Blog Five - Education and Technology
The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines technology as “a manner of accomplishing a task, especially using technical processes, methods, or knowledge.” Notably, advances such as the whiteboard and even books are examples of accomplishing tasks like displaying and storing information. Today’s technology has transcended these traditional tools, paving the way for new, more exciting tools being used in schools. By technology, I am referring to laptops. According to the Nonnewaug Chief Advocate’s paper Should We Use Chromebooks So Much in School?, around sixty percent of K-12 schools utilize Chromebooks in their classrooms. Much of this has to do with the COVID-19 pandemic sending schools into an era of digital learning. Students are now using screens in their education more than ever. With students not being able to see their teachers and peers in person and in a classroom, laptops and devices have become a key to communication between teachers and students. As the integration of laptops into education becomes more prevalent, concerns and ideas about their roles in shaping the student experience grow as well.
Laptops provide a range of tools that are much more difficult to do on paper. They make grading and assigning schoolwork much more efficient. Teachers can assign tests online, making them much easier to track and grade. Reducing the time teachers spend on mundane tasks like grading frees up more time for them to focus on their students and their teaching. Additionally, allowing students to do their work online means that they can do their work away from school as well. In order for students to feel less overwhelmed and to be able to manage their time more effectively, it will be beneficial for them to have more flexibility in their schedules. Online assignments can empower this flexibility, ensuring that students of all circumstances can be accommodated.
Furthermore, allowing students to work online leads to more efficient retrieval and storage of information. Most people get their information from online sources rather than looking it up in a hard-copy book or paper. In fact, as reported by Pew Research Center, “[86% of adults] say they get news from a smartphone, computer or tablet ‘often’ or ‘sometimes,’ including 60% who say they do so often.” Finding relevant information is much more straightforward online than looking for this information in written works. First of all, many individuals would likely not have a physical copy of a book or article for the particular field they need, especially if it is a student doing research for some sort of school project. Also, if they are students, many students would not be able to drive themselves to libraries to get these works. Laptops can provide students with a wealth of information at their fingertips, which can assist them with assignments and encourage them to learn more independently as it is more convenient now.
However, there has been an issue with teens using an increasing amount of screen time. The American Academy of Children and Adolescent Psychiatry found that, on average, teenagers use up to nine hours of screen time daily. Excessive screen time has also been linked to stress, sleep disruption, eye strain, as well as other health issues. Schools should not be interfering with children’s health and well-being. It is of the utmost importance to ensure that the mental, physical, and emotional health of students is at the forefront of education centers as a priority.
Besides this, laptops in school provide students with easy access to many nonacademic distractions, such as social media, videos, games, along with much more. Research cited by Scientific American found that students spent “almost 40 minutes out of every 100-minute class period using the internet for nonacademic purposes.” While classes may be uninteresting, they teach students not to rely on instant gratification. In a world where social media apps offer users constant stimulation, students learn to persevere through tedious tasks. They can develop patience, resilience, and discipline, which can be applied to other scenarios in the future, such as long meetings or any period where a student has to wait for an extended amount of time.
Introducing laptops into education has some unparalleled benefits, for example, increased work speed, which allows both students and teachers to use their time more efficiently, and also access to a broad range of information from sources worldwide. They connect education to the internet, facilitating an era of connection with others like never before. But, their role must be carefully considered to account for safeguarding student well-being and leaving students with critical life skills. Student health and attention spans must be defended and nurtured. Balancing their revolutionary potential and the harmful effects remains an ongoing issue.
