Today, technology is being used for a huge variety of functions in the classroom. From all grades to all subjects, computers have impacted the ways students learn and interact with assignments.
Schools are starting to integrate not just computers, but other devices such as tablets, smart boards, and smartphones. All of these devices bring their own contribution to the school environment. Computers themselves have revolutionized the way students tackle research projects, essays, and presentations. With only a few words, students can find millions of resources on any topic in the world through Google. This makes research a thousand times quicker and easier than finding and reading through books. The same efficiency is also true for writing papers and presentations. These programs make assignments neater than hand written papers, and do not require bulky, expensive poster boards. Newer devices only enhance these experiences. Tables and smartphones allow for students to research at their own desks and use educational apps for learning. Smart boards and projectors enable teachers and students alike to easily give presentations to the class all from one device. There are many programs that schools use to help teach and organize their school. Ashland High School for example has a program called iPass, where teachers can post progress reports and grades. This is helpful for both the student, so they make sure they are on track for their goals. And also it’s helpful for parents, so they can always see their children’s grades to make sure they are doing well in school.
However, just because of all the efficient technology, there are still many problems with the system. The most obvious and addressed problem is cheating that can come from the internet. With endless websites and the ability to copy and paste someone else’s work with just a few clicks, plagiarism is increasing in frequency. Technology also always has the potential to break or stop working, which can cause panic and stress at home when assignments need to be done, or a loss of work time in school. Programs like iPass can also add stress to students when they are constantly checking their grades, causing them to worry over every bad grade or unposted assignment.
In my opinion, I feel that overall computers and technology have revolutionized schools for the better. I believe that it is important for children to be introduced to computers in a school environment at a young age and throughout college because technology is the future. Despite this, I still do feel like the integration of technology still is not perfect. Many teachers are not educated in simple computer functions, and thus make the efficiency of computers counterproductive. Computers also are making many students more lazy, as they are developing sloppy handwriting, poor spelling, and the neglection of reading books. To make the problem even more annoying, teachers sometimes try to make researching “harder” by making students to use book sources and ignoring wikipedia purely because they feel that researching sources online is too easy. In contrast, education institutes are trying to use technology too much by for example, making tests online. While this seems like a good idea on paper, they do not realize how many students can not concentrate well on computer screens, myself included, and how much students prefer simple paper tests without a hundred fancy tools and question types. In conclusion, I think once a balance of technology and paper has been reached, computers will truly stand out to be essential for making learning and working easier than ever.