Gap Analysis: Student Engagement with Technology in U.S. Public Schools
The practical application of technological tools in public schools across the United States has accumulated an excessive amount of both issues and benefits. The particular amount of funds spent on technological tools was prompted by a thought that children will be able to explore, evaluate and assess information much faster, effectively and positively due to the fact that technological advancement is evident on a global scale. This particular analysis will determine the learning gap that exists as a result of students’ lack of engagement with technology in public K-12 schools across the United States. It is no secret that technology plays a critical role in our society. In fact, it has become one of the most used items in the world, starting from personal computers and ending in smartphones, thus it was only a matter of time when educational institutions would start to utilize these gadgets in order to improve the overall state of current education. According to a U.S Department of Education (UDE, n.d) report, all 48 states, including the District of Columbia are now offering online education. Additionally, the report states that these schools operate on all kinds of scales, including state scale, district scale and charter scale, thus it would safe to assume that the whole state of current education in the United States is large and the whole approach is clearly technology based. However, despite the
According to Huff Post Education, part of the Huffington Post internet newspaper that caters to the world of education, companies such Google, Verizon and Microsoft are pouring in million upon millions of dollars to provide schools with the latest in new gadgets and devices. The schools are in return, are looking for technology to revive student performances in the classroom (Contributing writer to the Huffington Post, 2010). As I mentioned earlier, my goal is to produce lifelong learners. I want my students to be just a captivated in my class as they are to latest music video by their favorite artist. Engagement is the true issue here, and begs the question, “Does technology foster engagement or inhibit it?, (Ain, 2011). I for one, believe that technology can do what is it purposed to do, and that is to foster engagement and enable critical and creative thinking (Ain,
Modern technology has penetrated every aspect of our lives and made great impacts on our daily activities, especially in the area of education. The continuous infusion of technology in education has become an unchangeable tendency. Given the increased use of technology in education, much research has been done on the value of technology in education. However, none of the studies have answered all of the questions that are essential to determining whether continuous infusion of new technologies in education can improve the quality of education. Since a clear answer to this question is vital to help educational organizations to make decisions on how much
Since children today have become digital natives; they will never truly know a world that is not touched with technology. This means that the educational paradigm has to shift in order to keep up with the needs of our young learners (Jo, 2016). In the last thirty years, technological advances
Cathy N. Davidson suggests an innovative education system, providing an emphasis in today’s digital era, and claiming that the existing education system needs to be renewed according to the new expectations of the digital era. Davidson states that,” In the last half century, many changes have occurred in the technology field, however, classrooms and educational methods have remained fairly steady for the past years as well in consequence students are not being prepared for the future advances of society.” That being said, it is important to improve and to give a change to the current educational methods, adjusting them to the existing demands of the era that we are living and taking advantage of the resources that it provides. “What if we continued to the lesson of internet itself,
According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the term “technology” is defined as, “the use of science in industry, engineering, etc., to invent useful things or to solve problems”. New technologies emerge every day, but in 1989, one of the most useful technologies had become available to the general public – the World Wide Web. With the use of computer and the World Wide Web (better known as the internet), most of the people in the world are given access to almost anything at their fingertips – including online or distance education. The majority of Americans now have hectic schedules, whether it is working multiple jobs, or staying home and taking care of the kids, life can obstruct the view of completing their education.
Technology can be found in every classroom of schools today and continues to grow as the field of technology continues to advance. School age children today know more about technology than most middle-aged adults because they have been exposed to it from such an early age. We live in the technology age and it’s clear that technology is here to stay and has permeated every area of our lives including home, work and leisure. Because of this, educators and school staff have been tech-savvy and must continue to keep up with the technological advances in order to present as competent to the student body. Technology has impacted the way our students learn and has provided avenues of learning to disabled students that they didn’t have in the past and has provided teaching staff with a multitude of resources and diversity in class activities to aid in teaching (Pearson, 2010). Without a doubt, technology will continue to impact our educational system as new technologies emerge and our country competes to keep up with a new globalized economy. Schools will implement these technologies into the
Technology has almost no impact on student's engagement if it is presented in inappropriate manner; as a result of which students are not motivated to enhance their scope of knowledge and interaction with each other. Susan Pinker in her article “Can Students Have Too Much Tech” claims that mission of providing technology to children from low income class to improve their interaction in education failed because of low quality of gadgets, lack of adult supervision and teacher training with technology; consequently, students misused the gadgets, scored less grades, and isolated from peers and family. Despite the fact that certain questions remain unanswered, the author provides not only strong and connected arguments, but also references to experts in this field to support the arguments.
Technology is everywhere, it is involved in almost every part of our culture. It affects how we live, work, play, and most importantly learn. With technology being such a fundamental part of our lives and growing each day, it only makes sense that schools incorporate technology in the classrooms. Even though many people support the use of technology in schools, there are those that have concerns about the effectiveness of technology and whether or not it undermines education to solely prepare students for the workforce. Despite the concerns, technology is being integrated with classroom lessons daily, and proving how beneficial it is for student success.
It seems that technology is growing, improving, and changing at an exponential rate. Technology now affects every part of our lives from the time we get up to the time we go to bed, and even as we sleep. One of the major areas that has been affected by technology is education. At one time, the only option for students to complete their education was in a traditional classroom setting. There has become a major need for non-traditional education because there has been a growth in the amount of non-traditional students that exist in our society. The advancement of technology has
As we navigate through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming further predominant. iPads are replacing our textbooks, and we can 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 numerous benefits of technology in the classroom. According to a study by IT Trade Association CompTIA, around 75 percent of educators have come to the conclusion that technology has a positive impact on the education process. Educators have also recognized the significance of developing these technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce after they graduate (Cox). 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 how
Today, schools are being pressured more and more to improve the technology they use and teach in the classrooms. Parents are placing this pressure on schools so that their students have the skills needed to compete in the real world job market. Students are placing pressure on the schools to improve technology by having more knowledge of
Technology has made great strides in the past 20 years. It plays a very important role in our lives today and even plays a critical role in the way students learn all over the world. Unfortunately, students now rely on technology instead of learning key fundamentals. Technology has replaced the need to learn and most answers are just a google search away. Technology has also become expensive and lower socioeconomic school districts have found affording the newest technology difficult because of their lack of funding. Technology is a great learning tool when used appropriately. The lower socioeconomic school falls behind in the expanding frontier of technology in the classroom because they cannot afford it compared to their counterparts and results in a gap in education. The development of technology in the classroom has caused students to fail the learning of fundamentals and has exploited lower socioeconomic school districts.
Across the U.S., technology used in education has been increasing exponentially. Every learning institution ranging from elementary school to college have incorporated technology into their teachings. Online textbooks, quizzes, notes, and classes are all examples of how education has been utilizing technology. While technology has a place in education, not everything in education needs to involve technology.
The complex social and historical foundations of education are rooted in the need to create a population of citizens capable of contributing to the continuing economic and political stability of our nation. First we were an agricultural society, then industrial, and now we are educating students for futures with that are yet unknown (explainvisualthinking, 2007). The new dynamic, created by the recent and rapid expansion of technology driven globalization has created the compelling need for technology infused education in our schools (Friedman, 2005). As an educational technology leader, I collaborate with other educators and families to create technology initiatives that will support educational technology in our schools.
The education world has been greatly influenced by rapidly changing technology and the increasing availability of information. Schools have advanced by leaps and bounds when it comes to incorporating technology into the learning environment, however, many more advances need to be made. In all areas of the country, educators are trying to help students keep up with technology, but there are more changes that are essential for preparing the next generation for the future.