Computers are used widely in educational settings by various groups including administrators, teachers, students, librarians, and staff. They are used to organize student records and data, manage cafeteria accounts and point-of-sale systems, communicate with parents and teachers, administer tests, maintain websites, catalog library materials, conduct research, and create and share educational content and lessons. As a result of all the ways computers improve productivity and organization across the educational system, computer technology has become an essential part of education.

3. Computers are used in a variety of
settings within the educational
field. They can be used by
guidance counselors,
administrators, web masters,
library media specialists, students,
teachers, clerical workers and food
service employees for many
different reasons. Computers lend
an organizational hand to schools,
and they also improve productivity
in several areas. For these reasons,
computer technology has become
an essential part of the educational
system.
The Users of
computers in
Educational Field

4. Educational clerical staff members use computers to …
• store and maintain student records
• Many school districts use SIS
(School Information Systems)
databases to track student attendance,
progress and personal or health
information. These records can often
be imported into other educational
departments and areas; for example,
some school library cataloging
software can upload student records
from the district's SIS, which makes
it much more manageable to input
large amounts of student data.

5. • Food service departments in
schools can use computers to
• monitor student lunch
accounts
• report student free-and-
reduced lunch data
• add money to student
accounts once payment is
received.
• This can be used for point-
of-sale purchases in school
cafeterias.

6. Guidance counselors and
school social workers use
computer technology to
communicate with teachers
and parents, and they also
use technology to keep and
monitor student records.
Additionally, counselors
use computers to monitor
student academic
transcripts and grades as
well as report information
to necessary authorities or
departments.

7. School administrators at both the
building and the district levels use
computers to communicate
electronically with other staff
members and parents, and they also
use computers to generate letters and
documents for parents, send
automated phone calls to parents or
staff (weekly announcements or
school cancellations) and report data
to their state departments of
education. School administrators also
use computers to administer
computer-based standardized tests to
students and to monitor and track
student assessment data.

8. Computers are also used in
schools in order to maintain
websites. Many school districts
have building-level web masters,
while a few also employ district-
level web masters to maintain
school and teacher websites. (In
many schools, individual
teachers are also required to
maintain their own websites.)
School web masters upload
important documents to
electronic document files, update
calendars and important school
information and provide helpful
links to parents and teachers.

9. School library media specialists
use computer technology to
catalog books and keep student
checkout records. Additionally,
many school libraries maintain
websites that serve as portals for
their student populations. The
portals allow students and
teachers to access subscription-
based resources including
databases and encyclopedias.
School librarians are often able
to upload and maintain school
library OPACs (online public
access catalogs) that students
and parents can utilize to search
for books and resources at home.

11. Teachers
Teachers use computers for a variety of reasons.
 They use computers to keep electronic grade books
 maintain and update personal websites to share information
with families
 Communicate with other teachers, parents and
administrators and use software to create classroom
newsletters.
 Access information, engage in video conferencing, research
various topics and create and update lesson plans.
 To design personalized web-based learning programs for
students, and they also allow teachers to design assignment
requirements and web quests for student use.
 To generate and utilize electronic testing for their students.

13. In school settings, students use computers to
learn both with and from technology.
Computers enable students to research a
variety of subjects, create projects to
demonstrate learning and sort and synthesize
information. Students can also use computers
to view assignment guidelines and
requirements blog about what they've learned
or communicate with other students around
the world.
Students can draw from limitless books,
articles, pictures and sound clips; follow
links to experts or virtual field trips; and
participate in real time communications
across the globe.

14. “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the
kids working together and motivating them, the
teacher is most important.”
- Bill Gates