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Brandi Gilbert
James Celestino
Into to Writing 1010 Section 69
May 3, 2016
Technology Argument Essay
The topic that will be discussed throughout this paper are the positive and negative
effects that technology has on individuals. There are many positive and negative things that
technology has done, and each one effects people differently. Over the years several positive
things have taken place regarding the advancements of technology. One thing that has been
helpful is how technology is able to help in the practices of medicine and doctors around the
world. There have also been some advancements that have had negative effects on people as
well. One of the negative things technology has done is made it hard for teenagers and even
adults to carry on a conversation that is not through chat or text messaging. Individuals who use
technology need to be informed about the different effects that it has on them and others around
them, including how technology is and is not helpful in the classroom, how it has been helpful to
people worldwide, everyone being addicted to their electronics, and how technology has been
helpful in the medical fields.
There always seems to be a lot of talk about how technology could be bad for students in
the classroom, because it could become a distraction to learning, or that it is a good thing
because it can help the students be better involved in what they are learning about. In this
paragraph, the positive side of technology in a classroom setting will be addressed. In a study
done in Texas, by the Texas Center of Educational Research, to see how different teachers and
students reacted and the knowledge that was grasped when they were able to be provided with

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different sources of technology in their classrooms. In the middle school, over 49 students and
their teachers were provided with laptops for educational purposes. Once the study was
completed the researchers found that Technology Immersion had a positive effect on students
technology proficiency and the frequency of their technology-based class activities and smallgroup interactions. (Shapley 1) Through the results of this study done, we are able to see that in
different ways, technology is able to act as a useful and helpful learning tool in classrooms. With
the use of technology in the classroom, teachers are able to expand their lessons, and be more
creative with helping the students learn and understand the information being taught to them.
Now from looking at how different forms of technology can be used well, and for the
benefit of school children, we can now take a look at some of the reasons why learning with
technology cannot be all that great. In a paper written by Ching-Ting, Hsin, people who use or
possibly dont use technology as much can see that there are some negative effects that
technology can have on young children trying to learn in a classroom setting. The first point that
gets bought up in Ching-Tings paper is information from several research studies that have been
done during the past 9 years. This information shows us that children who practice reading and
comprehension with a computer often times have a harder time actually reading in the classroom.
It was found that children with low reading achievement levels, would greatly benefit from help
in the classroom, and from computer help. The face to face contact with the teacher and the
student would help the connection, and help raise the students reading level. Another correlation
that was found, was that of the amount of time in which the child would spend on the
technological device in order to help them learn more. The more time spent on the computer by
the child, had a negative effect when they tried to sit down and learn inside a classroom setting.
(Ching-Ting, Hsin 8-10)

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Through different means of new and improved communication, livestock owners,
farmers, and business people are able to get in contact with each other, and get important
information for their field of work. One of the places that have been fortunate enough to receive
phones for working purposes have been in Ethiopia. Since they were able to receive mobile
phones to help with their jobs, things have been going a lot better for them when it comes to how
and what is going on with their jobs. The traders in Ethiopia have especially found good use of
the phone by being able to contact other traders and livestock farmers. The phones are also able
to help them look up the up-coming weather so they can plan accordingly, and see what the
market conditions are like that day. With these people being able to have access to this kind of
technology is able to help better their lives, and make their jobs go a little smoother at times.
Technology can be so incredibly helpful and insightful at times, but there is also a
dangerous side to technology as well. It seems to be the new thing to have the latest gadget, or
new type of phone out there. When new things come out our sights are set on the fact that we
have to have one no matter the cost. Then when we finally have the new gadget or phone, those
things then seem to be the only thing we spend our time focusing on. Today everyone you see
tends to be looking down at their phone, too busy to be paying attention to what is going on
around them. In an article written by M. Jagadesh Kumar, he states Faster evolution of
technology only adds to our feeling of inadequacy, since we are constantly in a race to catch up
and possess the new technological tools. He then goes on to explain how technology is such an
amazing advancement in our day, but too much of it can cause us to be too caught up in a virtual
world, instead of paying attention to the real world. Many times it often seems like teenagers and
even some adults have trouble carrying on a conversation face to face with someone, because
they are so used to just typing out a message on their phone and sending it to the other person.

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We have become so accustomed to not having to face people when we talk to them, that when it
comes time to actually have to talk to someone, with it not being through your phone, people
tend to not be able to do it well. (Kumar 1-2)
In different medical fields, it is often times very difficult to calculate or perform a variety
of tasks. There are many tasks that are involved with being a nurse, doctor, or a pharmacist, such
as helping patients, preforming surgeries, and scheduling appointments, and often times it would
be easier and help the people in their fields of study if they had something to help them out with.
Recently a classroom of nursing students were able to have the opportunity to use Google Glass
to help video their actions and tasks, so it could be seen if they were doing the calculations of the
patients medications correctly. After their teacher viewed the videos he was able to see, what
exactly the mistakes being made were and how he could help the students fix their mistakes and
become better. (Schneidereith, 1-2) Another interesting item of technology that has been helpful
to some pharmacy students has been the IPad. The students were able to use them to help figure
medications out, and it was also a nice plus as well because they were able to save a bit of money
on all the paper that would have been used for all the prescriptions. (Di Vall 2-4)
Another way that Google Glass is helping doctors and nurses is through the means of
image capturing to help the process of wound care management. When a patient has to come into
the hospital with a wound that needs to be taken care of, extensive measures have to be taken to
determine the severity of the wound itself. With digital photography it has been able to make the
process go a little quicker, and easier but still poses the problem of having to wait so long for the
photos to transfer into the patients Electro Medical Records (EMRs). But now with the
development of the SnapCap system through Google Glass, this image processing can go much
faster. (Aldaz, Gabriel 1-4) The SnapCap allows for a hands-free digital image capture, and the

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tagging and transfer of the images straight to the patients EMR. The SnapCap system was put to
the test against a well-developed digital photography machine at the Stanford hospital. The final
results from the nurses at the hospital concluded that they much rather preferred using the
SnapCap to capture the images they needed. With the SnapCap the nurses were able to more
easily take the photos by just simply double blinking. Through this study, they also found that the
images captured were comparable to those taken by the digital photography machine they had
previously been using. From this study we are able to clearly see how different advancements in
technology have led to remarkable devices that can be used in the medical fields. (Aldaz, Gabriel
5-8)
In 2011, there was a study conducted at the Leeds University School of Medicine. The
study was to see if letting/providing the students with personal digital assistants (PDAs), to help
them study for their work based placement tests would actually improve their scores or worsen
them. After the evaluation was completed, the students reported back, stating that the personal
assistants were very helpful/useful when it came to studying. Through this study, it was also
found that there was an abundant amount of good feedback given from the digital assistants, to
the students. This resulted in the students improving their scores, and scoring higher on these
placement exams. (Coulby, Ceridwen 1-2) This university has found that letting their students
learn and study through mobile technology, has helped them increase their knowledge of
information being taught to them and helped them increase their test scores. One benefit they see
through mobile technology learning is that, the technology allows tutors to review students
progress remotely, and for students to receive an increased amount of feedback on a more
frequent basis. (Coulby, Ceridwen pg.3) Although this method has been working well at the
Leeds University, they have said that it may not be the answer for every student and university

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out there. Even though this generation of adults and teenagers have grown up surrounded by
technology, not all of them may necessarily learn better, or improve their test scores while using
it. Through more studies and research, the university feels that they may expand on this
conclusion. Overall, letting students use technology in a school based setting to help them study,
has shown positive effects on what their test score look like.
As presented earlier in this essay, there are several positive outcomes of letting students
and teachers use technology in a classroom setting. Although, there can also be many great and
positive outcomes from having a technology free learning environment within a classroom
setting. A few years ago in Taipei City, Taiwan, a government assisted program was set up to
provide the elementary schools in the area with wireless learning environments. Along with this,
they also set up case studies to see how the teachers and the students would respond to not
having any form of technology in the classrooms. (Tzu Chien, Liu 1-5) In the first part of the
study, the teachers went on about their day, teaching the students with no form of technology
present, only the textbooks and the whiteboards in the rooms. In the second part of the study, the
students were presented with computers in the classroom along with the teachers. After both
studies were completed through a series of 12 weeks, it was recorded and found that the students
and teachers preferred not having any computers or form of technology in the classrooms. The
teachers explained that the lessons took much longer to go through and explain to the students
when the information had to be presented on the computers. Whereas, with just the textbooks and
whiteboards, the lessons could be more hands on and the teacher could interact better with the
students to help them learn the material. With no technology present the lessons were able to go
by much faster, giving the teacher more time to be able to help the students with any questions
they might have about the material that was just taught to them. (Tzu Chien, Liu 6-9) So even

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though the use of technology in classrooms can be really helpful at times, it is just as effective to
strip away the technology and have a more interactive way of teaching students.
Technology is able to be extremely helpful, and useful in our everyday lives. With the use
of technology students and teachers are able to communicate and learning better in a classroom
setting. People around the world are able to work with each other, and figure of business plans
and ideas without even having to leave their homes. Medical fields are also able to enhance their
ways of preforming in their jobs, by being able to have some use of technology with them.
There are however some aspects of technology that dont seems to be too helpful in our lives
either. Studies have been done and show that in some countries, students and teachers found that
they were able to learn better and interact with each other more when there were no forms of
technology present in the classrooms. It has also been found that individuals of all ages seems to
become addicted to technology, to the point of them not being able to carry on a face to face
conversation with someone because they arent able to just type it out on their phone and send it.
With so many new gadgets coming out every year, people feel the need to have the latest
technology based item. It almost becomes a form of a game to see who can get the new items
faster, and then this can define people because they may or may not have the funds to constantly
be purchasing a new technological device a couple times a year. With people not being able to
put down their phones, or whatever it they may be using, it conflicts with human interaction, and
spending real quality time with friends and loved ones. People use go overboard with their use of
technology dont seem to realize the negative effects its having on themselves, and everyone
that is around them. Nevertheless, technology is something that nearly everyone in the world
uses on a daily basis, for some sort of helpful, or insightful means. Whether technology is
something that the world as whole enjoys or not, it will continue to grow.

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Works Cited
1. Aldaz, Gabriel, et al. "Hands-Free Image Capture, Data Tagging And Transfer Using
Google Glass: A Pilot Study For Improved Wound Care Management." Plos ONE
10.4 (2015): 1-21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
2. Ching-Ting, Hsin, Li Ming-Chaun, and Tsai Chin-Chung. "The Influence Of Young
Children's Use Of Technology On Their Learning: A Review." Journal Of
Educational Technology & Society 17.4 (2014): 85-99. Academic Search Premier.
Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
3.
Coulby, Ceridwen, et al. "The Use Of Mobile Technology For Work-Based
Assessment:

The

Student Experience." British Journal Of

Educational Technology 42.2 (2011): 251-265. Academic Search Premier. Web. 10

Mar. 2016.
4. Debsu, Dejene Negassa, et al. "Mobile Phones For Mobile People: The Role Of
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And Communication Technology (ICT) Among Livestock Traders

And Borana Pastoralists Of Southern Ethiopia." Nomadic Peoples 20.1 (2016): 35-61.
Academic Search Premier. Web. 10 Mar. 2016.
5. DiVall, Margarita V., and David P. Zgarrick. "Perceptions And Use Of Ipad
Technology

ByPharmacy Practice Faculty Members." American Journal Of

Pharmaceutical Education 78.3 (2014): 1-7. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Mar.
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6. Jagadesh Kumar, M. "The Malady Of Technology In Our Lives: Is Anyone
Listening?."

IETE Technical Review (Medknow Publications & Media Pvt.

Ltd.) 30.1 (2013): 3-5. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.
7. Schneidereith, Tonya. "Seeing Through Google Glass: Using An Innovative
Technology

To

Improve Medication Safety Behaviors In Undergraduate

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Nursing Students." Nursing Education Perspectives 36.5 (2015): 337-339. Academic
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8. Shapley, Kelly, et al. "Effects Of Technology Immersion On Middle School Students'
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Opportunities And Achievement." Journal Of Educational

Research 104.5 (2011): 299-315. Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Mar. 2016
9. Tzu Chien, Liu. "Teaching In A Wireless Learning Environment: A Case Study."
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Of Educational Technology & Society 10.1 (2007): 107-123.

Academic Search Premier. Web. 9 Mar. 2016.

10. Zauchner, Sabine, et al. "Gender-Related Effects Of Information Technology
Implementation." Gender, Work & Organization 7.2 (2000): 119-132. Academic
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