Emily Aiken and Abigail Tobis ’20, Managing Editor
Technology has become such a vital part of the everyday life. Without a doubt, it comes with many benefits, but there is still some controversy when it comes to technology being used in a school environment. Here are some good and bad attributes about technology used in school.
Pros
Technology can be such a key factor in the school environment. Students and teachers are now able to reach each other, outside of school, with the help of technology. For example, if a student did not understand the homework, or had a question about the assignment, they would be able to email the teacher, using technology to understand the content that day instead of being confused about it for longer. Also, technology can cause students to want to interact with the lesson more. “Everyone has differentiated ways of learning,” special education teacher Mrs. Jessica Case said. This can be directed to a lot of students, because students use their phone every day thus, giving them more appeal to the topic of discussion. If a teacher was to give them an assignment where they use computers or where they are able to use their phones, the student is more likely to have the willingness to retain information. Technology has become such a normality to students’ learning, and in the end can help the students learn from not only the perspective from the teacher, but with technology at their fingertips, they can look up videos from other people explaining the content. According to Pine Cove Consulting, “The technology movement has been implemented in post-secondary education as well as other professional jobs. For new teachers, technology is considered a necessity for the learning environment.” Technology is so accessible and makes it so that students can produce the best possible work.
Cons
Having any form of technology in the classroom comes with risks. For one thing, it is distraction. “It is hard to get headphones out of their [students’] ears,” Case said. Some students would rather be mindlessly scrolling through Instagram than focus on their learning. Then again, this could be prevented. We have a cell phone policy, but some students just don’t care. Furthermore, not all students have a way to access the internet outside of school. This can make it difficult for students who need to finish work outside of school. Of course, students have access to libraries, but this isn’t always the most convenient. Cheating is also a problem concerning students and the easy access technology gives. It is much easier to share work with other students without anyone ever finding out. According to a national survey of 2,000 middle school and high school students, 35 percent of them who have cell phones have used them to cheat on a test, and 52 percent say that they have used the internet. This proves that cell phones can come with risks in the school environment.
In all, technology is, and forever will be, a part of school. Because there is constantly new developments in the world of technology, there is no way out of it. For the most part, teachers are able to find a happy medium with technology– it is useful in some cases, and a distraction in others.
Lyon Life 