The document is a paper written by Talaysha Browne arguing that while technology has benefits for teaching, it also has significant drawbacks and faults. Browne believes that overreliance on technology in schools is distracting to students and prevents them from truly learning. Teachers struggle to keep up with new technologies and use them effectively. Ultimately, technology is being used more for appearances than improving student learning.
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Talaysha Browne
ENG 101
Ms Bolton
April 11, 2011
Technology Faults in Teaching
We as people rely on technology so much in America because we become too
dependent on it. Technology has come a long way with the advancement process,
especially dealing with teaching. The school system provides many different ways to help
us learn with all the different tactics they provide us, such as computers, my touch pads,
electric books and more. Even though this is a good way to learn, it’s also a distraction.
When it comes to technology and teaching it has its pros and cons, which we all could
agree. Technology has taken over and made teaching easier to help the students better but
the faults of using technology are noticeable, so when it comes to using technology in
school I believe it should have a limit to its use.
As some of my fellow peers consider that are with technology being use in
schools at all time I disagree with that however; I agree with other points they mad such
as, some of the teaching that technology could do such as using it with children with
disabilities, or teaching someone a foreign language. My classmate also said, “Children
need to be exposed to technology because technology will always be in existence and in
constant growth”. I agree that technology will always be around and I never said that
people or students should not be expose to technology. I’m saying the concept is not to be
a major dependent on technology. What happen to old fashions ways? The days when a
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teacher who really cared and value their job, would take the time to help and make sure
the students understand, not just children but everyone. Not every person is visual, hand-
on or authoritarian. Everyone learns in a different way and technology does not offer
every point, view or ways to help someone learn. A teacher can educate or teach in a way
that we will understand personally.
Having a limit to the use of technology in schools could help motivate the
students into becoming more willing to do their work or studies. The Article,
“Technology May Not Increase Learning” states that
“The obsession of some school administration with obtaining the
most innovative and cutting edge technology for their schools is
leaving teachers and students in the dark. Not all teachers find it
more effective or even easier to teach with laptops, hand held’s
devices and other high tech gizmos, which have begun to force out
traditional, proven methods of teaching (par.1).”
This is basically saying that technology is advancing rapidly that some teachers can not
keep up with it. Michael Zwaagstra is an education expert and high school teacher that
says, “Computer technology is only a tool and is only useful if teachers know how to use
it effectively (Par. 3).” If the teachers can not keep up with technology they can not teach
your child the correct way to use it in order for them to even learn the subject correctly.
In the book “technology and teaching”, helps the teacher and student better learn how to
use the technology they are offering better but if their not interested, what’s the use of
using technology all the time in school. In the book it says, “Good Luck.” But remember
if the teachers don’t want it the book isn’t going to benefit them the correct way. I don’t
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believe that parents don’t want the educator to teach their child something they don’t
know how to operate the correct way or anybody that’s in some type of learning
environment. The article also stated that most teachers do not like the fact the devices are
in the schools because it takes away their time when they could be doing hand-on work
with the students. According to Yowell, “The disconnect is a huge problem that is part of
the problem of the disengagement of young people in schools (Trotter par.2).” I agree
with her statement because engaging in a students learning encourages the students and
makes them feel better that their doing good especially if the teacher is giving plenty feed
back on the assignment. A student from Alexandria High said, "The most effective
teacher I have is Mr. Nickley," said senior Jamal Stone. "He isn't into all this computer
stuff. All he uses is the board—the whole board. He's lively, energetic, witty and really
knows his math. He forces you to pay attention; you can't drift off even if you want to (P.
Welsh Par. 9)." This goes to show that students are also into the old fashion ways of
teaching. The devices are not the only way to attract students’ attentions. By working on
a computer or my touch pad all day will bored the students and cause other distractions
such as browsing the internet or finding sites they should not be on. We all know that if
we get caught on a website that has nothing to do with the assignment that’s a write up
for under grade schools and a kick out the class for college students; If that happened to
the students, then they really are not going to know what’s going on in class because
there not there do to the distraction of technology in class. Patrick Welsh a English teach
at T.C Williams High school, states that,
“But it’s just opposite faculty morale is the lowest and cynicism the highest I’ve
seen in years. The problem? What a former Alexandria school superintendent
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calls “technolust” a disorder affecting publicity obsessed school administrators
nationwide that manifests itself in an insatiable need to acquire that latest, fastest,
most exotic computer gadgets, weather teachers and students need them or want
them (par. 3).”
With this being said schools are having this gadgets and don’t even use them. This is
wasting money and this is why we have budgets cuts in schools. Schools could have more
money to do more educational things if they don’t use it in things that are just going to
seat and get rusty. The money they are wasting toward the new technology could go
towards after school programs and tutoring sessions, that could be use to help raise test
scores. Even though computers have been around the longest in schools setting it stills
have faults also, According to two professors that says,
“Computer-assisted education is merely the latest in a series of attempts to use
technology to improve education. However, while computers may make
classrooms more "fun," in many ways technology hinders students' ability to truly
learn. For example, calculators and word processing spell-checkers do not help
students learn arithmetic or spelling. Student-oriented technologies are often
"black boxes"—they do not require students to understand the concepts or
processes that underlie these technologies. Computers and other technologies
make complex tasks easier, but when used in the classroom, they ultimately
reduce students' motivation to learn complex concepts (Par. 1).”
Even this statement is enough to say that technology is taking away from students
learning because it makes the work to easy. It takes away from their thinking process and
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their need to try even harder. With computers being the oldest technology around it’s still
helpful but still causes problems in school settings.
In conclusion, technology has taken over the school system in the wrong way.
Most schools see it has fitting in and having the best devices but I thought it was about us
the people, the students. Welsh said it better “For a while, I thought it was just older
teachers like me—immigrants to the Internet world—who were chafing at the so-called
technology initiative, but it turns out that even the youngest teachers are fed up.”They
would rather have a cyborg teaching than me," one young English teacher complained to
me. "Its technology for the sake of technology—not what works or helps kids learn, but
what makes administrators look good, what the public will think is cutting edge (P.
Welsh. Par. 6)." So stop and think, is it about the students learning and becoming
successful or what devices make the schools look good? This is why I’m against having
paperless classrooms. That’s why we should have limits to the use of technology we
allow in schools today.
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Works Cited
1. Olson Joanne K. and Clough Michael P. “Computer-Assisted Education
can undermine serious study.” Computers and Education. Ed. James D.
Torr. San Diego, Greenhaven Press, 2003: Opposing View Points Context,
Web. 10 Apr. 2012
2. Zwagstraa, Michael. “Computers in Classrooms May Not Increase
Learning.” Has Technology Increase Learning? Ed. Roman Espejo.
Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2009: opposing view points context, Web 10
Apr. 2012
3. Trotter, Andrew. “Projects Probe New Media’s Role in Changing the Face
of Learning; Funder funnels money to research on digital technology’s
effects on education.” Education Week 2007: Opposing Viewpoints in
Context. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.
4. Welsh, Patrick. “Technology May Not Increase Learning.” Has
Technology increased learning? Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven
press, 209: Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 2 Apr. 2012.
5. William, Clyde. Using Technology in Teaching:New Haven, CT: Yale
University Press, 2005