Social and Cultural Foundations of American Education/Technology/Pros and Cons

Imagine it is your daughter’s first day of work after her high school graduation. She is working at a local company doing secretarial work to pay her way through college. Her new boss comes in and asks her to type the agenda for tomorrow’s meeting and email it to the staff by noon. When her boss walks away she just sits there wondering how she is going to complete this task in ample amount of time because she has no idea how to use the computer. Is it her fault that she did not learn how to use the computer? Her teachers did not have time to allow her to use the computer much; they had to prepare her for all her SOLs in the spring. At the same time, her school district had limited access to computers. She attended a school that had one computer lab that was rarely used. Her teachers would tell the students that they did not have time to “play” on the computer they had to complete the curriculum.

This is the reality of many high school graduates. They are not prepared with the necessary skills for the workplace. However, the bigger problem is, it is not their fault for some reason they were not taught to use the computer in school. There are many reasons why teachers do not use the computers as a learning resource in their classroom. Some do not favor the use of computers, others do not have the time, and some simply do not have the funding to allow the use of computers as part of their curriculum. Before we can begin discussing the use of technology in the classroom we must understand how it is integrated.

What is technology integration in the classroom?
Many people ask the question: What is technology integration and how is it possible? First, technology integration is not using the computers for twenty minutes one day instead of teaching the history of China. It is using the computers for twenty minutes a day to teach the history of China (Dockstader, 1999). Technology integration is not using computer software for unrelated purposes. According to Dockstrader (1999) technology integration is defined as “using computers effectively and efficiently in the general content areas to allow students to learn how to apply computer skills in meaningful ways” (p. 1). Secondly, technology integration is something that takes time and patience on the behalf of the teachers. This is where many people begin to disagree about technology integration in the classroom. Let the debate begin!

Pros of Technology
There are numerous benefits for the use of technology in all curricula in today’s education. Many educators have recognized these benefits and have begun to implement technology as part of their curriculum. Some educators even ask the question: Why not implement technology into the curriculum? Educators want it, parents want it, and employers want it. With our changing society today, it is important to prepare our children with the proper framework and standards to perform in the workplace. Traditional educational practices can no longer provide students with all the necessary skills (NETSP, 1-2).

The use of the computers can break up the monotony of lecture and note taking in the classroom. The use of some lecture and note taking is necessary to understand the material. However, teachers can use the computers to enhance their curriculum. The computer can be used to introduce a new topic, apply it, or review it for a test or quiz. Teachers can use video websites, websites with self-assessments, and other databases filled with information to enrich a student’s education. Websites that offer self-assessment can serve as a tutor for the teachers. According to a report entitled Computer Advantages: Tutoring Individuals, “with computers as tutors, no student will be overwhelmed because he or she is missing fundamentals, the computer will repeat material until each lesson has been sufficiently mastered” (as cited in the Journal of Educational Policy). This can be very beneficial in a classroom, because it allows the students to learn more at their own pace without feeling as if they are being held back or left behind due to the progress of the majority of the class. Technology integration can also make lessons fun and more interesting.

Teachers can integrate games via SMART Board to engage the students in interactive learning. According to The Virginia Pilot, some Virginia teachers use the SMART Board instead of flash cards or paper because it allows the student to see pictures and pause on information until it is understood (Bower, 1999).

Technology can be integrated into the curriculum early in a student's school career. The elementary school in Surry County has implemented a new computer based program called Breakthrough Literacy. It is a program that helps kindergarten students learn to read using a classroom mascot and the computer. The students must learn about the computer and the different parts of the computer before they start to use it. Soon they learn how to log in on and log off on their own. The students use headphones to follow directions through activities to help them begin to learn how to read. They spend twenty to thirty minutes a day on the computer in the lab working on their reading curriculum. Booklets and other worksheets are worked on in the classroom that goes with the theme of the week. Work is also sent home for the students to share with their parents. Integrating technology early in the school years makes it easier for the later years.

Overall the use of technology in the classroom can offer an abundance of benefits. It prepares our students with the necessary skills for the workplace, it offers a diverse learning environment, and it makes the learning environment fun and interesting.

Cons of Technology
Technology integration seems fun and easy to do. However, is it really that easy to integrate technology into a curriculum? Do all students perform and complete tasks like they are asked to while using the computers? The answer to both questions is, no. This is why some people oppose using technology in the classroom. First, it is hard to integrate technology as part of a curriculum if the teacher does not even know how to use all the software on the computer. Second, some educators believe that the students do not have enough basic skills and background information to use the computers. Third, some educators argue that it can interfere with the teacher-student contact. Finally, funding can be an obstacle- some schools simply can not afford to provide computers for all the students or enable them to receive proper training.

Some teachers have taught for twenty-five plus years and when they began to teach, technology was not an option in their classroom. However, now twenty some years later we as a society expect them to use technology in their classroom. Some of these teachers are not even familiar with computers and all the software available on a computer, but yet we expect them to teach our students to use the computer to learn the material. Some educators fear if they begin to integrate technology in their curriculum they will be embarrassed because the students will know more about the computers than they do. How can we expect teachers to teach our students and maintain the respect in their classroom when the students might be teaching their own teachers about computers?

Many teachers use the computers for students to do research. However, it is important that the students know some background information when researching on the Internet. “There are four things that need to be looked at to evaluate a site quickly before the resource is further considered: the author of the work, the URL, the currency of the information as well as the actual information that is provided” (Lampkins, 2007). These four things are important for students to know prior to researching on the Internet. Many educators argue that they have to first explain all this information to the students and then spend the rest of the time monitoring the research to ensure that the students are doing proper research. It would be easier to research in the library where the sources are more trustworthy.

Another argument against technology use in the classroom is that it could interfere with the teacher-student relationship. They do not want the computers to interfere with the student’s need for human support. Some argue that if the computer can act as a tutor and solve the problems for the student, then there will be no need for the teacher to interact with the students (Gulley, 2003). The students have emotional needs and the teacher must take into account these needs despite the advances in technology.

Additionally, it must be borne in mind that many of the risks of technology in general apply in the classroom. While information security policies and practices may decrease the likelihood, stalking, theft, terrorism, fraud, and so forth remain possible even within the supposedly sheltered school environment. Students can be easily persuaded into giving out personal information to online 'friends', who may then use that information to damage the students, staff, or school property.

Lastly, many schools can not afford to provide computer labs and individual computers in each classroom and continue to upgrade them every few years. This automatically puts these students at a disadvantage because they do not have the resources to be exposed to advanced technology. The Title 1 schools are just trying to make ends meet. They do not have the extra money to fund technology projects even if they desired to. Whereas, charter schools receive grants which allows them to fund project such as upgrading technology. Obviously there is a clear disadvantage in our educational system that must be worked out. Dr. Dwight Allen and Dr. William Cosby in their book, American Schools: The 100 Billion Dollar Challenge, propose that as a society we make a commitment to allocate the financial resources to provide every child with the proper technology.

Conclusion
There are some advantages and disadvantages to integrating technology into the curricula. However, in order to provide our students with the proper education we as a society must agree on what we want them to be accountable for. There are clearly some obstacles that we need to overcome in order to make technology use available for everyone. However, these obstacles can be overcome with staff development for teachers who are not comfortable with the software, training for the students to learn proper Internet use, and funding to provide equal opportunities for all students. The advantages of technology use outweigh the disadvantages. Technology integration can be seen as a bridge to the gap between traditional education and technological education.

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