Running Head: THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

The Stance on Technology in Schools

Isaac Castellano
University of Wisconsin- River Falls

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

2
The Stance on Technology in Schools
As times are changing, so is the foundation and basic structure of
the educational system that children are brought up in. In these changing
times, schools are moving away from traditional schooling of a chalk board
and lectures, and moving more to a technology based learning environment.
As researchers are trying to find pros and cons to the up-and-coming topic,
the position that technology is a boost to modern education is an intriguing
one to delve in to. As most situations have positives and negatives, the
positives outweigh the negatives by a landslide, as studies will show. The
benefits of having technology present in the school system will provide
numerous benefits down the road.
With the components of this essay, articles from a variety of sources,
such as Educational Technology, which establishes the pros and cons of
bringing technology into the schooling system and integrating lesson plans
to emphasize the new presence (Smith, n.d.). Within the article, multiple
sources state their views of what possible outcomes could be and what the
schooling system will develop into down the road. The next article, Reasons
for bringing technology into schools depicts the benefits, both short term
and long term, of technology in modern schooling (Reasons,n.d.). With the
added presence of technology in societies everyday life, the logical
conclusion is to introduce technology into the schooling system and allow
students to become comfortable with the future. With the final article, U.S.

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

3
News brings in a case study that demonstrates the advantages of having
technology in the classroom, and at home, to keep the students attention
and allow for more class time to clarify difficult problems, or to spark up
simple conversations (Lytle, 2011). The use of these articles supports the
claim that technology in the modern day school system will had numerous
benefits and is step forward for society.
As our society is advancing in the aspect of technology usage, the
educational system needs to keep pace by allowing students to unravel the
power of technology. As our youth are the future to this great planet, the
need for them to be able to jump into this fast-paced world is impeccable,
and that all starts with their time in school. As times around the world are
constantly changing, many people see the future as a time filled with
technology, and Educators argue that schools have a responsibility to give
students the confidence and skills in using such technology that they will
need after graduation (Reasons, n.d.). The world beyond schooling involves
quick, impactful decisions that will need to be made on the spot, or it
involves seeing a bigger picture while still learning on the run. Though these
situations are nearly impossible to recreate in a classroom setting,
technology provides motivation for the student to continue learning and
this keeps students on their toes and always looking for a chance to make a
change in the world (Smith, n.d.). At an early age, students are surrounded
with the thirst to keep learning and never be satisfied with the outcome due
to the advancement in technology. In the traditional setting of a teacher in

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

4
the front, teaching the students a lesson, and then letting them loose to
determine the outcome. But with the addition of technology, students now
have the chance to be interactive with one another to determine an outcome
that can change on the go or provide a setting for students to work as one.
As Smith notes, The internet allows students to access monumental
amounts of information, connect with many different cultures, and contains
information on every topic imaginable, and this idea enhances the overall
feel of school (Smith, n.d.). With the technology, students can branch
outside an outdated textbook, or a monotone recording, and they can
experience the world at their fingertips. The power that technology brings to
the table is outnumbered and allows this generation of students to keep pace
with the ever-changing society that they must one day enter in to.
With the power of technology at a students fingertips, they are able to
not only explore a world outside the walls of the school, but to also develop
key skills and characteristics that will only benefit them in the long run. As
students are able to interact with each other on a daily basis, technology
allows them to develop an enhanced thought process and promote equity
(Reasons, n.d.). As students are given the new technology to play games, do
their homework, or simply search the web, students will be confronted with
numerous problems. Whether the problem is as simple as a dying battery, or
as diverse as a software crash, the educator can utilize these individual
problems to help students develop an enhanced thought process as students
are forced to think about the problem at hand, possibilities to fix the

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

5
problem, and how to fix the problem at hand. With the added problem
solving techniques, students will be able to dissect an individual problem
outside of school and be able to come up with a conclusion of what to do.
Though this may not happen in all cases, students are still exposed to the
possibility to develop this key characteristic in school. As in most schools,
supplies are scarce, and this presents a great opportunity to teach equity
and equality among the students. With limited supplies, students will need
to know how to share them and how to budget the time they have wisely.
Though most adults still do not understand this concept, students will be
able to develop this attribute that will only come to benefit them in the
future. As these key characteristics are developed by using technology,
students will only benefit in their future by having these keys to life under
their belt.
As technology is perceived to draw the attention away from ones
surroundings and onto the object at hand, many believe that technology
actually enhances the retention of information learned. In a recent case
study, Lytle argues that the use of technology, at school and home, allows for
a lively, engaging discussion among students instead of the students
walking out of the classroom being routinely stupefied by the traditional
classroom (Lytle, 2011). The study proved true that students retained
more from the new way of learning compared to the traditional classroom
setting as the students test scores reflected a higher level of learning. In a
comparison of two separate Advanced Placement Calculus classes, one

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

6
taught in the traditional setting, and one taught through the new use of
technology and online lectures, the test scores at the end of the year favored
the class that was able to learn through the use of technology. As seen, the
class that had the opportunity to learn with technology scored an average
of 4.11 on the AP calculus test, compared to the 3.59 average among
students who took the test and were taught in the traditional classroom
setting the year before (Lytle, 2011). Though some may argue that it could
all depend on the individuals that were involved in the case study, the facts
show that the technology-based teaching showed significant improvements.
Technology is a useful tool to use in educational setting to allow the students
to learn in a way that is diverse and different to every student.
Though technology is seen as hero to our future generations, there is
always a downfall with something so wonderful. As technology is forever
changing, so will the lesson plans and preparation that must correlate to
each other. With the little time that is sparse in todays world, it is a struggle
when new technology is integrated into the classroom [as] both teachers
and students need to become accustomed to it before they can fully reap the
benefits and that takes time that can be used on progressing the youths
education (Smith, n.d.). Along with the constant change among technology,
society as a whole may become too accustomed to computers and machines
doing all the work that the basic foundations of manual labor and simple
mechanics will be a memory of the past. As the fact that todays youth can
reap the benefits of technology in todays school system, there are some

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

7
down falls to being too advanced too quickly, and society needs to be
cautious going forward.
As the facts and statements have pointed to, technology would be a
huge plus for the educational system and the future of this country. With the
addition of technology, tomorrows generation will be able to adapt, respond,
and act quicker and more efficiently with the addition of technology at a
younger age. Technology in the school system will allow many great benefits
that will propel this country and the next generation to do what is right for
this nation and to progress on what is already established.

References
Lytle, R. (2011, July 14). Study: Emerging technology has positive impact in
classroom.

THE STANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IN SCHOOLS

8
In U.S. news: Education. Retrieved from
http://www.usnews.com/education/highschools/articles/2011/07/14/study-emerging-technology-has-positiveimpact-inclassroom?int=96e908
Reasons for bringing technology into schools. (n.d.). In Archived information.
Retrieved from
https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/reasons.html
Smith, Len. (n.d.). Educational technology. In Department of psychology.
Retrieved from

http://sitemaker.umich.edu/lem.smith/effectiveness_of_computers_in_educati
on