Consequently, she believes too much emphasis is placed on technology, taking away from the development of basic reading, math and problem solving skills. The underlying question that surfaces throughout this book is "do computers and technology truly improve student learning and achievement?" According to the author, there is little evidence to support the use of technology as a necessity or benefit to student success (pp. 105-106). The author goes on to suggest that students, especially younger students, should be carefully monitored and limited in their computer use (p. 110).
Students do not realize that plagiarizing someone else’s work is actually stealing. The educational system does not teach this to students. The educational system should teach that you have to cite an author even if you just take their idea and do not use their exact words. The online companies that generate essays for students should be outlawed. This is making it where students that have a lot of money can easily get by with actually learning how to write correctly.
Students sometimes become so dependent upon technology that they are not exposed to the traditional ways of learning. Because some students might rely on technology in every area of learning, they might never experience what it is like to visit a library or read a printed textbook, especially since so many books can be purchased on audio now. Other disadvantages are that students’ handwriting skills might suffer due to a lack of practice because of their use of the computer to always write reports and essays. Always relying on the computer to find and correct errors while creating documents can result in students having very poor progress in grammar and spelling skills. Because many students also rely on the computer’s calculator, their ability to learn the proper methods of solving math problems might not be as enhanced.
Andrew Goldstein may have stated his points in a logical way, but Elena Choy’s wisdom not only responds to the statements that Goldstein has said, but she has even gone so far to provide other reasons to why students take advantage of the laptops. Andrew Goldstein explains how laptops are a distraction in the classroom for several reasons. First, the upraised lids prevent professors from making eye contact; second, students can’t help but see the screens of their fellow peers; third, the use of laptops prevents the student from thinking; and finally, it prevents the student from joining in on in class discussions, because they are so imbedded into copying what the professor has said, therefore committing stenography. At the beginning I found myself agreeing with his statements, but that was before reading the other half of this argument. In this other half of the argument it not only changed my opinion, but it also gave me a bigger picture of why banning laptops, is not a solution.
Computers did not exist in their generation, so they never learned to how to use them. The traditional students are more familiar with today’s technology, their knowledge is more advanced. Older students are better with reading and writing skills, due to experience and better education. Traditional students have better knowledge of computers, as they are taught in school. Traditional students are weak in reading and writing due to the “No Child Left Behind Act” implemented in 2001.
Teachers and professors think the Web is great to a certain point though. Teachers have noticed students are carried away by the Web because they are focusing less on reading. Carr agrees, “…. They don’t necessarily read a page from left to right and from top to bottom. They might instead skip around, scanning for pertinent information of interest… I can’t get my students to read whole books anymore…” (318).
The essay “Why Games Are Good for You” written by Steven Johnson, was written not to say that video games are any better or worse than reading books but simply to clear the misconception that video games are a hindrance to people who play them when it comes to a normal education or learning the social skills people need to live a healthy life, Johnson believes nothing can replace the benefits of reading a book and the written word. However, video games appear to deliver information that would bore the average student in a way that entices them to learn more and keeps them interested in something ordinarily dull. Johnson believes it is because games give people visual rewards for our time spent that books or other forms of media aren’t able to deliver. For example, in certain games such as “SimCity” a user is encouraged to build a thriving metropolis, which teaches about taxes, population, economics and other subjects that must be considered in order to be progressive in the game. Video games require the player to memorize the information they take in, use their cognitive skills to solve a puzzle in the game or use their sensory skills to complete a task in addition to other benefits that haven’t been mentioned.
The research paper and its effectiveness at measuring a student's performance has become a debate within the educational community. Critics of the form say that in our age of technology the internet has made sources too readily available and therefore the essay type is obsolete. Yet, there are professors that would disagree and state they are encouraging students to think unconventionally. With good evidence on both sides of the argument it is hard to decide if this is an effective means of evaluation. There are more effective ways of assessing knowledge such as other types of essays and oral presentations.
Exploratory Paper: Creativity in the form of Music and Art and the relevance of its Uses in Educational fields such as Science and Mathematics Introduction. "Art does not solve problems, but makes us aware of their existence," sculptor Magdalena Abakanowicz has said. The creative arts such as Art and Music are of more importance as compared to Mathematics and Science because Art and Music are just those classes that everyone takes and passes easily. Without the creative arts, advancement in more complicated areas of the curriculum may not be possible. Mathematics and Science are subjects that students need to take and have difficulty struggling to pass.
William Skidmore EDU 225 April 21, 2013 Kathleen Sherbon The Integrating of instructional technology into the classroom. While the march of technology steams on it I not as easy as plugging in a computer to improve the academic ability of students, there is a lot of thought that must go into the integration of technology, and not just a mad grab for the internet. While technology is a great wielder of information and communication it is also a trap for procrastination. One can not look at the world of technology as a toy, for doing so limits even the best students and dooms the weakest. By accepting and even embracing technology allows teachers to grow the minds of children.