Is Technology Good for Education?
The Double-Edged Sword of Devices
February 20, 2022
Coming out of the chaotic era of online learning, many schools have begun actively using technology as a tool to aid teaching more than ever. Even at DIS, this transition from traditional teaching methods to a more modern M.O is clear. The implementation of these devices into our everyday routines has led to controversy; voices of dissent and approval rise over the effectiveness of these mediums.
Technology brings efficiency to the classroom.
What would you say when someone asks you about the effectiveness of using technology in classrooms? The first thing that most people think of are the negatives since the news usually talks about how toxic it can be. But there are so many more benefits to using technology in classrooms as a tool to improve students’ learning.
Technology facilitates the process of teaching and learning.
Have you ever seen a classroom in DIS without a Smart TV? In DIS, every classroom on campus has a Smart TV. With a big screen that everyone can read from and draw on, the whole class can be on the same page, and teachers make classes more interactive.
Though teachers had access to Google Classroom and similar programs in days past, the websites were underutilized, left to collect dust in a corner as students completed worksheets. After the era of online learning, teachers begun – and then continued – to upload all resources used in class on Google Classroom, making learning accessible to students wherever they are.
Just like Smart TVs and Google Classroom, tools like Google Docs, Quizlet, Kahoot, and devices like iPads and tablets can help boost your learning efficiency.
Technology allows students to take notes more efficiently and familiarize themselves with the devices.
Using your device to take notes in class can give you a huge advantage over pencil and paper. You can get more words down by typing than writing, and it’s easier to go back and edit.
Now, imagine yourself in 10 years. It doesn’t matter if you’re a dentist, architect, teacher, or whatever job you plan to pursue. I guarantee that you’ll be using technology every single day. By acclimating yourself to tech in class, you can improve your typing skills, learn all the useful shortcuts and be able to better know your way around your device once you get a job.
Technology reduces the use of paper and helps the environment.
I’m sure you all know by now that technology is what allows us to go paperless. This helps the environment, reducing the deforestation for paper production since we do most things digitally.
To address the counterargument that digitized learning decreases handwriting abilities; if you purchase an iPad or a tablet where note-taking is still based on handwriting, you don’t have to worry about a decline in your penmanship. As a bonus, you won’t have to rummage through your bag all the time to look for the physical copies of worksheets. Along with that, you still get the benefit of writing by hand which is widely known to help you understand the material better.
As learners in an environment where tech usage is strongly encouraged, it’s important that we take note of all the benefits that it is giving us and learn how to use it to its fullest potential.
Technology brings distraction to the classroom.
Imagine that in the middle of class, all electronics disappear. I bet both students and teachers would be at a loss for what to do. In class, we use technology to the point of excess. We mistake it as being helpful, but it’s actually hindering us from maximizing our learning potential.
Technology distracts the process of learning.
These days, technology is a toy for lots of teenagers. Bringing tools that double as addictive playthings into the classroom is a gamble. Since students are allowed to use laptops in many classes, they can do whatever they want on their laptops without getting caught.
People say note-taking is made much more efficient through electronic interfaces like keyboards and iPads. However, do students actually focus in class and take notes, when there are electronic devices with social media and the whole Internet right in front of them? Technology is distracting students from the teachers’ lectures.
Smart TVs and Google Classroom are a double-edged sword for learners. Often, students don’t pay attention in class, given that they can simply receive the same resources online. When teachers post all the class learning materials on the web, students simply catch up at home, losing out on in-school time.
With over-reliance on technology, students lose the skill of handwriting.
Around the time kids turn 4, they learn how to write their name – a major milestone for a 4 year old. Parents and teachers alike spend hours trying to teach children how to write properly. Writing by hand is a more important skill than you think, utilized in the workplace and throughout school life.
Handwriting, besides the obvious improvement in penmanship, allows for better concentration and memorization. Writing is a process of developing your mind’s rough drafts into a final product; you think ahead for what you’re going to put on paper. But when you type down the words, the affair goes by so quickly that you don’t have enough time to think.
Actually, technology harms the environment.
When we talk about saving the earth, cutting down the trees to make the papers always comes up. However, technology is also harmful to the environment. Its production creates enormous amounts of waste, and the used computers and electronics that are thrown out are hardly biodegradable.
”Techno trash” is waste created by any broken or unwanted electrical or electronic devices. The whole process behind technology – from producing to eliminating it – is damaging the Earth. Our selfishness is toxic to nature.
We are living in a world where using devices isn’t optional – they are necessities. If we have to be stuck with them forever, let’s at least have a break while learning and associate with the real world.