Technology holds great promise for transforming our education system. A few benefits of technology are as follows:
- Instruction can be differentiated more readily; tailoring lessons to students’ academic needs and interests (Cuban, 2012).
- Students can quickly access and compare facts and opinions using a variety of media and resources to suit their learning style.
- While attending to multiple modes of communication during learning and building understanding students develop transliteracy skills (Thomas, 2007).
- Students can collaborate with other students in the classroom or around the world to use various types of media to create knowledge.
- Learning is more flexible, students can learn at their own pace and at varied times and in locations outside the school or on vacation around the world.
Technology use by students without training and guidance also poses several challenges:
- students who are strictly web readers are persistently weak at judging whether information is trustworthy which greatly impedes the development of critical thinking skills (Rich, 2008).
- the face-to-face setting classroom setting guided by a teacher is more conducive to to teaching social skills, morals and ethics; an important and historical purpose of tax-supported schools in a democracy (Cuban, 2012).
- hand-held devices isolate some users from face-to-face human interaction, put more distance between people (Turkle, 2012).
- technology may “connect”people but it leaves some users uncomfortable to be alone with their own thoughts, reducing opportunity for reflecting upon ideas necessary for learning or to change oneself and creating more loneliness among people. (Turkle, 2012).
- there is an ongoing cost for families and schools to maintain internet service and to continually update technology. This may create inequalities that impede learning.
Parents and teachers need to appropriately model, guide and monitor student use of technology starting at an early age. As role-models and guides we must carefully leverage the benefits of technology for learning while providing a balanced approach to learning and living. Kids must learn to appreciate being away from screens and enjoying activities such as: being outdoors appreciating the natural world, developing friendships and enjoying a story told by a master story-teller.
Cuban, L.(2012). The technology mistake: Confusing access to information with being educated.Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-technnology mistake-confusing -access-to-information-with-becoming-educated/2012/06/17/gJQAt8PFkV_blog.html
Rich, M.(2008). Liteacy debate: R U really reading?Retrieved fromhttp://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/books/27reading.html?r=2&ex=1217908800&en=b2960ae3b8cce1b2&ei=5070&emc=etal&oref=slogin&
Thomas, S., Joseph, C., Laccetti, J., Mason, B., Mills, S., Perril, S.,&Pullinger, K.(2007). Transliteracy: Crossing divides. First Monday, Vol.12(12). Retrieved fromhttp://www.uic.edu.htbin/cgiwrap/bin/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/2060/1908
Turkle, S. (2012). The Flight From Conversation. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/22/opinion/sunday/the-flight-from-conversation.html?r=0