Technology. What is the first word that comes to your mind when you see that word floating in your head? My word is “leisure.” The amount of resources technological devices provide for humans daily is quite outstanding and caters to almost every one of their needs, but in my eyes, along with two other men, technology screams distraction, specifically behind a classroom desk. Two authors, Alfonzo porter, a former teacher and writing for The Washington Post, and Ben Kesling, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, wrote articles on the subject of technology’s sudden mishaps on student’s test scores and grades and further in advance, their learning curriculum as a whole. Both of the authors intend to argue that technology doesn’t always boost …show more content…
He sets the stage by hooking the reader in, informing how far technology has come over the years and how easy access to information has caused students’ methods of learning to do a complete 180. For me, if I didn’t know the title of the article, I would curious after reading his introduction to know what article is really about. Porter shares a broader perspective of technology in our world and begins to narrow it down as he continues to write. He presents stylistic moves that create a sense of imagery. For example, Porter metaphorically states, “Between class periods, the halls of American high schools resemble a traffic jam on the interstate as they glare hypnotically into a screen. Some scroll their fingers down and across a tablet, other text faster than professional typists, while still other bop their heads to music.” While reading this small portion of the article, Porter wants his readers to envision what their high school may look like during a break between classes in hope that they might agree with his scenario that students are glued to their phones and there’s nothing to unstick them. Porter uses another example of student’s constant want to be apart of technology by quoting “Teachers are now forced to perform the ‘Put that away, unplug that, please log off’ dance every class period resulting in a waste of valuable …show more content…
While Kesling picked a side and gave credible sources to argue it, it almost seemed to me as if he was just reporting on the issue, not giving his wholehearted, personal opinion about it. Porter on the other hand was a former teacher, meaning he had personal experience in the field and could vouch for other teachers that had negative opinions to share about technology, causing their students to veer towards a cliff in their grade point averages and test scores. Porter also shared what he and other academic professors planned to do to get students back on track, simply without technology in hand. He states that all technology should be left in lockers and kept there during class periods throughout the day, confiscation of the device being the consequence of a students’ failure to comply. Porter states, “If parents believe that it is acceptable for their child to violate established school policies, then the schools are left with no other option to seize them.” Along with a helpful, brief section displaying what would happen to the children if caught with technology during class hours, Porter uses an assertive tone that almost sounds as if the principle of the school is communicating commands of discipline to frighten the students in order to fix the issue in a smoother
Students are becoming more distracted in class because of technology resulting them to do poorly in education. In the story, “New Class(room) War: Teacher Versus Technology” by Samuel Freedman is about a teacher name Ali Nazemi that created a policy regarding no technology because the students are not paying attention anymore in class. Freedman’s states that, “Their perpetual war of attrition with defiantly inattentive students has escalated from the quaint pursuits of pigtail-pulling, spitball-lobbing and notebook-doodling to a high-tech arsenal of laptops, cellphones, Blackberries and the like”
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.
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.
When Christopher Langan’s brother is explaining why Chris did not succeed in school, he says that, “The issue with Chris is that he was always too bored to actually sit there and listen to his teachers” (Gladwell 110). A problem that exists is that students are having trouble concentrating in school and paying attention. These students are more amused by all the technology that could be used instead of paying attention, and they feel that it would help them and entertain them more than listening to teachers talk. This trouble concentrating is also noticeable when employees at work think that because of technology, they do not have to think and remember as much information because they can just look it up or type it in on their phones or tablets to remember it. This may eventually lead to a disadvantage when finding other jobs and achieving the American Dream because the other companies may not use the technology that some people are so used to using.
Technology is something that seems to be on everyone’s mind in today’s society. Does it really help? When it comes to medicine, there have been huge medical advances with help from technology, saving thousands of lives all over the world. Our society has been forever changed with the introduction of the smartphone; getting movies, music and news faster than ever before. But what about education? Does technology go too far and interfere with the learning process, and relationship between professor and student? Smartboards, laptops, tablets and smartphones are becoming more and more frequent in today’s classrooms. It helps teachers engage the students in their work, and it caters to different types of learning between students. However, our progress
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).
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
There has been a long lasting debate in the resent years on whether or not technology has a positive or negative impact on today’s kids. As the years move on, the negative effects have begun to outnumber the positive. The generations previous spent their childhood making forts, fishing, and using their imaginations, contrary to today’s generations who spend their free time texting, playing video games, and watching videos. Damaging effects such as decreases in school performances, addiction to electronics, and lack of brain development have all been linked to the electronic media stimulation. In order to prevent the future generation from following in the current generations footsteps, one must full comprehend just how much technology impacts
The Impact of Computers on Education Technology is all around us these days. If you don't understand the basics of computers and how to run one, your choices of jobs and things to do are limited. Almost everywhere you go and every job you can think of uses computers. For this reason, computers have become a big part of the education system. I'm planning on teaching elementary students, so I researched the impact that computers have had on teachers and students.
Today, schools are being pressured more and more to improve the technology they use and teach in the classrooms. Parents are placing this pressure on schools so that their students have the skills needed to compete in the real world job market. Students are placing pressure on the schools to improve technology by having more knowledge of
Technology has allowed students, teachers, and parents to access unlimited resources instantly. The ease of access to school services and materials helps students in many ways. Redd makes a good point stating that “Many of these mobile devices are characterized as miniature classroom computers that allow students to partake in the ‘anytime, anywhere’ learning movement” (30). Students today use all types of electronic devices to do the unimaginable. The internet is a portal for students to connect to everything around the world giving them instantaneous access to resources. Imagine going throughout a day without the aid of technology, it detracts the learning process and limits accessibility. Students find it easier to access coursework, “Some said they were reluctant to use mobile phone functions such as SMS texting and information downloads for course-related activities” (Moule 61). Technology is always being implicated through day to day life situations. Student’s instantaneous access to unlimited resources...
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
...ass. School administrators should remember not to force technology into their curriculum unless they are confident in the student 's ability to learn and correctly recall information presented. When students have no desire to learn and are given tools to distract themselves technology hurts them, or rather their test scores, more than students who learn with book or oral based teaching because the absence of distraction. Computers and iPads are very difficult to repair or replace compared to books, and because most people are not yet “technologically literate” enough to perform basic tasks for the maintenance of their computer, then it would just be easier to use books. These issues create question as to if students are ready for classes to require computer knowledge when some have difficulty learning the material as it has always been learned for thousands of years.
Based on what I have read, technology effectiveness is a highly debated and argued topic among educators. There are many myths and misconceptions that even I myself have argued about technology use. For example, I always assumed that because I was a young, new teacher and used technology that most teachers who used technology were new and young like me. According to the article Research dispels common ed-tech myths, this idea is not the case. Veteran teachers are just as likely to use technology as new, young teachers (eSchool News Staff, 2010). A 2009 survey by Grundwald associates, found that as many as 34% of teachers were infrequent technology users compared to 22% who claimed that they used technology frequently, more than a third of their class time. This number is astounding to me. The research in this article seems to argue that even among those who do use technology in the classroom, many use it for tasks such as email, word processing, or games. Very few classrooms seem to be using the technology for actual learning and teaching.
Technology in education is a touchy subject in the United States. Many parents believe that technology will only hurt their child in future, while some believe that technology will help their child. Parents have to be open and must allow themselves, to see what is happening before they make their decision.