The Disadvantages of Technology in Classroom

Kendall Olsen has been writing for more than 20 years She is a University of Missouri-St. Louis Gateway Writing Project Fellow and has published instructional materials with the McDonald Publishing Company. Olsen holds an Ed.S. in educational technology, an M.Ed. in secondary English curriculum and instruction, a B.S. in elementary education and a B.A. in art history. By Kendall Olsen, eHow Contributor
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The Disadvantages of Technology in Classroom

While many education experts tout the advantages of incorporating technology into the school curriculum and the classroom, technology can sometimes hinder learning and the educational process. Because schools occasionally purchase technology before their systems and educators are adequately equipped for and trained to use it effectively, technology sometimes goes unused or actually prevents student learning. Becoming aware of some of the disadvantages in utilizing technology in the classrooms can allow schools to better prepare for the widespread use of computers and devices by their student and teacher populations.

1. Lack of Support
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While technology can be a great addition to the classroom, it also can be a source of frustration for both the teacher and the student. Unless the teacher is well trained in technology and can support the hardware in the classroom, a technology expert will be needed to troubleshoot problems. If schools cannot support the purchased technology, it essentially renders it useless in times of crisis or disrepair. Additionally, technology often needs frequent maintenance to keep it in good condition for use.

Inadequate Teaching Methodology

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Technology does not have a place in classrooms where teachers have not been adequately trained in its implementation. While technology is fun and can add interest for students, it is not fully integrated until students are learning from technology and not just with technology. In other words, using a program to achieve a learning goal is a positive thing; however, transcending the passive use of technology and moving into active use is a skill that takes a lot of time and training. Teaching theory behind technology education is called constructivism; teacher preparation programs or courses in educational technology teach the concepts of inquiry-based learning. In

inquiry-based classrooms or lessons, students are encouraged to research topics under their own guidance and direction with teachers acting as facilitators. This type of thinking and teaching can take years to achieve, and it often requires great expense in terms of both money and time. To use technology most effectively, extensive professional development is required for the classroom teacher.

Time Lost
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Because connection problems, downloading issues, policing software and other difficulties can cause road blocks when implementing a lesson in the technology based classroom, teachers sometimes shy away from using it simply because of lack of time. With all of the demands on students, the amount of time spent in the classroom is more and more valuable. To lose 10 minutes a day or class period because of connectivity issues is not feasible, and it's one important reason why technology integration often fails in schools.

Upkeep and Maintenance Expenses

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Once technology is purchased for a school, the cost of upkeep and maintenance can be too great for the building to maintain. Outdated software and hardware components can be incompatible with available programs. Also, the cost of repairing broken equipment may be too expensive for school budgets. In order for a school to successfully implement technology, there must be a rolling replacement or updating plan in place to keep technology current and useful.

Incompatibility Issues
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Many schools today have curricula and programs based on state or national assessments. The majority of these tests and measures are paper-and-pencil based in order to make them accessible for all students and schools. Because learning with technology involves typing input into a computer, there is a disconnect between the assessments that determine government funding and the use of technology in the classroom. To adequately prepare for these tests, students need practice with authentic assessments most closely imitating those of the standardized test

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The world is constantly changing and ways in which we function at home, work and school are also changing. The speed at which technology has developed plays a major role in these changes. From e-mail to on-line classes, computers are definitely influential in our lives, and can enhance the learning process in schools in various ways. With the increasing popularity of computer technology, it is essential for administrators to support and encourage computer technology in our education systems. Computers are important in education because they force us to reconsider how people learn, how they are empowered, and what the nature of learning and useful information is. We cannot avoid the presence of computers in our schools because they are forcing educators to re-evaluate the very nature of what and how we teach. In 1998, the Office of Technology Assessment reported there were approximately 5.8 million computers in schools across United State s or approximately one machine for every nine students (Provenzo, Brett, & McCloskey, 1999). An advantage of having computer-assisted instruction in the classroom is that the computer can serve as a tutor. Teachers can only aid students in the learning process so far. Computers can assist teachers and act as a tutor for the students who are falling behind. A report entitled Computer Advantages: Tutoring Individuals, states 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 (Bennett, 1999, p. 3). Teachers do not have the time to repeat lessons over and over again. The writer believes it is important to give all students in the classroom the opportunity to adequately learn the lessons, and with computers acting as tutors they can. One of the biggest problems in the world today is illiteracy. Each year thousands of students graduate from high school reading at the elementary school level, or not reading at all. Every student should have the opportunity to receive additional assistance when they need it. Teachers are doing the best they can with literacy issues in the classroom, and computers can reach the students that the teachers cannot. The article entitled Computers as Tutors discusses Annaben Thomas (Bennett, 1999) who was unable to read despite her years in the New York City school system. After leaving school, she was taught by tutors and had enrolled in library literacy programs and adult education classes trying to overcome her handicap. After doing everything she still had not learned to read, until she enrolled in a computer course program that taught her to read and write. Because of success stories like this it is crucial to support the use of computer technology in the classroom. Although the advantages of having computer technology in classrooms outweigh the disadvantages, the writer can respect the concerns of the people who are against computer technology in the classroom. Many people argue the computer does all the work for the students, not allowing them the opportunity to digest what they have learned. Boyle (1998) argues that information technology may actually be making us stupid. (p. 618). He argues that the computer takes more of the thinking process out of students. Many people who grew up in the pre-computer age worry that the use of computers will take the emotion and heart out of the classroom. Wehrle (1998) states the pre-computer age generation envisions designing computer technologies that still take into account the emotional needs of the students (p.5). Their main argument against computers in the classroom is that teachers need to take into account the importance of student emotions. They do not want the quick evolution of computer technology to interfere with the student s need for human support that they receive from the teacher-based instruction. The implications of having computer technology in the schools are the belief that the computer will solve many of the problems that teachers cannot. These include helping students raise the standardized test scores, actually teaching students the basics such as reading and mathematics, and implying that the teachers have the skills and abilities needed to accurately aid students with their computer usage. Education serves as a window through which our imagination and curiosity can take flight into the unknown and enhance our creativity, and the use of computer technology in education plays an enormous role in helping students to achieve their full development potential. Given the role that education plays in preparing students to go into the world, it seems clear that there should be a connection between the world and the classroom. Unless education reflects the world in which it exists, it has no relevance for the students. In conclusion, the advantages discussed concerning computer technology in the classroom outweigh the disadvantages. Computer technology is a positive supplement to bridge the gap between education and the technological world in which we live. Computer-assisted technologies in schools offer students greater access to information, an eager motivation to learn, a jump-start on marketable job skills and an enhanced quality of class work.

El mundo est cambiando constantemente y las formas en que nos movemos en el hogar, el trabajo y la escuela tambin estn cambiando. La velocidad a la que ha desarrollado la tecnologa juega un papel importante en estos cambios. De email a clases en lnea, las computadoras son sin duda influencia en nuestras vidas, y puede mejorar el proceso de aprendizaje en las escuelas de varias maneras. Con la creciente popularidad de la tecnologa informtica, es esencial para los administradores de apoyar y alentar a la tecnologa informtica en nuestros sistemas educativos. Las computadoras son importantes en la educacin, ya que nos obligan a reconsiderar cmo aprende la gente, la forma en que tienen el poder, y cul es la naturaleza del aprendizaje y la informacin til. No podemos evitar la presencia de computadoras en nuestras escuelas, ya que estn obligando a los educadores para volver a evaluar la naturaleza misma de qu y cmo ensear. En 1998, la Oficina de Evaluacin Tecnolgica inform que haba aproximadamente 5,8 millones de computadoras en las escuelas de Estado Unidos, o aproximadamente una mquina por cada nueve estudiantes (Provenzo, Brett, y McCloskey, 1999). Una de las ventajas de contar con enseanza asistida por computadora en el aula es que el ordenador puede servir como un tutor. Los profesores slo pueden ayudar a los estudiantes en el proceso de aprendizaje hasta ahora. Las computadoras pueden ayudar a los maestros y actuar como un tutor para los estudiantes que se estn quedando atrs. En un informe titulado Ventajas Equipo: Tutora Las personas, afirma que "con los ordenadores como tutores, ningn estudiante se sentir abrumado porque l o ella no se encuentra los fundamentos de la informtica se repetir hasta que el material de cada leccin se ha aprendido lo suficiente" (Bennett, 1999, p. 3) . Los maestros no tienen el tiempo para repetir las lecciones una y otra vez. El escritor cree que es importante dar a todos los estudiantes en el aula la oportunidad de aprender adecuadamente las lecciones, y con los equipos que actan como tutores que pueden. Uno de los mayores problemas en el mundo de hoy es el analfabetismo. Cada ao miles de estudiantes de posgrado de la lectura de la escuela secundaria en la escuela primaria, o que no leen en absoluto. Cada estudiante debera tener la oportunidad de recibir asistencia adicional cuando la necesitan. Los maestros estn haciendo lo mejor que puede con los problemas de alfabetizacin en el aula, y los ordenadores pueden llegar a los estudiantes que los profesores no pueden hacerlo. El artculo titulado "La informtica como tutores", explica Thomas Annaben (Bennett, 1999), que fue incapaz de leer a pesar de sus aos en el sistema escolar de Nueva York. Despus de salir de la escuela, fue impartido por los tutores y se haban inscrito en los programas de alfabetizacin de la biblioteca y las clases de educacin de adultos tratando de superar su discapacidad. Despus de hacer todo lo que ella todava no haba aprendido a leer, hasta que se inscribi en un programa de cursos de informtica que le ense a leer y escribir. Debido a que las historias de xito como este es fundamental para apoyar el uso de la tecnologa informtica en el aula. A pesar de las ventajas de contar con la tecnologa informtica en las aulas superan a las desventajas, el escritor puede respetar los intereses de las personas que estn en contra de la tecnologa informtica en el aula. Muchas personas argumentan que la computadora hace todo el trabajo para los estudiantes, no les permite la oportunidad de digerir lo que han aprendido. Boyle (1998) sostiene que la tecnologa de la informacin "puede ser en realidad nos hace estpidos." (P. 618). Sostiene que el equipo necesita ms del proceso de pensamiento de los estudiantes. Muchas personas que crecieron en la era pre-informtica les preocupa que el uso de las computadoras se la emocin y el corazn fuera del aula. Wehrle (1998) afirma que "la generacin de edad pre-equipo prev el diseo de las tecnologas informticas que an tienen en cuenta las necesidades emocionales de los estudiantes" (p.5). Su principal argumento en contra de los ordenadores en el aula es que los profesores tienen que tener en cuenta la importancia de las emociones del estudiante. Ellos no quieren que la rpida evolucin de la tecnologa informtica para interferir con la necesidad del estudiante para el apoyo humano que reciben de la instruccin del maestro basado en. Las implicaciones de tener la tecnologa informtica en las escuelas son la creencia de que el equipo va a resolver muchos de los problemas que los profesores no pueden. Esto incluye ayudar a los estudiantes subir las puntuaciones de las pruebas estandarizadas, en realidad los alumnos una introduccin, como la lectura y las matemticas, y lo que implica que los profesores tengan las habilidades y capacidades necesarias para ayudar a los estudiantes con exactitud su uso de la computadora. La educacin sirve como una ventana por la que nuestra imaginacin y la curiosidad puede tomar el vuelo hacia lo desconocido y aumentar nuestra creatividad, y el uso de la tecnologa informtica en la educacin juega un papel muy importante en ayudar a los estudiantes a alcanzar su potencial de desarrollo. Dado el papel que desempea la educacin en la preparacin de los estudiantes para entrar en el mundo, parece claro que debe haber una conexin entre el mundo y en el aula. A menos que la educacin refleja el mundo en el que existe, no tiene relevancia para los estudiantes. En conclusin, las ventajas discutido sobre la tecnologa informtica en el aula para compensar las desventajas. La tecnologa informtica es un complemento positivo para reducir la brecha entre la educacin y el mundo tecnolgico en que vivimos. Asistida por ordenador tecnologas en las escuelas ofrecen a los estudiantes un mayor acceso a la informacin, una motivacin ganas de aprender, un salto de inicio en habilidades de trabajo comercial y una mejor calidad de trabajo de la clase.