“Are we going to prepare kids for their future, or our past? If we aren’t using technology, we aren’t preparing them for the future” says Sister Patricia Clune, Superintendent in Kansas City (Galitzine). Many kids develop back problems at an early age from carrying heavy textbooks(Tablets). Electronic devices weigh much lighter than textbooks making it a more suitable option for kids (Tablets). Textbooks need to be constantly updated but by using electronic devices schools can easily update books electronically at a much cheaper cost (Tablets).There are numerous tools found online that educators can use to encourage students to be more innovative and creative with their learning (Hilgedick). The support for electronic devices is constantly growing because of health, economical, and educational reasons.
Electronic devices are better because they weigh less than textbooks. Pediatricians and chiropractors say that kids risk long-term and ultimately permanent damage if they continue to carry more than 15% of their body weight over their shoulders(Tablets).The total weight of textbooks outruns this percentage at all grade levels from 1-12 (Tablets).Many kids in the United States are suffering from back problems because of carrying overweight book bags (Tablets). Based on the US Consumer Product Safety Commissions, more than 138,000 kids, ages 5 to 18 were treated for back problems (Tablets). “Lugging [backpacks] can also lead to chronic back pain, stress fractures in the back, inflammation of growth cartilage, back and neck strain, nerve damage in the neck and shoulders and possibly lifelong orthopedic damage” says, Dr.Pierre D’Hemecourt (Brody). Federal Consumer Product Safety Commision found that carrying a 12-pound backpack to...
... middle of paper ...
...ay). Electronic devices are cheaper to buy and can be updated electronically at a much cheaper rate(Hilgedick). Students can highlight text, take notes and use other tools in an electronic device that they cannot do in a textbook (Brody). Electronic devices are able to help students to enhance their learning experience (Thakkar).Because of the ability to customize and tailor learning to fit specific needs many agencies, government organizations and companies are supporting the notion of going digital (Reiss).“If it is used well, it allows teachers and schools to personalize education. That is the dream of education, to help students be taught in the way they need to be taught,” Says Adam Franklin, executive director of Digital Promise (Thakkar). Electronic devices are able to enhance the learning experience of students helping them have a brighter tomorrow (Thakkar).
In addition, textbooks are heavy to carry around and it takes longer to find a page. Likewise with digital textbooks they are compatible with tablets, smartphones, and laptops; it’s much easier to carry around and affordable price. However, some people may argue that digital textbooks can be a distraction for people because they would not bother read anymore. The author and poet Dana Gioia argues that electronics alternatives may be a bad influence that will lead society to not read anymore. Gioia complicates matters further when she writes, “While no single activity is responsible for the decline in reading, the cumulative presence and availability of electronic alternatives increasingly have drawn Americans away from reading” (161). I think Gioia is mistaken because she overlooks on electronics being a bad influence; but doesn’t see the benefits of electronics. To demonstrate, most of my textbooks are digital, which I can easily carry my tablet around where ever I go. Also, I save more money on digital textbooks and are simple to annotated the text. Journalist Ellen Lee interview a student from Liberty University, and he states that he prefers digital textbooks because he can tap his iPad, opens the digital copy and quickly open the page. Nevertheless, he also like digital textbooks because it has a feature that allows to highlight and mark the
First of all, carrying around our book bags is a good thing because kids won’t drop the heavy school books and papers. Asking some kids if we should or should not carry our book bags, I only had one no from the 5 people, that is surprising to me. One of the yes’ came from Sadie J. her reasoning was “It is easier to carry things and you won’t be late for class.” The one no was from Eli R. his reasoning was good, he said “carrying the heavy books on our backs could damage our backs. ”This is coming from me, but instead of carrying 5 or more things and dropping it.
... I’d rather have paper to write down and make my own citations and marks depending on the subject, but if I’m reading a novel, then using a tablet is great, and I’m able to carry as many books as I need. It’s amazing how technology has shaped our educational system over the years and especially in the last 10 years. Honestly, it was only a matter of time before we arrived at this crossroad. It still remains to be seen how this path will be navigated and implemented fully, but I’m excited to be on the journey.
Where ever you live and whatever grade you teach, technology has made it into the lives of teachers and students. Whether it is an ebook, laptop, iPad, computer, or Smartboard, they all have brought teaching literacy to a new level. These tools are not going to leave our classrooms, if anything they will impact the learning at new and higher levels. There will come a day, and I think it will be soon, that every student will have access to their own technology devices at school and at home. As teachers, we need to embrace technology and try and stay ahead of our students if possible.
devices in almost every classroom. Technology enhances learning, boosts confidence, and eliminates geographical limitations. Technology enriches learning by being able to come in different forms and do different things. "For lessons traditionally done with a paper and pencil, we now were able to do them in color, with animation, and with more depth and complexity"(McCollum). Teachers are now able to help stu...
The legendary inventor, author, and civic activist Benjamin Franklin once said, "Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety", meaning that those who would risk the freedom of the people around them for safety, do not deserve neither freedom nor safety for themselves. Although some researchers have concluded that banning books is a feasible way to discard content inappropriate for certain groups of people to protect them, there is much stronger evidence explaining that the topics that people want to read about in banned books are depicted worse online than in the book, regardless of their content, books are one of the best teaching devices in the world, there is something to learn in just about every book, and due to the increase of sources of corruption as technology improves, all attempts to protect children from these, “threats”, in books are futile.
Tablets can help improve the way students attain their studies. According to Cam Lincoln “Students who used the iPad version of the textbook scored 20 percent higher on standardized test versus students who learned with traditional textbook”(parag.2).This demonstrates that, students who used the iPad version of the textbook learned more effectively than the students who learned with traditional textbooks. The iPad clearly shows that it can help improved test scores. According to National Association for the Education of Young Children “for children with minimal exposure to technology or limited engli...
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).
The first advantage would be teachers embracing tech in the classroom.Teachers embrace tech as a teaching tool in a way the students will understand.According to Eric board when students took an assignment of translating passages of Othello into other dialects,some students used the texting dialect,”resulting in some very interesting dialogue between lago and othello.The kind of technology teachers are embracing on are high tech calculators,Ipads,smartboards,and a variety of sites.Today’s high tech calculators don’t just calculate certain equations but also graph equations,how to find the greatest common factor,and even get a larger view or smaller view of the graph.The use of ipads in the classroom is useful for both the teacher and the student. For the students the ipad can give them some hints on the problem their solving and maybe even keep a record of their grades that certain student has so they can easily check up on them at any time. While for the teachers they can easily set up tests and quizzes and even grade assignments quickly and effecently.Although some teachers still use regular boards,most teachers use smart boards to teach. These boards are like ordinary boards except these are controlled by remote control pen.By just clicking on the board questions can be written...
Paper has officially been replaced with iPads. Just kidding, but there are over 1.5 million iPads that are being used in classrooms by students on a daily bases rather than using printed textbooks as main learning resources (Graduating With Technology). With recent advancements in technology, many school districts have turned the focus off traditional learning methods of using textbooks, and are now focusing on integrating the use of tablets and computers as the main means of learning for students. Technology is going to continue to advance throughout this digital age and is going to gain popularity within education, but there are questions arising of how effective technology is when used in the classroom. The opportunity of using new technology to enhance learning should be seized, but textbooks should not become extinct within the education system or become a secondary learning method due to tablets and other types of technology becoming more popular in the education system. Textbooks are reliable, they can be used by anyone, and there are enough textbooks for each student to have their own, and be able to take them home. Also, technology is impacting the way the brain receives information. Reading digital print isn't as productive for readers as printed text, and there is limited access to resources needed for tablets to be effective when used by students. While this is true there are benefits to using tablets and other forms of technology in the classroom. It is easier for teachers to have assignments emailed directly to them, or post assignments on the internet, the use of technology is required in many core classes, and textbooks are easily worn, and expensive.
Tablet supporters would often argue that replacing textbooks with tablets can create a healthier environment. Schools can save a lot of trees since paper handouts would no longer be necessary; teachers can send documents directly onto students’ devices. However, less paper does not necessarily guarantee a less damage on the environment. The manufacturing process plays a more crucial role. Statistics show that “manufacturing one tablet requires the extraction of 33 pounds of mineral, 79 gallons of water, and 100 kilowatt hours of fossil fuels resulting in 66 pounds of carbon dioxide” and running the electronics would require even more energy (“Tablets”). On the other side, the process of manufacturing books has been improved over the century that requires less energy. Paper wastes are also easier to recycle than electronic wastes. Plus, the tablets can become easily outdated since technology world is always promising a better device every year. Throwing away old ta...
Pro Con, as of August 19th, 2016 has updated their information regarding the controversial topic of Tablets vs. Textbooks. This website asked the question “Should tablets replace textbooks in K-12 Schools?”. A large amount of pros and cons were listed for readers. The first pro is tablets help students learn more material faster. The US Department of Education and National Training and Simulation Association have found technology can reduce the time students take to learn new material by 30-80%. On the opposite spectrum, a con is tablets can cause a range of health problems. These minor problems consist of Computer Vision Syndrome, headaches, blurred vision, and dry eyes. The more serious problems include strain on multiple muscles, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, shoulder pain, and fibromyalgia.
Furthermore, the learning process is easily enhanced when technology is used. First, with Internet access in each classroom, it allows the teacher to access massive amounts of information in just a few seconds. This information can be given to the students in a clear, easy to read format as it is projected onto the screen. With such easy access to information, students are able to learn more in a smaller time span, while teachers are able to be more efficient in how they teach. This makes the education a person gets from their school more valuable for their money; and money is important as college costs continue to rise.
Technology, either in form or gadgets in form of media or internet, if used properly can make big differences to make education learning far better than its current standards. Technology helps you in making things easier; everything is under your finger tips. It saves your time, you can more in less time, a finish a book you need hours or may be days, search the same thing on internet you fin results in just a fraction of second.
Morris, L. V. (2006). Have the Devices Changed the Learner? Innovative Higer Education , 31