Advantages And Disadvantages Of The Use Of Technology In A Classroom
The use of technology in a classroom has become so commonplace and beneficial for both students and teachers. Hagood in the article “Risks, Rewards, and Responsibilities of Using New Literacies in Middle grades”, raises many issues that occur with the new technological environment that the education system has created. Although this article is now 7 years old (2012) and students and teachers have grown to be more technologically savvy since then, there still some issues that we face. Throughout my observations I have witnessed classrooms where technology has been proven to be successful and has worked with minimal issues, I have also observed what could happen when technology is not used accurately in the classroom. I will discuss both the advantages and disadvantages of a technological setting.
Margaret Hagood often speaks about literacy in the classroom and the issues both students and educators face. “Teachers can’t sit behind desks any longer. If we don’t embrace new literacies, they will swallow us up because that’s where students are going. We can’t just put on blinders because that doesn’t help any- one. We have got to pay attention to now “Hagood, M. C. (2012). Technology is utilized in all different types of lessons however there so many new, different ways we can use technology that our students may not be familiar with. Even in my technology course I am constantly learning new ways to incorporate it as well as new websites to use every week. As teachers, our goal is to get the lesson across to the students within a specific amount of time. Technology can be a big asset in the ability to go beyond the classroom, but it needs to be used appropriately. Many times, I have witnessed it being used as a “babysitter” when it could be used as an enrichment device.
In all school’s technology is great but the catch is whether or not you as the educator can receive grants or if your school or even your students can afford it– because at the end of the day we are all aware that technology is expensive. We should never assume every student knows the basics and has an iPad or laptop in their house, I just this year had a student in my first-grade class who had never seen a laptop before and get consistently frustrated any time we do something using technology because they aren’t as well versed. To me, that was an eye opener in this day and age, especially when working with students from low socioeconomic areas. Students who cannot afford technology will often face a huge literacy burden and struggle when using technology for the first time in a classroom. However, patience, experience, and repetition can assist struggling students.
In other cases, I have seen usage of technology be successful in a classroom. Incorporation of social media platforms allow teachers to post questions during a classroom discussion and students are able to post answers, comment and “like” each other’s posts instantaneously, I’ve also been able to give feedback to students as they are working on their papers etc. thanks to Google Doc. Technology when used correctly has the ability to bring students together. Within the past few years students have become much more accustomed to technology and feel more comfortable with the usage of it in a classroom. Implementing it, teaching about Ed. Tech & smart ways to use tech in the classroom/ at home, as well as using it to assist students with academics across the board with all subjects are all valuable assets of a modern-day classroom.
Resources
- Hagood | Risks, Rewards, and Responsibilities of Using New Literacies in Middle Grades page. 10. Voices from the Middle, Volume 19 Number 4, May 2012.
- Assistive Technology for ADHD Challenges at School. (2019). Retrieved from https://www. additudemag. com/change-the-program/ (637)
