How does technology affect our society? In “Technology use and learning characteristics of students in higher education: Do generational differences exist?” Kwok-Wing Lai and Kian-Sam Hong discuss the impact of technology and how it continues to grow and thrive in our society; however, it constructs a complicated part of young people’s lives that the current generation of students has a different approach of thinking and learning from their predecessors. For example, Lai states “In 2009, 8-18 year olds spend an average of four and a half hours daily utilizing technology digital technologies out of school” (Lai 725). Lai argues technology experiences will definitely affect the approach an educator communicates, socializes, and learns. Since Lai utilizes credible evidence, his argument is credible. Furthermore, he was able to successfully ignite his readers. Technology can produce both a negative and positive impact the way a student learns; however, if technology is excluded in higher education, it can become a negative impact on student success.
Although Technology can be a negative impact, technology use among adult literacy students have positive outcomes. For example, in Karen L. Milhelm’s article “Influence of Technology on Informal Learning”, Milhelm states “The Computer, Internet, and other forms of
Martin 2 technology are shaping literacy activities beyond what is learned in the classroom”… “Literacy programs have already taken steps to utilize technology tools in a
Throughout this course, a new perspective has provided us with the opportunity to take a look at many of the different ways in which the digital world has become one of the most dominant viewpoints of today’s generation, and how technology has taken over and welcomed itself into many aspects of our lives. This course paper will take a look at one topic of interest in particular, which in hopes will shed some light on a heavily discussed topic in the education world: does technology help or hinder the student. This paper will look to prove the point and discover more about the way in which technology has been incorporated into the classroom, both in an elementary context as well as a post-secondary context, and the effects that it has had on the student, the teacher, and the overall academic development that accompanies it.
Technology has many attributes and applications that improve livelihoods. As a student myself, one of the most obvious advancements is in the field of education. Educational technology has slowly been integrated into classrooms over the last decade. Today, the basis of technology, digital literacy, is a crucial skill for academics. “Students who are digitally literate know how to effectively use technology to collaborate, create original content, and conduct in-depth research for academic purposes” (Dotterer, “Fostering Digital Citizenship In The Classroom”). Some worry that the use of technology will encourage people to “cease to exercise their memory and become forgetful” (qtd. In Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”).
Media culture and technologies influence on curriculum in the classroom over the last 20 years has been astronomical. The increase in the use of multimedia and technology in our everyday lives has become a major influencer on the way students and teachers navigate within their classrooms. This has created a sense of urgency to incorporate this new tech culture into the classroom. With so many advancements and ideas for the facilitation of technology in the classroom, there are a number of seemingly outlying factors that contribute to technologies successful incorporation and use. When technology is seen as a valuable collaborative tool in the eyes of the students and educators it can aid in student learning, understanding, and lesson facilitation. When technology is not seen as a valuable collaborative tool its implementation and use is stagnant. The perception and attitudes of teachers play a major role in the success or failure of the introduction and implementation of technology in classroom.
Whilst investigating my literacy topic on placement I decided to not only interview my mentor teacher but also interview two students to gain their perspective on the use of technology. I believed their point of you view was valuable to my findings and wanted to discover firsthand if students are enjoying and finding the use of technology helpful in their literacy classes. Whilst assisting on placement I approached two children and interviewed them at different times, the two children in particular were very forward and honest when sharing their opinions with me. From their opinions they expressed in the short interview (refer to Appendix 1) it is evident the two students would rather read an eBook than a book and find it exciting and fun, this would cause more engagement and focus on the text. The two students also mentioned that pictures in the eBook are animated and this helps make sense of the story. It is clear that an interactive reading experience, acquires students with a greater comprehension of a text (Hutchison, Beschorner and Schmidt-Crawford 2012). These findings support my research question relating to the importance of learning literacy with the assistance of technology. Another artefact to support this matter (refer to Appendix 2) is a task students completed, which involved them writing up a draft of a poem and later they were to type up the final copy. A number of students were completing their draft on a laptop, I asked the teacher why they were not
New literacies change the teaching of reading in many ways. Reading is no longer considered a process where students sit and read, analyze or discuss information only from books, printed articles or newspaper. As new technology shape literacies, children are now required to be exposed to so much more. Today, new literacy calls for teachers to teach literacy instruction through the use of technologies in order to enhance learning and productivity. Technologies such as computers, interactive whiteboards, word processing and desktop publishing, multimedia publishing, E-books, audio/video recordings, television programs, just to name a few.
Reading and writing are skills that should always be taught even if computers can perform them. Advancements in technology can only be made by person who read and write, as there are programs and instructions that must be created. Thus, reading and writing will be necessary even with the highest forms of social media and technology. If schools were to cease teaching these skills, it is likely that technology would not advance so rapidly. Discontinuing the teaching of reading and writing also could be detrimental
Huffaker (2005) writes “Some scholars suggest digital fluency will be another prerequisite for sociability, lifelong learning, and employment opportunities. The uses of educational technology have a two-fold advantage; they can promote the types of literacy traditionally encouraged in learning, as well as the digital fluency needed to prosper in the digital age.” After reading this statement, I thought about how children are being exposed to new media & new literacies at a young age. These are skills that will enable them to be valuable assets later in life whether in college or their
Every day the world is changing and things are done differently. Technology has also affected the way students are taught and in which they learn. It has changed the classroom. Technology saves us time and allows us to access material in only minutes. “The Internet and online subscription databases, even as a supplement to the printed works in the library, allow students to see, and force them to consider or reject, points of view that they might never have encountered in decades past” (Gow 4).With all the time technology produces, it also has downsides and it also may have created a less intelligent society.
Is the Internet changing the way a student uses their mind? Nicolas Carr’s Article, Does the Internet Make You Smarter or Dumber? Is about the effects of technology/Internet on education. The Article discusses various ways technology affects a student. Carr’s article gives examples from both perspectives on negative and positive effects of the Internet; however, the negative effects stand out bigger. Carr’s essay is a valuable source for my research paper.
The American Library Association defines digital literacy as the ability to use information and communication technologies to find, evaluate, create, and communicate information, requiring both cognitive and technical skills. This definition is important to the discussion of the digital divide, defined by Morse (2004) as “inequitable use of computer technology” (p. 268). We learned from our readings that the divide between lower SES students and their wealthier counterparts in terms of first, access to technology (hardware, software, broadband Internet) and second, what Banister and Fischer (2010) called the “opportunity for use” (p. 3). With increased government funding over the past two decades, schools have seen access to technology improve. Warschauer and Matuchniak (2011) explained the significance of the federal government 's e-Rate program, which has provided a whopping $2 billion per year for broadband and Internet access for schools (p. 188). Yet the softer costs, such as technical support staff, and which are not funded by the federal government mean that even when the infrastructure and actual hardware and software are present, teachers and students may be unable to access them. The interesting divide is also largely based on SocioEconomic Status: the opportunity for use of technology. The expectations for
This article attempts to enlighten educators to allow computers in the classroom as a workshop to help improve literacy. The computer allows for students to have both a visual and a verbal reference to a topic, thus, solidifying a concrete comprehension of the text, allowing the student to be further engaged and stimulated with the assignment. Over the years, educators have seen such a vast change in technology, especially in the classroom. It is time now, that educators embrace the change and use it to their advantage. “If students can be motivated and engaged when using technology, teachers should continue to support this type of learning when appropriate.”
School leaders today are under extreme pressure to improve student achievement levels. Yet, in the face of tight budgets, threats to cut extra-curricular activities, and an extensive shortage of textbooks in the schools, exactly what are teachers supposed to do to ensure that “no child is really left behind.” Despite what looks like a dead end, there is hope. By integrating the usage of technology in the Language Arts classroom, students are presented with a wide range of opportunities for improving in writing, literacy, and cultural awareness.
When technology is integrated responsibly and purposefully in instruction, the advantages of technology use outweigh the potential disadvantages. One best practice for integrating technology in reading instruction is to preview and assess how the technology will enhance instruction. According to an article on the Sunrise Associates website, the most meaningful integration of technology happens with “…the matching of the appropriate tool to the task at hand” (2013). Another important best practice is embedding technology use in daily instruction in order to teach “technology literacy,” a necessary skill for the 21st century learner, and to give students “…authentic, student centered learning” that is otherwise not addressed in traditional instruction (Sunrise Associates 2013). In addition to embedding technology daily,
Technology has changed how people learn over the years. It has affected how things are taught, and how they are received and processed by the students. Teachers could post any information on a specific website that the instructor provided and the students can view and reply to the post. Students used to have to bring home a textbook every night, but with the modern technology, they can log onto an online textbook. There are some instructors who believe that pencil and paper are slowly dwindling down into nothingness. Other educators believe that technology has helped benefit their student's education and don’t worry about pencil and paper.
Education has found its way into the loop of technology. Teachers are using ipads and laptops during class time to help conduct experiments, or share a presentation. This is allowing the students to gain instant access to the information they are seeking. Students also receive the opportunity to complete their homework online and print off their assignments instead of just using paper and pencil. Another pro for Technology in Education, there are countless sources out there which help enhance learning. In one research conducted, they compared the performance of teaching kids how to read a clock. One group was coached by an online app, another was shown by a toy clock, and the last group was trained by a drawing example. The results revealed that the children that were taught by the toy and app exceeded the paper drawing group (Galetzka).