New technologies in education

Technology is one of the most valuable tools that we have available at our finger tips every
day. You can do virtually anything with your smart phone, tablet, or computer. From seeing
what time a movie starts, ordering a pizza, and paying your bills the possibilities for
technology are endless. And not only are they endless, they are constantly improving to make
the things we have to do everyday easier. It sounds pretty awesome right? That thought
might change when you put our youth and their education into the mix. Many people believe
that the abundance of technology in our schools is hindering students ability to think for
themselves and learn old style methods of research. People who support the use of
technology in the class room argue that they no longer have to. Its a touchy subject, that
cannot be solved just by an analysis, but learning all of the advantages and disadvantages of
having technology in the classroom can certainly give you a well rounded and informed
opinion.

Advantages of Technology In Education

1. Parents Peace of Mind

Cell phones now allow us to stay in contact with our friends and family anywhere that we are.
It is how students communicate problems and emergencies with their parents when they are
at school as well.

2. The Information Highway

Any answer to any question can be found with a few clicks of the keys on the computer or
smart phone. Powerful search engines allow an organized and simply way to find the answers
that students may need for assignments or projects.

3. Broaden The Mind

Before the internet, children knew what their family taught them. This caused their political
and religious views to be the only ones that the children knew. Having access to the
technology will expose them to things outside of their parents interests and help them to form
their own opinions.

4. Brings Some Fun Into The Classroom

Learning the same exact way from the same person every day can really getboring. This
boredom turns into a lack of motivation in the students. When they are able to integrate
computer learning into their normal schedule, they become much more excited to learn.

5. Applicable Education
In the working world, in nearly every job you may take, you have to know how to operate a
computer. Teaching this skill in children early will give them an advantages and a learning
curve for when they are adults.

Disadvantages of Technology In Education

1. Access To Inappropriate Content

The biggest concern when it comes to the use of technology in schools is how easy
pornographic, violent, and other inappropriate materials can be accessed and viewed. This
could cause big problems if the material is shared with other students while in the classroom.

2. A Disconnected Youth
This harmful effect of technology has already come to light in todays world. People are
attached to their screens almost 24/7, which is causing an entirely new set of social issues to
pop up. This translates into the school system in a bit of a different way, however. More and
more students are experiencing social anxieties when it comes to face to face interactions,
but are perfectly fine socializing online.

3. The Cyberbullying Trap

Giving students access to anonymous accounts and endless contact avenues can only lead to
trouble. Cyber bullying has become a real and in our face problem among young people today.
This harassment has no end, which includes the class room. There is also no way to monitor
or discipline students who are involved.

4. Inevitable Cheating
While have an easy access to information may seem like a great thing, it can become a real
problem in a test taking environment. Cell phones have made cheating easier than ever. You
no longer have to figure out how to write all of the answers down, you can just look them up!

5. A Major Distraction
Attentiveness drops drastically in the classroom when students have their cell phones or other
technologies out. The focus shifts from their teacher and education, to whatever they are
looking at, playing, or doing on their phones.

Important Facts About Technology In Education

As much as 60 percent of schools in America, issue laptops or tablets to their students.

41% of students are in favor of taking virtual classes.
50% of students in middle and high school use the internet to complete work 3 times a week.
The students that study on computers, phones, or tablets, study for an average of 40 minutes
more per week than those who do not.

Technology in education plays an important role in improving the educational skills and
knowledge of the people. This is very important especially those who need improve their
knowledge in order for them to achieve a successful life in the future. Technology in education
is manifested through the use of computers. This is also a great help for teachers since they
can already enhance their teaching skills and strategies every time they are facing their class.
This technology is very essential for both the students and the teacher but there are some
instances wherein this technology is seen to be disadvantageous for both of them as well.

ADVANTAGES OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Promotes Independent Learning for the Students

Students can already learn from their own even without the assistance of their parents and
teachers. They are just going to surf the internet in order to look for the lessons they need to
study. Quick accessibility and well-equipped with the skills and knowledge in operating a
computer would be very helpful for the students.

Easier Access To Information

The need for heavy books to be brought back and forth from school and home is no longer
needed with technology. The books can stay in the classroom because the information that
they need is easily accessed on a computer.

Promotes Exciting Way to Educate Students

Since there are lots of images, videos and other graphics and text that may be found in your
computer, more students would feel the excitement in studying through the use of the
gadget. This is very important in order to arouse their interest in studying.

DISADVANTAGES OF TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Laziness in Studying
Computers make is so easy to find answers that students barely have to look for them. This
may result in them having poor study habits and developing a lazy attitude toward their
education.

Forgetting the Basic Way of Studying

They would no longer rely on the books that are lent by their teachers for them to study since
they are already interested to study using the computer. Even simple problems and homework
that they need to answer, they are more of seeking the assistance of computers already.

Discovering Unusual Things in the Computer

Allowing the students to surf the internet doesnt necessarily mean that all the things that
they are going to discover are good for their mind and studies. There are several things that
are found in the internet which are not good for the students hence they need to be properly
guided by their teachers and parents every time they are going to use the computer.

Technology in education plays an important role in the study habits and skills of your child.
But, you need to make sure that you are going to be very careful in allowing them to use their
computer and surf the internet for them to avoid discovering things that are not part of their
studies. It is always important to let them used some of these technology in education as
often as it is in order to prevent forgetting the basic way of studying.
Thomas Edison once said, Books will soon be obsolete in the public schools... our school
system will be completely changed inside of ten years. Amazingly enough, however, one of
our nations most important inventors was proven quite wrong. The American education
system has a remarkable resistance to innovation and the classroom experience has changed
very little in the 100 years since Edisons prediction.

Advances in information technology have revolutionized how people communicate and learn
in nearly every aspect of modern life except for education. The education system operates
under the antiquated needs of an agrarian and industrial America. The short school day and
the break in the summer were meant to allow children to work on family farms. Schools have
an enduring industrial mentality placing students in arbitrary groups based on their age
regardless of their competencies.

Technology has failed to transform our schools because the education governance system
insulates them from the disruptions that technology creates in other organizations. The
government regulates schools perhaps more than any other organization. Rules govern where
students study, how they will learn, and who will teach them. Education regulation governs
the relationships of actors in the system and stymies the impact of innovative technologies.
Furthermore the diffuse system of governance creates numerous veto points to limit
innovation.

To overcome these obstacles, we must persuade teachers that technology will empower them
and help their students learn. We argue that there are five strategies for successful teacher
adoption of education technology and that these principles will help fulfill the potential that
Edison saw a century ago:

Schools must use technology that empowers teachers. Teachers rightly reject education
technologies that divert their attention from instruction. The best education technologies
enable teachers to do more with fewer resources. Communication platforms like Twitter,
Facebook, or Tumblr enable dynamic communication with students. Teacher-empowering
technologies include mobile apps that grade written student work and provide lesson plan
databases. School systems need to aggressively track what works for their teachers and put
all other unworkable technologies aside.

Teachers should treat the adoption of technology as part of lesson planning. One of the major
drivers of bad policy is policy churn. New district leaders want to make their mark adopting
new policies and jettisoning the old. This constant changing of priorities makes beneficial
reforms difficult to implement. Teachers can incorporate technology directly into their practice
and insulate their students from the deleterious effects of policy churn. For example teachers
can use Khan Academy or other online resources to improve remediation. Systematic
adoption of technology at the classroom levels limits the damage of shifting policy maker
priorities.

Teachers should not fear open-source technologies. Many mistakenly believe that education
technologies are expensive and complicated to use. Open-source technologies are stable,
secure, and compatible with other platforms. Organizations both small and large use open
source devices every day. Many businesses use open-source servers for their efficiency and
costs savings. They often have large communities that provide high quality customer support.
Best of all, open-source technologies often cost less than proprietary products.
Use online education portfolios to evaluate students. Educators have known about the
benefits of paper based portfolios for generations. Portfolios allow students to express
creativity for difficult to assess subjects. Teachers can choose from a variety of online portfolio
providers tailored to the needs of their classroom. They also serve as a platform for students
to demonstrate growth. Online portfolios have many advantages over paper based options
because they cost less and allow for more robust outreach. Online portfolios are also
amenable to a wider variety of formats including video, music or other interactive features.

Teachers should embrace the Common Core State Standards. Common standards make
teaching simpler. Teachers have to write lessons that comply with district, state, and national
standards (e.g. NCTM or NCTE). Having a single set of standards eliminates redundancy and
conflicting guidelines. Furthermore universal adoption of common standards will support
future technological innovations that aid teachers. From a technical perspective, standards
facilitate the development of new technologies. Innovators can focus on developing tools that
better serve students rather than solving technical challenges of interoperability created by
multiple sets of standards.

Undoubtedly weak financial support inhibits the adoption of education technology. Despite
this obstacle, teachers working together have tremendous potential to reform education.
Every day teachers face choices about how to implement the curriculum and instruct
students. Those moments are opportunities for teachers to engage in education reform that
has a real impact on students. Teachers should use education technologies that are
inexpensive, easy to use, and improve student learning.

Almost 70% of primary and secondary schools in the UK now use tablet computers, according
to research.
But the study says there is no clear evidence of academic improvement for pupils using tablet
devices.
The study, commissioned by education technology charity Tablets for Schools, looked at a
representative sample of 671 state and independent schools.
Many pupils reported that they took an internet-connected device to bed to continue social
media conversations.
The rapid growth of tablet computers in the classroom was one of the ways in which the study
found that young people are immersed in technology at school and home.
One tablet per pupil
Tablets are now being used, at least to some extent, in 68% of primary and 69% of secondary
schools, according to the study headed by Barbie Clarke of the Family, Kids and Youth
research group.
But researchers found examples of much more intensive use. In 9% of schools, there was an
individual tablet device for every pupil.
About 70% of young people have access to a tablet computer at home
The highest use of tablet computers was within academy schools - much greater than in
independent schools or other types of state schools.
The underlying trend is for an increasing number of tablet computers in schools - among
those not using them at present, 45% reported that they would soon be likely to introduce
them.
Between 2014 and 2016, the number of tablet computers in schools is expected to rise from
about 430,000 to almost 900,000.
But Dr Clarke, formerly of the University of Cambridge's education department, says it is not
possible to make a definitive connection between tablet computers and improved results.
Researchers cannot isolate the impact of technology as the specific cause of a rise in
attainment.
But Dr Clarke says head teachers reported a positive impact.
And there is evidence that they help to motivate pupils who might otherwise be disengaged -
and when pupils take home tablet computers it increases the involvement of families.
Dr Clarke says that the role of technology is going to grow in schools.
"The type of device might change, but it's not going to go away. It will almost seem ridiculous
if some of them are not using technology," she said.
Internet addicts
A separate study from the National Literacy Trust and Pearson, published on Monday,
suggested that touch-screen computers were particularly useful in helping boys and poorer
pupils to learn to read.
It showed children in poorer households were particularly likely to read on touch-screen
computers rather than printed books.
The study on tablet computers in schools shows how much online technology is part of
everyday life for young people.
Within a sample of schools where every pupil has a tablet computer, a quarter of secondary
pupils described themselves as internet "addicts".
About two-thirds took a computer device or smartphone to bed with them, used for social
media or watching videos.
Findings earlier this year from Ofcom show how tablets have spread quickly within families
with children.
It showed about 70% of five to 15-year-olds had access to a tablet at home.
Simon Mason, head of Honywood Community School in Essex, said it was not possible to say
whether results are changed by any individual factor, but he is a strong advocate of tablet
computers in schools.
Each pupil has an iPad, which remains the property of the school, but pupils can take them
home.
Using these computers, he says, is about making sure that the school is in "the current
century and not the last".
The benefits are "difficult to put into league tables", he says. But they create a "sense of
empowerment" for young people and create an ethos in which pupils can feel "trusted and
valued".
Tablets are preferable to laptops, he argues, more portable, the right size, touch-screen and
immediately switched on.
The head says that the use of technology in school also reflects the reality of how pupils live
at home and what they will find at work.
"I think it's really important that schools function in the way that the world is," said Mr Mason.