Considerations for Using Technology in Schools

As technologies such as cellular phones and computers advance, they are becoming an important and permanent part of society. Today’s youth are growing up in an information age, and many school districts are beginning to consider whether or not the incorporation of technology would be beneficial. However, in the ongoing debates, school officials should consider the potential for technology to distract students, as well as its potential to destroy societal traditions, over the benefits it could provide.
While certain aspects of the various new technologies may prove useful, school officials should not place specific advantages above potential faults. Innovators create technology with the intent to improve an aspect of the human condition. School officials will naturally consider technologies that claim to improve the experience of learning because schools wish to provide the best experience for students. For example, if a school such as Empire High chooses to “shun printed textbooks” (Doc A), it is because officials hope to promote learning by placing less physical stress on students. However, it is important that administrators not become fixated on potentially positive aspects of technology and ignore negative impacts. Additionally, specifics about the helpfulness of technologies are not important because most public schools would not consider spending valuable resources on technology with no purpose. The technologies schools are considering will consequently provide a noticeable advantage to the school. Hence, while the usefulness of technology may be important when deciding between two brands, it is not important when deciding to implement technology as a whole. Furthermore, it is human nature to be excited by progress...

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...ulture. Officials should first consider if it is worth willingly condemning traditional skills and learning before proceeding with plans to implement technology in schools.
The prospective ability for technology to distract students, as well as its destruction of tradition, outweighs the potential gains technology will provide in the conflict over technology. Schooling is meant to prepare students for the future, and if technology distracts students, this goal will not be met. Technology could not only hamper students’ learning, but could also antiquate skills such as writing that were once of utmost importance. Even the vast benefits of technology do not allow school officials to overlook the potential negative aspects of technology, and as the era of technology continues to expand, school officials must be cautious before blindly implementing new technologies.