In discussions of technology’s impact on education, one controversial issue has been whether or not the contribution has provided a negative or positive impact in the classroom. In his recent work, Michael Wesch suggests that technology seems to be more important to students than education and that the traditional method of teaching is antiquated and fails to connect with students. Wesch claims that students spend more time on Facebook and texting one another then they do in a class room. One implication of Wesch’s video is that technology seems to be destroying conventional learning environments.
My personal opinion is that technology sometimes allows us as students to multi-task; without the use of technology many of us would not have the time to complete various activities that are necessary to our success in an educational setting and our lives. Information can be accessed at God-speed with the internet, and having my assignments posted online where I can view them anytime is a great instrument to my success in school. Through the internet my classes are available through a forum that is relevant to me helps connect the education process to my life. Though I admit that it would be more beneficial for some students to show up to class or maybe pay attention while there and maybe crack open a textbook, I still maintain that technology can benefit the classroom. For example, in some instances the teacher may use a white board where it can slow down the rate at which information is relayed to the classroom, if the teacher had it typed up everyone could come to class with a print out and be on the same page. Although it might be seen that students can’t seem to focus on class, I respond that students’ free will determines the quality of their education. If an individual wanted to they could easily turn off their digital gadgets during class and choose to read a book on their spare time.
The issue is important because students will continue to waste their money and time on their education because that is what they feel is expected of them, unless the historic educational format is changed. To state the words of Wesch’s video’s opening phrase, “Today’s child is bewildered when he enters the 19th century environment that still characterizes the educational establishment where information is scarce but ordered and structured by fragmented, classified patterns, subjects and schedules.” Students can’t find the relevance of what they are learning in their day-to-day lives. The quote previously stated was from Marshall McLuhan in 1967, think about how far technologically has advanced from where we were forty plus years ago and even then the classroom wasn’t suitable for prosperous learning.
In order for the best learning to be done a balance needs to be formed where technology is accessible and applied in the classroom. That means both teachers and students together need to contribute to the idea , students need to know when to power down and educators when to included a relevant piece of information for the students.
My personal opinion is that technology sometimes allows us as students to multi-task; without the use of technology many of us would not have the time to complete various activities that are necessary to our success in an educational setting and our lives. Information can be accessed at God-speed with the internet, and having my assignments posted online where I can view them anytime is a great instrument to my success in school. Through the internet my classes are available through a forum that is relevant to me helps connect the education process to my life. Though I admit that it would be more beneficial for some students to show up to class or maybe pay attention while there and maybe crack open a textbook, I still maintain that technology can benefit the classroom. For example, in some instances the teacher may use a white board where it can slow down the rate at which information is relayed to the classroom, if the teacher had it typed up everyone could come to class with a print out and be on the same page. Although it might be seen that students can’t seem to focus on class, I respond that students’ free will determines the quality of their education. If an individual wanted to they could easily turn off their digital gadgets during class and choose to read a book on their spare time.
The issue is important because students will continue to waste their money and time on their education because that is what they feel is expected of them, unless the historic educational format is changed. To state the words of Wesch’s video’s opening phrase, “Today’s child is bewildered when he enters the 19th century environment that still characterizes the educational establishment where information is scarce but ordered and structured by fragmented, classified patterns, subjects and schedules.” Students can’t find the relevance of what they are learning in their day-to-day lives. The quote previously stated was from Marshall McLuhan in 1967, think about how far technologically has advanced from where we were forty plus years ago and even then the classroom wasn’t suitable for prosperous learning.
In order for the best learning to be done a balance needs to be formed where technology is accessible and applied in the classroom. That means both teachers and students together need to contribute to the idea , students need to know when to power down and educators when to included a relevant piece of information for the students.
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