Alyssa Carbone

Essay Exam

Part one:

Over the years, technology has progressed in our society. Since technology keeps

growing, it makes its way into the classroom in many different ways. Teachers can use

technology for teaching lessons, creating assignments, or even to help them organize things in

their classroom. Technology in the classroom has many advantages and disadvantages in

schools.

With technology in the classroom, some teachers may argue that there are a lot of

advantages to this. One of the advantages is that technology creates active

participation/engagement among students. With technology, teachers can create and present

information that is exciting and relevant. When the content is relevant to students, they are more

interested and likely to engage (Liane Wardlow, 2016). In my field placement, the students

would be so excited to play Kahoot. Everyone would work together to answer questions and

were engaged the entire time.

Another advantage is that it will prepare children for when they use technology for the

future. In my field placement, all of the students knew how to work a laptop on their own. This is

important, because most people will use a computer on a daily basis throughout their lives. The

future work force will require “critical thinking, creativity, problem solving, collaboration, and

tech savviness” and using technology can help develop and use these skills (Kathy Deady, 2017).

Another advantage to using technology in the classroom is that it helps students

collaborate with other students. Students learn best when they work with other people and ask

questions to figure out solutions. This method promotes learning lessons with the help from
others. Also, technology makes it possible for students to collaborate outside of the classroom.

Without it, students would have to use class time to collaborate. Which helps provide more time

for in-class activities (Jessica Sanders, 2016).

There are disadvantages to using technology in the classroom. One disadvantage is that

students can be distracted. Some people claim that students are not given work that is

challenging enough, so they move to social media and other exciting websites (Mary Beth Hertz,

2017). Especially now in college, I find it very hard to concentrate if someone else in front of me

is distracted on their laptop. Many students at the elementary level get distracted by websites

with games.

Another disadvantage is that students can cheat on their assignments. It is easy for

students to type a question into a search engine and find the answer instead of learning and

finding the information themselves. Cheating has always been a problem but technology makes it

so much easier. Students can take notes on their devices and peak at it really quick, text their

friends for answers, or take photos of exams to send to friends (Tim Walker, 2017). Students

aren’t learning anything when they do these things.

Another disadvantage is that students don’t have equal technology access at home. This is

unfair, because some students lack the resources that other students have. This can cause for

these students to not know as much information as the students that can have many platforms to

find information. Students that don’t have an internet resource inevitably falls behind. This used

to be necessary for strictly research purposes, but now many assignments can only be completed

online (Terrance F. Ross, 2015). 543 words

 References

Deady Kathy (May 29, 2017). Preparing students for a digital future: How teachers can
bring digital literacy into the classroom. Retrieved from:
https://www.teachaway.com/blog/preparing-students-digital-future-how-teachers-
can-bring-digital-literacy-into

Hertz, Mary. Beth (July 25, 2017).Digital Tools and Distraction in School. Retrieved
from: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-tools-distraction-in-school-mary-beth-
hertz

Ross, Terrance F. (March 13, 2015). When Students Can’t Go Online. Retrieved from:
https://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/03/the-schools-where-kids-
cant-go-online/387589/

Sanders, Jessica (June 3, 2016). Why Student Collaboration is More Effective with
Tech. Retrieved from: https://www.eduspire.org/technology-blog-for-teachers/why-
student-collaboration-is-more-effective-with-tech/

Walker, Tim (September 15, 2017). Technology Makes it Easier, But What Do We Really
Know About Why Students Cheat? Retrieved from:
http://neatoday.org/2017/09/15/why-students-cheat/

Wardlow, Liane (August 8, 2016). How technology can boost student

engagement. Pearson. Retrieved from: https://www.pearsoned.com/technology-can-
boost-student-engagement/
Part two:

Every student uses technology in some shape or form in the classroom. Some people

believe that this is a bad idea to expose children to technology, but this is beneficial to them for

the rest of their lives. How does technology in the classroom prepare children for the future?

Technology in the classroom prepares students for the future, because it promotes

collaboration. This is important, because children learn topics and concepts better when they ask

questions. Collaboration helps students communicate, which is a useful skill because they will

have to communicate with peers and coworkers in college and at work. Collaboration with

technology works, because the initial lesson is taught by a teacher, then other students can teach

the lesson through their own internal process. The students can practice and discuss strategies

together (Sarah Jackson, 2013).

Another way technology in the classroom prepares students for the future is by giving

students responsibility. When students receive their own electronics that are school owned, they

have to take care of them. This will help them in the future by giving them a sense of taking care

of things and not damaging them. Taking care of technology will be seen as a privilege to the

students (Christopher McGilvery, 2012). These students will one day have to take care of

electronics on their own, and this will help them prepare for that.

Having technology in the classroom will make it easier for students to adapt. Technology

is always changing and students being around it, will help them adapt to change and learn how to

handle new technology. The more they are around technology, the more information they will

know about technology and adapt whenever they are around new technology. During these

student’s lives, they will experience changes in their world, because of this, young people need

to be adaptable (Andrew Martin, 2013).

 Another way technology in the classroom prepares students for the future is by

incorporating different learning styles. Everyone learns best one way over another. Some people

learn best by reading, some learn best by taking notes, some people learn best by hearing

someone talk. Using technology in the classroom opens one of those doors to show students that

they might learn best with technology. If someone learns best with technology, they can use

technology throughout their life to learn material they need to know. These people fall under the

category of visual learners. They learn best by reading directions or seeing a demonstration

(Emma, 2018). 413 words

 References

Emma. (January 16, 2018). How to Use Technology for Different Learning Styles.
Retrieved from: https://learnsafe.com/how-to-use-technology-for-different-learning-
styles/

Jackson, Sarah (December 16, 2013). How Technology Can Encourage Student
Collaboration. Retrieved from: https://www.commonsense.org/education/blog/how-
technology-can-encourage-student-collaboration

Martin, Andrew (November 1o, 2013). Coping with change: teaching adaptability will
help kids grow. Retrieved from: http://theconversation.com/coping-with-change-
teaching-adaptability-will-help-kids-grow-19726

McGilvery, Christopher (2012). Promoting Responsible and Ethical Digital Citizens.

Retrieved from: https://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/responsible-student-
technology-use.shtml