Technology has already made a major impact on today’s students. Those in high school and college fondly remember the days in elementary school when red projectors were used to make learning more interesting, or when a television set was brought in to show educational videos like “Bill Nye the Science Guy” or “The Magic School Bus.”
In a day and age when newer, more advanced technology is incorporated into everyday activities, it is often debated whether or not implementing this technology in America’s education system is the best idea. For some, technology is seen as a wall isolating those who use it from those who don’t. For others, however, we are in the middle of a technological revolution that will change the world for the better.
“As we enter a more tech-savvy age, I think technologies should be used to enhance the learning experience,” junior David Lee said. “The use of technology can be beneficial if used in the right way and schools should exploit the benefits that are available.”
If utilized in education, exciting technology can assist in making information easier to comprehend and to remember. With traditional textbooks and note-taking, today’s students often get bored. When never-before-seen methods of education are involved, it typically sparks the students’ interests.
This can be seen when teachers make use of multiple choice clickers instead of a regular hand-written test or quiz. Each student gets a clicker to select an answer to the question on the board (answers include multiple choice selections as well as true or false selections). With this digital test, an assessment seems less like a nightmare and more like a fun, educational game.
Taking advantage of the 21st century’s digital revolution not only heightens the learning experience for all ages, but it also provides a convenient all-access library that can be researched quickly and at any time. The internet is an underrated tool that needs no specialized device other than a smartphone or computer that today’s students are glued to.
The internet is unquestionably practical for education; textbooks can be accessed online to eliminate the need for paper books, which is not only easier on the students, but easier on the environment. If a student does not understand a particular concept and needs extra assistance, there are millions of resources to use: educational videos, Khan Academy, online news sites or even just the simple dictionary.
“Technology has really heightened my success throughout high school,” sophomore Ethan Frankel said. “It’s helped me by allowing me to research concepts that I don’t understand.”
By transferring school work to an online database that the majority of students have access to, a school or even an entire district can simplify the workload for students, placing everything that needs to be done in one place. With this method, homework can be completed anywhere from a cell phone or computer, making it portable as well as cleaner for the environment. This makes managing school work easier for students and also saves school supplies that typically run out fast.
The main worry of incorporating newer technology into schools is the fear of technology that a common student, parent or teacher has, especially when they do not understand how it works. However, when students grow up with advanced technology in their life, getting accustomed to it is not as difficult.
Education tied with the benefits of the technological age results in an expansion of human knowledge in an area of technology that has just recently come to light. Schools have already been influenced by this new wave, and it is just the beginning. It is clear that future generations of students will have endless possibilities utilizing technologies that as of now, we cannot even imagine.
Photo by Ryan Sullivan
