Technology is an inevitable part of modern life. It offers people different conveniences and services that help to carry out routine and professional duties faster and more productively. Of course, it has changed the way students learn today. Technology and education are two streams that go hand in hand.
However, many people argue and hotly debate this case. Is technology all that good and healthy for the learning process and children? This is a rather dubious issue because it has both pros and cons. We’d like to begin with positive aspects borrowed from a group academic experts at essay writing service which provides students with custom-written papers 24/7.
| Benefits | Peculiarities |
|---|---|
| Education without restrictions | Nowadays, the implementation of modern technology extends education beyond the classroom walls. Students can access merely any sort of information via the Internet. They can manage a lot of assignments in a record period of time with the help of such inventions like iPads, personal computers, 3D printers, eBooks, boards with the touch screen function, and so on. It’s possible to choose various apps to suit any academic need. |
| Interchanging of roles | The role of teacher-student is totally changed. Now, teachers aren’t that all-time-involved in the process. Students become more active and self-dependent. A teacher acts as an experienced tutor who simply directs his/her students and tells what to do. They ways every project should be tackled and presented belong to students. |
| Encouragement for collaboration | Technology promotes collaboration among students. They work together more actively because they can fulfill many tasks much quicker and more effectively. |
| Personalization of education | Teachers can use technology to make education more personalized. Every student has his/her own learning style and this should be always taken into account. It’s possible to select the most suitable program, device, and application that fit the style of every student. |
| Active engagement in the learning process | Thanks to the interchanging of roles and amazing abilities offered by technological inventions, students become interested in their education. They receive additional possibilities that also bring pleasure and fun. Thus, education is reviewed from a new unexpected angle and this fascinates most youngsters. |
| The Internet expansion | Thanks to the use of the Internet, students receive access to heaps of digital data and can quickly find the necessary materials. Besides, they can attend different forums and create their own communities. This contributes to worldwide collaboration and students may unite to solve problems in common. Thanks to the use of the Internet, students receive access to heaps of digital data and can quickly find the necessary materials. |
It should be likewise mentioned that modern technology positively affects other spheres of our life. It hugely contributes to the advancement of transportation, productivity in the workplace in different enterprises, agriculture, communication, and society in general. The positive outcomes are numerous.
Why Technology Could Be a Threat?
There are also some drawbacks you should know about. It may induce serious complications.
- Insufficient methods of teaching: Unfortunately, not all teachers have the possibility to manage the mechanized process properly. Many of them aren’t trained at all and thus, they can’t obtain the necessary skills and knowledge. Some schools don’t offer special courses and the others don’t have money for them. This negatively reflects on the learning process. In addition, many schools lack funds to provide all classes with computers, iPads, interactive boards, and other devices.
- Students lack self-confidence: Mechanization likewise turns students into insufficient learners. They are too dependent on the smart devices and so, aren’t able to complete common assignments on their own. Their brain doesn’t work as it should because all the functions are carried out by a machine.
- Waste of time: Many students get addicted to modern gadgets and applications. Some of them get fully absorbed by social media, videos, games and other non-academic stuff.
- Misguidance by the untrustworthy data: Oftentimes, online users come across websites that lack credibility. Thus, they believe that they use approved facts to disclose their topics. In truth, they are misguided by fakes and don’t know what data can be trusted.
- Cheating: The resourcefulness of technology also creates enough room for cheating. Online users may access multiple sources and simply copy ideas of other people. This leads to plagiarism and cheating.
- Cyberbullying: The next issue is related to the previous one. Many users are unaware of the fact that their accounts and email should be protected by dependable safeguards and passwords. Sometimes, even such preventive methods of protection aren’t enough and different hackers break through the defense and start bullying children.
- Social isolation: People get easily addicted to technology and children are especially vulnerable. They get absorbed by their devices and spend all free time on the Internet. This disconnects them from the real world.
- Replacement of handwriting: This drawback is one of the most crucial because handwriting is of huge importance. Multiple researchers and studies show that writing with hand benefits the active development of our brain. For example, one of the studies claims that handwriting makes learning easier. Stanislas Dehaene, a psychologist at the Collège de France in Paris reported the following statement after his study was accomplished “When we write, a unique neural circuit is automatically activated.” The cognitive functions get activated and the way a person thinks runs in a natural way. Due to the replacement of handwriting with technology, children’s brain doesn’t develop as it should.
Technology has advantages and disadvantages like almost any similar innovation. Should we use it blindly? Definitely no! It may harm children and the learning process. However, if we find the middle ground and implement it smartly, technology will surely benefit all.
