Unless you have lived under a rock for the past 30 years, chances are that you own at least one personal computer or other electronic device. Everywhere you turn, you find an electronic device being used by someone. Technology has been so deeply integrated with our society; some even consider it "odd" to be without some kind of peronal electronic device. But computers aren't restricted to personal use; computers have also been laregly integrated into classrooms as well. So with the ever increasing use of technology, there begs the question: what is it all worth, is it even helpful or necessary? Does the use of computers within the school system effect students in a positive or a negative way?
How much, exactly, has the use of technology increased? Technological advancements have increased at an explosive rate since the early 1990's. In 1984, only 8.2 percent of American households owned a personal computer. This has been increasing at a mind-blowing rate with 78.9 percent of households owning a personal computer in 2012 (U.S. Dept. of Commerce).
With technology advancing by leaps and bounds, it would only make sense that computers be found more prevelant in classrooms as well. According to a survey conducted in 2006, out of 84 elementary schools surveyed, only 5 of them did not use any computers; this was 8 years ago (Razo 3). Out of the schools that had at least 1 computer, 65% of the classrooms had 1-3 computers and 35% of them had 4-8 computers. In addition, 91% of the schools had highspeed internet access (Razo 6).
Since computers have become so prevalent in our homes and our schools, how much do we actually use them? According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 74.7% of people access the internet regularly from some lo...
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...an greatly improve a child's learning. So, embrace technological advancement as we move forward in an ever-advancing world.
Works Cited
"Computer and Internet Use." U.S. Census Bureau. U.S. Department of Commerce, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"Gender: Grade Point Average." NAEP 2009 High School Transcript Study: Gender, Grade Point Average. Nations Report Card, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
"High School and Beyond." National Center for Education Statistics. Institute of Educational Sciences, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Plowman, Lydia, and Joanna McPake. "Seven Myths about Young Children and Technology." Acedemia. Acedemia.edu, 18 Dec. 2012. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
Razo, Felipe H., PhD. "A Survey of Computer Utilization in Elementary Classrooms." Thesis. California State University, East Bay, 2006. A Survey of Computer Utilization in Elementary Classrooms. Web. 18 Mar. 2014.
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.
David Gelernter author of the essay, “Unplugged: The Myth of Computers in the Classroom,” used some rhetorical appeals but not many in his essay, whilst trying to logically persuade his audience that computers could be utilized in the classroom, but under certain stipulations. Gelernter has great credibility for speaking on education and technology, as he is a professor of computer science at Yale University, so he more than anyone should know the outcomes of using a computer as a tool while teaching. However, when it comes to technology a lot of older generations usually are pretty biased when discussing technologies advancements, Gelernter still had some very good points! Using computers while teaching our young children can be useful but with strict moderations; when, where, and why, because if not heavily monitored, computers could be extremely detrimental to the learning experience and processes for many students.
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
Andrew Zucker examines computer use in the United States in both elementary and secondary education. It addresses issues such as teacher training, technology availability at home and in schools, and current technology projects that were ongoing at this time. The article ends by discussing computer usage in schools in a larger context, which provides a different perspective on educational technology.
The Texas Board of Education has attempted to provide 3.7 million students with a laptop. According to a study, schools in the U.S. spend more than 5 billion dollars a year on computers; all computers are meant to be provided to students and teachers. This study has also concluded that computers have no significant effect on student achievement (i.e. grades and outcomes) (Fairlie and Robinson 211-14). This is consistent with what is said in “Floppy Disk Fallacies”; there is no correlation between achievement and computer usage. Students may earn higher grades if they are effectively taught by a teacher. Regarding computer usage, students are using their computers to play games, watch television, and to do homework. Students use their computers less in the classrooms and more outside or at home (Aziz, Khan, and Singh 209). Using computers in a classroom will influence the behavior of most students by encouraging them to use their phones and laptops as a way to spend all of their
Almost everyone attends a school at one time in their life, whether the classroom includes technology or not. Research shows that technology isn’t used as often as one might think. The article, “High Access and Low Use of Technology in High School Classrooms” illustrates the use of technology by stating that only one in ten elementary and middle school teachers are daily users of computers (Cuban, Kirkpatrick, Peck). Most schools now have classrooms that use technology throughout the entire class time and even at home to do homework. Although some people might agree with the use of technology in class, it is more harmful to the students than useful.
The role of technology throughout my life has been up and down to say the least. While technology has aided my dysgraphia by helping teachers read my essays and papers, it has also played the part of being not only a distraction during my school work, but a distraction in my life as a whole. Yet technology is not bad or good in and of itself, the positives and negatives of technology truly depends on or are relative to the user and how they utilize the technology given to them.
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).
Technology forms the most vital element of life in the world today. Every aspect of our lives is dominated by technology and its importance in our lives is indispensable. One of the outstanding facts about technology use in schools is its controversial nature. There is no common agreement by stakeholders in technology and educations sectors about the use of technology in schools. There are two different factions, one supporting use of technology as a positive aspect, while the other faction disagrees, citing the detrimental effects of technology in students. However, the use of technology in classrooms catering for children continues to increase, as education develops more interesting ways of enhan...
In schools around the world, technology is growing at an alarming rate. This brings up one question though, is technology becoming overused in schools? There are many reasons pointing to the claim that technology is being used too much, but there are many bigger reasons pointing the other direction, that it isn’t.
Does technology changes the way society functions? In the society we live in today, technology is used for everything. No matter if we are checking our e-mail or checking the weather. Computers are the most used technology. Many people use computers for work or school. Some seem to think that computers can be a huge distraction at either work or school. Like everything else there are pros and cons when it comes to using computers in class. There can be a lot of pros when using computers in class it just depends on if a teacher or student knows how to use it. Although many people believe that using computers in class is a huge distraction, there are many positive outcome of using computers in school. Using
In order to properly explain how technology is overtaking and overwhelming people, it is necessary to understand how and when technology was integrated into society. In the workplace, schools, and general life, technology has invaded and thrived. When the internet first started gaining popularity, companies had to make a choice: either ignore it and assume it would be a flash in the pan or put as much money into upgrading to accommodate the internet as possible. The companies that are still known today did the latter (Friedman pg. 6-7, Next pgs. 13-14), which is a major reason the companies are still around.
When I become a teacher there is no doubt that I will use computers in my classroom and my students will do activities with computers. It is just the way to do things now. There are so many valuable programs out there to help students learn and to help teachers teach that computers are pretty much a necessity in classrooms. In my opinion for an elementary classroom there should be at least five to ten computers in each room. Without the access to the computers it is hard to take advantage of all the wonderful things a computer has to offer. Even using the internet has a source of information for the students or has a tutorial for students who are struggling. There are so many ways that classrooms will benefit from computers.
Computers have had a large impact in education. There are many things that are done differently in schools now and that goes for all age groups. Computers can really help a teacher in many positive ways. If it were not for computers, there would be many helpful things that would not be in school, for example if it were not for computers we would not have calculators, we also would not have electronic overheads. Schools would not have been really updated what so ever if it were not for computers. Computers help children in many different ways. They can increase motivation and self esteem, they can help with technical skills, they can help complete more complex tasks, and they can help with many other great things. Computers are what make students of 2002’s education different from the education of students of 1955. We learn all that they learned but more thanks to computers. We are allowed to dig deeper into the source and find more information on what we are learning because of the internet. Computers are changing lives of students more and more everyday, and this will keep happening until the end of time.
As time goes by, advances in technology will provide more and more avenues for learning by way of the computer. The Internet has opened the doors of the world and unleashed limitless possibilities in research and education. It may be only a matter of time when the classroom is brought online to all children and attending a school classroom outside the home is a thing of the past. Looking back over the last 20 years, I never would have imagined that computers would come this far and impact our lives so much. Just imagine where they will be 20 years from now.