Marisa Guza English 111 14 November 2013 N.

Elliott This Evolving World This evolving world is changing as we know it. Our daily lives are full of technology, from cellular devices, searches on the World Wide Web, and even video games. The use of digital tablets and computers in schools has never been higher. Many never knew a world without all this great technology. Technology helps students broaden their knowledge and helps to deepen their understanding of their world. I see this world only evolving faster as these next years pass, and the use of electronics in learning to increase as well. The use of technology will not only expand the information we can receive, but also our learning as whole. Today, students have the capabilities to figure out such information that only a couple decades, we could only dream of. The Net Generation, the generation, who has grown up and never known anything

without technology, would argue that education without technology is unthinkable. The constant battle of whether technology is needed in education will be ongoing for many years to come. The young adults today were brought up in the beginning of this evolving technology culture. It will only continue to change learning. Now, students have grown accustomed to using a calculator and would be concerned if they werent allowed to use one again. Technology in the classroom ranges from calculators, tablets and the classic computer. Jeremy Posey, a NMSI expert, discusses that, There are all innovations that have helped countless people during regular daily activities, but they can also have a profound impact on classroom learning, (Huneycutt, 2013). Technology in the classroom helps students look forward and realize what the future is capable of. According to Posey, there are four specific benefits that students receive

from technology in the classroom. First, it helps students concentrate for longer amounts of time. With resources, such as the Internet, allows them to decrease their research time for using books and paper resources are more likely to take longer. The speedy process of searching for information allows students to focus on a project than just researching. It also helps expands their learning through research. The second benefit is it makes students more excited to learn. When technology is involved with a subject, they are more likely to be focused on and happier to learn about that subject. Everyone learns at different paces, that is why the third benefit is so helpful. It allows students to have individualized instruction from the computer. It teaches lessons at the convenient time and when the student is ready to learn it. Also allows students be self-directed and capable of learning how to do things on their own. Teachers also benefit because it allows them to focus on the classroom objectives and freeing them for students who are having difficulties. Last, the students benefit by being prepared for the future. Technology in the classroom lets students and the teachers to obtain the skills they need for the 21st century. It also contributes by giving students skills that they will use in the future such as critical thinking. Education is no longer just about learning and memorizing facts and figures; its about collaborating with others, solving complex problems, developing different forms of communication and leadership skills, and improving motivation and productivity,(Honeycutt, 2013). Honeycutt explains that technology broadens many skills in the classroom. When technology is used correctly it allows teachers and students to skyrocket to success. Today, businesses and educational institutions are looking toward technology to improve their results. The most important priority that technology provides is that its consistent and provides a stable education. Technology provides students, especially the ones who refuse to work on it, to understand unclear concepts. Researchers have found that the techniques that

computers and other databases use are the ideal teaching method. The visual concepts are able to connect with students and help them understand better. Computers are rarely being used to provide basic instruction to students but rather to provide enrichment in subjects originally taught by human instructor (Educational Technology). It allows us to deepen our understanding of what we already knew and lead us down new paths of comprehending. Technology is becoming something that has been involved in everyday life for the past century. With the uniqueness and quickness of the Internet, and the increasing of text messaging, we may be reading more than we have ever in the past 30 years. Reading isnt a factor that is etched in our brain, such a speech. We must teach ourselves, or be taught how to transform symbols into meaningful words. In media, and other technologies in the use of learning contribute to the circuits that allow us to read. According to Nicholas Carr, who has written numerous books about technology says, The process of adapting to new intellectual technologies is reflected in the changing metaphors we use to explain ourselves to ourselves (Carr, 373). For example, when the mechanical clock came out, many people speculated that their own brains worked the same, like clock-work. As the Internet being such a powerful source, it has many uses that are used in our life as so many things. Its our phone, our clock, our radio and even TV. Not ever has anything played such a key role in our life that influences our almost every thought, as the Internet. Many are unclear on how truly this super power is changing our thoughts and how it exactly has affected us. As Posey stated above, there are many benefits that reap from allowing students to use technology in the classroom. It allows them to feel self-sufficient and help students feel empowered about being able to understand new techniques and information. Technology also enforces collaboration which is a very important characteristic that is needed in the future.

Teachers notice that the more they allow students to use technology, the more likely they are likely to ask one another questions or help show what they know about it. Also with collaboration, with the students, technology permits them to learn how convey their idea to the audience. With the many ways to use it, technology helps broadcast the same idea in a numerous of different ways. It makes them think of the best way to portray an idea to certain group of people. Personally, being a student in this technology world, Ive realized that many of our academics, is measured by computerized tests that permit teachers to see how much help a student needs in a certain area of education. The Department of Education, a government organization, explains that as the cost of home and personal computers decrease, the use of them not only in school, but worldwide will increase as well. Now, schools and universities are able to contact professors or specialists via video camera to help expand students learning. It allows distance learning so that students may only be learning from the best. The department also relates the fact the use of 21st technology with sounds and videos helps audiences relate to the information being broadcasted. Also, not only is technology faster to use, but now with it evolving, it easier than possible so that even students with physical disabilities can use. Also like Jeremy Posey says, technology helps students learn information in a way that they can infiltrate and learn at a rate that helps them understand what

I consider technology to be a great resource to help students and adult, not only in everyday life, but in classrooms and businesses. It adds such depth to thinking that is only predicted to get stronger. Technology allows students to look in depth to subjects and to expand their learning. Though many seem to think that technology has many cons and shouldnt be used, I believe that it should be integrated into every aspect of education. It will allow us to reach our

fullest potential with learning. Technology is something that we must learn to become a big part of our life, and become part of our schedule. Today, life without technology is almost unimaginable.

References Roberts, G. (2013). Technology and learning expectations of the net generations. Educause. Web. Educational Technolgy. Department of Psychology. Web Johnson, Menko

Todays teachers leaving teacher training programs today, are often uncomfortable with technology, unable to effectively integrate it into their teaching, and thus not providing students

with the positive experience and exposure they desperately need( Kotrlik&Redmann, 2005). Kotrlik & Redmann are authors who research and write about adult education teachers. As much as this economy encourages us to keep up with the latest and greatest, we fail to teach it to students who do not understand it. Although online learning makes it easier for students to broadcast information, students who participate in online classes have higher chance dropping out, or stop continuing the class compared to traditional classes. As for online classes, told be Canning (2012), The more distant the learning, the greater demand there was for a more personalized tutorial service. Being able to connect to a student is hard in traditional setting, let alone in a technology world. Technology is becoming increasingly powerful for it is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We need to learn and use the Internet to its full capability and use what the World Wide Web provides. Many believe that the World Wide Web will be great, and only make greater things for in the future. I dont think having access to information can ever make anyone stupider (Pew Research Center, pg.382). Compu ters may also be hurting in the class room. Students may take time to actually know the software, to either properly learn it, or even teach it. If they arent used properly, students will begin to lose out on the opportunities they are presented with. Another con is that schools spend numerous amounts of money to integrate technology into their curriculum and yet, most of the results of the technology are unclear.Technology may also be affecting us because the Internet is always about being fast. About how many links or web sites we can click on, and get somewhere the fastest. This whole time, Google and other companies are looking to nab every insight we give about ourselves as we cruise the web. Certainly its much easier to find stuff out stuff, including historical, accurate, and true stuff, as well as entertaining, ironic, and creative stuff. Its

also making some folks lazier, less concerned about investing in the time and energy to arrive at conclusion (DocSearls, pg 382). Doc says that the Internet may be causing distractions and making people lazy and less apt to actually do something productive. The Internet can be a very helpful tool in classrooms and learning environments, but it can also cause distractions in which decrease the students ability to concentrate. Also, its been proven that when students read from tablets or electronic devices, they are less likely to reread difficult sections or check how much they actually understood. This technique is called metacognitive learning regulation. Also, numerous tests have shown that students who read from a tablet are less likely to remember the information they read compared to ones who read from a standard paper book. Simple things, such as turning a page, allows students to concentrate me, which is why many tablet companies are trying to incorporate this technique into their products.