Is Technology A Crutch For Students Today?
Today every school either public or private has laptops for the students to use. Private schools even add an additional technology fee on top of tuition fee. Some public schools have laptops in every classroom and others share with three to four other classes. The intentions of bringing technology into the classrooms are to enhance students learning. Which when the technology is used correctly students are learning more such as in a science class learning about volcanos students can get a virtual tour of a volcano.
The teachers are using technology every day within the classroom by incorporating power points, online blogs/tweets, class webpage, online grading system, podcast, ect. When teachers are providing students with a power point some students are not fully engaged because at the end of the day the students know the power point can be found on the classroom website. Also teachers lack professional development in technology. So there for the teachers have an interactive whiteboard that they use as just a regular screen to project their power point.
Now some ways how the students use technology/laptops within the classroom are to surf the internet, visit social media websites, and watch shows/movies on Netflix. Although schools have blocks on the computers so that students cannot access these blocked “non-educational” sites students are still able to get around them. When students are not monitored on technology they tend to step away from learning to the recreation of technology.
Students also are quick to Google to answer questions vs looking in their textbook for answers. When students are using technology to research assignments given, students often copy and paste information rather than drawing their own conclusion. When students copy and paste the students now can get in trouble for academic dishonesty.
Another great point is when students are asked to type assignments for class, the students are no longer practicing spelling because they are using auto correct and spell check. Students no longer need to work on penmanship because technology is used for communication.
While technology is an asset to learning, it should enhance a student’s learning experience and not replace the teacher. In other words students should not spend all class period on the computer searching answers that could be found in the students textbook.
Websites:
http://edtechtimes.com/2013/11/06/top-5-problems-technology-education-today/
http://www.zdnet.com/article/technology-tool-for-education-or-crutch-for-tools/
http://www.teachhub.com/12-easy-ways-use-technology-your-classroom-even-technophobic-teachers