The Use Of Technology In Schools

In contrast, the only barrier that teachers and students face when it comes to technology is accessibility. In certain areas and social classes, students do not have access to technology, mainly internet access, at home. Which may limit the use of technological devices to a school setting. There are many programs in place to give students access to internet outside the classroom, and hopefully allow students access to educational tools to allow them a better education.

In Texas students test scored were being tested and compared to the use of technology in the classroom. They used at-risk students who fell into specific categories to be the test group. These were students who have failed this type of test in the past. One teacher received eight classes worth of these at-risk students and used technology integration every day. The idea was to try to link the use of technology to passing the state English test. By using at-risk students the author had a wide range of test subjects, which included: students with low grades, not maintaining above a C average, student is pregnant or a parent, in an alternative program, student dropped out of school, has limited English proficiency, troubled home life and has family issues or homeless. The author wanted to find out if a technology-rich environment had an effect on state mandated scores of students. Her test subjects were the at-risk students.

In this article, the author discusses the benefits of using technology in the classroom and how the use of technology can increase student tests scores. The objective of the study was to answer the following two questions: How much of a difference would a classroom with technology accessibility affect state-mandated test scores and would student motivation and behavior change if they were able to readily use technology? As the author mentioned in the article, many studies have shown that schools that have created a technology rich atmosphere for their students have been shown positive results. The use of technology has helped teachers as well by making classroom instruction a more individualized experience for the pupils. Legislation in 2001, No Child Left Behind(NCLB 2001) introduced the “Enhancing Education Through Technology Act of 2001” (US Department of Education, 2001) emphasized the implementation of technology in schools with children that came from lower socio-economic households and targeted “at risk” students. Many teachers were interviewed and observed working with their students using technology and it was concluded that the use of computers and other technology was necessary, because not only did it assist teachers by helping them develop better content knowledge, create more interesting lessons, and support them with problem solving, it helped motivate the students to learn, alleviated behavioral issues, and students score higher in state-mandated test.

Some studies have suggested that schools have perhaps shown concern of the proliferation of technology, and in some cases, a perception by staff that the technology is little more than a simplistic tool and that the educational outcomes have been limited or non-existent. (ref

Greer (2008) believed successful implementation of technology provided students competitive advantages regarding academic performance and also provided teachers with opportunities to create prescriptive and engaging lessons within an interactive educational environment. ChanLin (2007) found classroom instruction integrated with technology, as opposed to more traditional instructional methods, increased overall student achievement. Wellburn (1996) conducted an extensive review of quantitative research studies about educational technology and effects on student achievement. She found that the majority of studies showed technology’s positive impact on student learning, including increased achievement on standardized test. Wellburn concluded “the use of technology as a learning tool can make a measurable difference in student achievement” (p.6).

Although multiple studies have been conducted examining the relationship between technology and student achievement, researchers have failed to reach a consensus. Several studies have shown technology to have a positive impact on achievement, while others have concluded that technology had no effect on students’ achievement or critical thinking skills. While a positive relationship between technology and achievement cannot be proven, no adverse effects have been identified. Furthermore, students indicated they preferred technology-rich learning environments. Therefore, opportunities to integrate technology into the classroom should be continued (Cravey, 2008; Davis, 2012; Eyyam & Wu, 2012; Osman & Vebrianto, 2013; Ross & Bruce, 2009; Sharpley et al. 2011; Yang & Wu, 2012).

Is technology use in the classroom beneficial or harmful to a student’s ability to learn and prepare for the future? Many, if not all, high schools have converted to the use of technology as the focus of teaching and learning. Although technology can be very beneficial for teaching and learning in the classroom, there are several weaknesses of technology use that must be addressed. Before schools encompass technology into their curriculum, administration should evaluate the way the internet processes information, overwhelms students with information, and hinders their ability to write and create.

In today’s society, technology plays a major factor in the way people operate in their daily lives. Technology is being used as a tool for people to improve their surroundings. People having quick and easy access to a large amount of information anytime they want. With the rapid growth of technology, schools and teachers around the world have implemented many different forms of technology to enhance student interest and achievement. This has entered into teaching methods such as online testing, online reading assignments, research information and many others. The use of technology in school nowadays has become inevitable, but some may argue that the increase use of technology has harmed the development and learning of the students. This leaves people wondering if technology should be

Technology in the classroom isn’t always a great thing to have, and it’s not something that is easy to get a hold of. Dealing with technology can be risky, because you never know what’s going to happen. Because most of the technology that were are using is somewhat new, there are still things that need to be fixed. Troubleshooting the technology can cause some problems in the classroom. More teachers were surveyed and they felt that, although they had adequate knowledge and skill, they did not have the technical support 72.2 percent of the time. Numerous technological issue were brought up when the teachers discussed the main reasons why they do not use technology (Beath, Jones, Kervin, Verenikina, 2013). Also getting many of the technological equipment is not easy and they don’t come cheap. For example, let’s look at a primary school. Say you have a school that goes from kindergarten to the 5th grade, and each grade has three different classes, that would be 18 different classrooms, and say each classroom has about 20 students, that would be 360 students total. The school would have to get money from the district and the state to be able to provide technology for their classrooms. This one

According to Mosenson and Johnson, "access to technology has been one of the highest priorities in public schools" (17). The authors note that in recent times, the percentage of schools having access to the internet has increased significantly given that virtually every school now has access to the internet. This is in comparison to the early 90s where only 35% of schools had internet connection (Mosenson and Johnson, 17). With more and more people using technology today, the possibilities for its application in the education setting seem limitless. Indeed, Mosenson and Johnson categorically state that as of 2003,

Technology is at the core of virtually every aspect of our daily lives and work. While it provides engaging and powerful learning experiences, technology also provides access to content, resources and assessments that measure student achievement in a more complete and meaningful ways.

Schools are always looking to find different ways to assist children in learning the material they need to pass and technology has been a successful treatment. “The 26th Annual Report to Congress on IDEA reported that approximately ninety-six percent of general education teachers have students in their classroom with learning

Over the years, technology has drastically changed the world in society, economy, and especially in education. Every day, multiple teachers and students use iPads, phones, and computers to help them with their academic classes and homework. However, there is a major question that is being asked all around the world. Is technology affecting students so much that it decreases their individual grade? The answer is no, technology is meant for success and helps students learn in many different ways such as providing reliable sources, motivating students to learn, and is greatly approved by teachers worldwide. Therefore, technology should be used in class to encourage both adults and kids to feel comfortable at school and to enjoy themselves learning or teaching.

The use of technology has the ability to allow teachers to teach the student, instead of teaching the grade level. Jon Bower, CEO of Lexia Learning Systems, points this fact out when he states,

As we navigate through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming further predominant. iPads are replacing our textbooks, we can also research any desired topic on our smartphones. The impact that technology has had on today’s schools has been utterly momentous. Educators have now seen firsthand the benefits of technology in the classroom. According to a study by IT Trade Association CompTIA, around 75 percent of educators think that technology has a positive impact on the education process. Educators also recognize the importance of developing these technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce after they graduate. By incorporating technology in the classroom, teachers are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school. The increase of technology has even changed how teachers teach along with students learn. Teachers are learning how to teach with emerging