to consequences in their learning as well as future social interactions. “I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction. The world will have a generation of idiots,” voiced Albert Einstein. Has that day arrived?
Within the past decade, laptop use has become very common in classrooms, especially in those at a university. This has become popular amongst students who prefer to type their notes, rather than write them with a pen or pencil. But as the laptop use rises, so do the studies on its actual effects on the users. Many people argue that using a laptop in class just creates distractions and inhibits learning. They claim that students will multitask on the laptops, removing their attention from the actual lecture. Instead of taking notes the whole time, they will play games or engage in the social network websites. Others argue on the opposing side of this, creating a debate that has stormed popular media, and it continues to be argued every day.