When a 11 MacBook Air was handed to me in 6th grade, everything felt indigenous at that time. Schools have been implementing technology within our education for the past several years. Little did I know, this laptop was only the beginning of several hours of confusion and issues about to be bestowed upon myself and my classmates. Schools will continue to assimilate technology in our classrooms to advance our education. However, hours of struggling with technology was soon to take over our lives, our classrooms, and our home environments.
In today’s education system, technology is negatively impacting administrators, students within the classroom, and families outside of school.
The implementation of technology in the education system has negatively affected administrators, students, and families. Technology in education is constantly prospering, yet it also is setting teachers back with their lesson plans. Benjamin Herold, staff writer for Education Week, proclaims, “But a significant body of research has also made clear that most teachers have been slow to transform the ways they teach, despite the influx of new technology into their classroom”.
With teachers getting lessons out slower, it causes students to fall behind in classes. Studies show technology is supposed to quicken research and classes, yet there’s not enough teacher’s trained properly to teach efficiently with new technology.
Throughout the schools, the administrators are trying to comprise better ways to go about the technology in education systems. According to Herold, “The most significant problem for schools trying to go 1-to-1, though, has been a lack of education vision”.
Not enough administrators have been willing to train and understand how technology could advance their class knowledge. Teachers often turn to students to teach them how to use the technology in result of new class standards.
Since each student learns differently than the student next to them, it causes difficulty when the implementation of technology is applied in classrooms. Julia Klaus, editor and writer, emphasizes, “Many students learn best by physically and mentally interacting with what they are studying. Computers cannot substitute for hands on experience with art supplies, science equipment, or musical instruments.” As a student, working hands-on with projects rather than using technology, has been shown to improve academic scores. Technology is often believed to be a distraction; blocking students from being able to pay attention to the objectives.
Teachers are also expected to have lesson plans planned out prior to the scheduled class. Klaus believes, “When the teacher and students are not experienced with technology in the classroom, valuable time is often wasted on technical troubles.” Whenever there is trouble with devices, administrators or students have to take up to several minutes to figure out and fix whatever the issue is. This causes students to miss valuable class time in which they have to make up at a separate time.
Not only does technology cause an issue within schools, but it also inflicts fracas within the home. Technology, such as laptops and tablets, often require Wi-Fi, which is not always easily accessible. Matthew Lynch, author of The Edvocate Podcast, elucidates, “One example of this challenge is playing out in Madison, Wisconsin. A Tableau Survey of over 27,000 students found that around 12 percent of students in the Madison Metropolis District do not have access to the internet.”
Wi-Fi is not cheap to receive in every household and it is not always easy to drive to a place where it is accessible. Not only is it not cheap, but the schools aren’t helping pay for Wi-Fi; the parents are required to provide children with Wi-Fi. Technology is also causing medical effects on our mind and bodies. Waqar Q1 Hassan, author of Mena Entrepreneur, enlightens, “Looking down at a cell phone or constantly looking at a computer screen can lead to headaches and even back pain in some cases.” Due to medical issues, it puts a strain on families by not being able to afford medical bills and time put into hospital stays or visits. Several people will begin to suffer from medical effects, while technology is only advancing the schools unknowing of negative consequences.
Overall, today’s education system is becoming corrupt in result of assimilating standards involving technology. Even though the issues seem to be inconspicuous to the people outside of the school system, administrators, students, and family are being negatively affected by the application of technology within the education system. Ultimately, technology is continuing to advance; which, will either cause us to prosper or diminish depending on dedication to adapt to life-long changes.
The Negative Effects of Technology Use in Education. (2023, Mar 16). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/the-negative-effects-of-technology-use-in-education/