The Increasing Demand on Technology in Education

Technological Poison

In the last 20 years, technology such as the internet use has increased tenfold. Playing such a vital role in the lives of Americans, its influence and reach is surely to grow along with it. There is one subset of the population that it will continuously affect many for over 13 years, students. Students, of all ages, minds are like sponges; they are still forming, changing, and getting all kinds of knowledge. And now are having to do so with a newer more accessible technology. Students, especially those in intermediate and high school, are reliable upon cell phones. Especially smart phones, for their many features and applications. The introduction and continued use of these devices in the school system will inevitably endanger students’ academic performance.

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Just because the speed of technology is accelerating, doesn’t mean that we have to sacrifice our own natural intelligence to try and catch up. What possibly could we sacrifice? And how far could it go? In 2011, school district in Maine announced its actions to provide an Apple Ipad to each of its kindergarten students (Walden). A child at the age of 4 or 5 years old is too young to be exposed to such technology that soon in their lives. They will become more dependent on it because they will become used to it, they will learn how to type before they learn how to write. That is the part that is the most devastating. How can one type before being able to write?

These kids are not computers, they have basic necessary functions and skills, such as writing and talking that must be learned before anything artificial and technological is introduced into their lives. We are damaging our youth instead of strengthening and nourishing their young minds. I didn’t have my first flip phone until I was in mid 8,h grade and a 4year old get theirs the first day of school. Restriction of technology isn’t meant to tear students apart from using them as a part of their personal lives but in the 8 hours a day of pure and focused learning, that’s exactly what it should be.

This isn’t focused directly towards the students, but to the computers themselves. If they are to be provided to the classroom then there are risks that are being taken. If the connection to the internet to which the computers get their access from doesn’t work then how can the class be productive that day? How long would it take to get the connection back? A couple hours? Days? And as a result of that productivity and time lost, the class would be wasted. That’s the beauty of paper mandated courses. No matter the conditions of the technology on the campus, the lesson is still completely teachable. You can have a whole course out of a book and the students can plan ahead because they have all they need in front of them. It seems like a pain because of the extra effort of writing and the lack of clicking noises, but it could make the difference between well taken notes and 10 open tabs and a blank word document.

Sometimes, the reason doesn’t have to be about the students or the teachers, it could be the schools decision not to implement technology into its curriculum because of the cost of devices and teacher training. Schools need to get an estimate of how much it would cost to get enough devices to sufficiently supply at least a few classrooms before buying. The price would probably be a few thousand dollars (depending on the type of the computers desired), and some schools simply do not have the money and resources to afford such luxuries. Then there is the cost of training teachers to use the computers and the time it takes for them to fully grasp the concept of the different programs and teaching components that the schools wish to incorporate. The teachers need to fully know how to work the technology before being able to expose it to students (Guru).

People like to think of technology in classrooms as a great source of accessibility and resource use. I would like to think so, it eases the teachers’ workload and lets the students work at a steady pace. But with any kind of leniency in a traditional teaching lesson means the possibility of students going off into the ever so wide internet to watch funny videos and explore social media. Students (and people in general) have generally short attention ps. Which means that without proper teacher guidance and monitoring, students will be wasting the class time for free time. This would especially become a problem if there were multiple other students that didn’t do what they weren’t supposed to do. It is better to be safe then sound with a traditional taught lesson plan where the teacher can be assured of what their students are doing.

Basics and paperbacks and a notepad are the way to go for a better education. Although it’s not always the most updated, it’s the most reliable. It’s never down or out of service. The fate of the next generation is in our very hands, and the moves we make now will change the way we look at education in the next 5 or 10 years. Yes I understand that technology can be more convenient, but when there is a dead zone with no wifi or a dead battery, the learning stops completely. That’s where the real decision has to be made. We need to ask ourselves, what is our future going to hold? A plug forever in one hand or an open book in both? And we need to ask ourselves that question before it’s too late.

Work Cited

1. Walden, Benjamin. "Technology Is Not the Answer: A Student's Perspective."Education Week. N.p., 14 Oct. 2014. Web. 14 Oct. 2014
2. Guru, Constitution. "The Disadvantages of Technology in Classroom." The Disadvantages of Technology in Classroom. ESL Teachers Board, n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2014.

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