Buiatti 1

Lucas Buiatti

Nathan Cole

English 1010-080

April 26, 2012

Issue Evaluation Final

Technology: A friend or foe?

Schools are spending billions on technology, even as they cut budgets and lay off teachers with

little evidence that it is actually improving basic learning (Richtel). Technology has affected every aspect

of our day to day lives, ranging from our transportation, to our work environment, and even how we

raise our children. With technology advancing and beginning to make an appearance in education the

question arises, is having technology in classrooms worth the time and money that is invested in it? It

seems like, at the moment, people jump on any new technology that is thrown their way. Further

analysis of technology, such as laptops and interactive screens, needs to take place before we continue

to spend billions of dollars on unnecessary equipment. In order to assess the pros and cons of

technology in classrooms we must study it through the eyes of the teachers, students, and the parents.

Currently technology plays a significant role in our education and although it is typically seen as

a good thing by the public, teachers have their own thoughts on whether or not it should be used in

education. Technology will always have its advantages and disadvantages, such as with online classes.

Jim Kinsella of Illinois Virtual High School says “Individualizing instruction, creating an engaging and

supportive online classroom, and learning how to communicate with students who aren't physically

present are among the challenges [of online teaching]” (Ash) . Developing a relationship you’re your
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students is something that is relatively hard to do when teaching online. I believe this problem stems

from lack of face to face communication. Instead of seeing students as students all they see is data and

online feedback on their computer screen.

Jim Kinsella also states that “An online facilitator or teacher needs to be prepared for

technological problems” and that “The hardest part about the transition to an online classroom was

getting used to allowing students to direct their own learning” (Ash). Technical problems have been and

always will be a problem with any technological equipment. If teachers are unprepared to deal with

malfunctions valuable teaching time could be wasted. It seems that when teachers get too dependent

on technology is when it becomes an issue. They have to acquire new skills and familiarize themselves

with a new equipment in order to make it best use of it.

Online classes have some down falls, but many schools have adopted the online education

movement. Schools realize that students may have other obligations to fulfill and that the flexibility of

online courses allows them to work around a busy schedule. Online classes also allow students living far

from school to take courses from the comfort of their home and avoid the commute. The analysis of

technology integration wouldn’t be complete without the perspective of the most important

participants, the students.

Students are among the most affected when it comes to integrating technology in education.

Many students feel that technology in education is a good thing. In a study done by Jennifer A. Alexiou-

Ray, Elizabeth K. Wilson, Vivian H. Wright, and Ann-Marie Peirano, students stated that “technology

integration in the classroom made learning more interesting.” The studies showed that many of the

students enjoyed using technology to learn because it strays away from the standard textbook

learning they habitually do. Teachers incorporated technologies such as smart boards, the internet, a

television/computer connector, digital cameras, and a class web site to their curriculum.
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It was also noted that “The majority of students indicated that they felt scared or worried

about the prospect of increased technology usage. However, many of these same students changed

their opinions after becoming acquainted with new classroom policies and procedures” (Alexiou-

Ray, Wilson, Wright, and Peirano). The students were nervous at first but once they were taught how

to use smart boards and validate web information they appreciated what technology had to offer.

In a different research paper written by Li Qing, he states that “When the Internet was used in

science classrooms, students appreciated the rich resources and the increased accessibility of

information provided by the Internet. Students also seem to think that it helps learning because it is

more interesting to use technology.” The underlying theme in both the studies is that technology

definitely makes learning more enjoyable. The youth of today have grown up surrounded by technology

so it makes sense that they appreciate the use of it in their education.

Teachers have their ups and downs with technology, students tend to enjoy it, but what do the

parents think of it? Most people believe that having the parents play an active role in the education of

their children is important. Technology facilitates the process for parents. Now that class web sites and

emails are extremely common it is easy for parents to become involved in the education of their

children. They are able to check grades, communicate with teachers via email, and even check the

current assignments their children are working on. Although studies show that “The majority of

responses dealing with email communication were positive, parents indicated drawbacks, such as,

lack of personal communication and the lag in email response time” (Alexiou-Ray, Wilson, Wright,

and Peirano).

Parents have really benefitted from the use of technology in education and are generally in

favor of it being used in classrooms. “Most parents also qualified their support of Internet use with

phrases such as “if used appropriately,” or “when used correctly.” Others were worried about the
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quality of information available on the web” (Alexiou-Ray, Wilson, Wright, and Peirano). From personal

experience I’ve determined that the quality of information on the web is and always will be a dilemma

when utilizing the internet. It is something that students have to deal with and has made finding valid

information on the web a difficult task.

As a student at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) I have been able to experience technology in

education first hand. I have been involved with online courses, class web sites, and online math labs. I

believe that technology in education is a wonderful tool and should definitely be supported by the

school districts as well as the public. Technology has allowed me to learn comfortable from my home,

this approach to education wasn’t even possibility a couple of years ago.

I participate in an online course at SLCC and it has been really beneficial for me. It saves me the

commute I would have to normally undergo. Instead of spending gas to drive all the way to my school I

have the option to just walk to my laptop and begin class whenever I want. The convenience of the

online course has eliminated conflict between school and work. I am allowed to learn the material

presented at my own pace and feel less stressed when doing courses online.

Another aspect of technology in education that has impacted my learning is the use of class

websites. The websites are very helpful when you have trouble understanding the concepts presented

to you in class. You can get on the class websites and there are a lot of helpful resources such as online

textbooks, study guides, even practice quizzes are available. Also if you happen to miss a day of lecture

the notes for that class are usually posted on the website for you to study. The down side to having class

websites is that students skip class too often and rely on the website to get them through the semester.

You need to keep in mind that class websites are tools that facilitate your learning, they aren’t meant to

teach you everything.

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I have always been a good math student, ever since high school. Throughout my years of

participating in math class I have become accustomed to doing my homework on paper and solving

problems from my math book. This year was the first year I was introduced to a different method of

learning math. Instead of doing my homework from the book, I did them online. I found it to be

extremely helpful. If you were ever stuck on a problem that you didn’t know how to do, there was a help

button that walked you through the steps. At times I would leave my math class completely disoriented

as to what we just learned then while doing the homework online it would all make sense. For me,

technology has wonderful applications in education and I hope to see more of it in the future.

There are many different perspectives to consider when evaluating the effectiveness of

technology in our education. Teachers, students, and parents all seem to have their own thoughts and

views on the topic. As the research continues, I believe you will find that the benefits of technology

outweigh the complications. It would be absurd of us to deny upcoming student an opportunity to

succeed. As we head into the future we can make the right choices in education by continuing to show

our support towards the integration of technology in school.

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Works Cited

Ash, Katie. "Teachers Make The Move To The Virtual World." Education Digest 76.5 (2011): 32-

34. Education Full Text (H.W. Wilson). Web. 20 Mar. 2012.

Jennifer A. Alexiou-Ray, Elizabeth K. Wilson, Vivian H. Wright, and Ann-Marie Peirano. "Changing

Instructional Practice: The Impact on Technology Integration on Students, Parents, and School

Personnel." Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education, Vol. 2, No. 2

(n.d.). Web. 18 Mar. 2012

Qing, Li. "Student And Teacher Views About Technology: A Tale Of Two Cities?." Journal Of Research

On Technology In Education39.4 (2007): 377-397. Academic Search Premier. Web. 22 Mar.

2012.

Richtel, Matt. "In Classroom of Future, Stagnant Scores." New York Times, 3 Sept. 2011. Web. 27 April

2012.