Education and new technology do not really mix. Besides the introduction of computers, broadband and digital projectors that can display color movies; there has not really been much education and technology mixing. This is angering large electronics firms who really cannot wait to dip their fingers in the honey pot that is state school budgets. They have been pushing different mobile technologies into schools in the hopes that they will be adopted on a wide scale. And yet, mobile technologies (i.e. the new technology) does not have a place in our schools.
Where could mobile technology fit into schools?
There has never been a good and unbiased test that showed that mobile technology has a home on modern schools. It is simply not useful enough to teach American children. It does not do anything that a text book, a note book, a computer or a pen does not. A teacher standing at the front of a class and talking is still streets ahead of anything that technology can give us.
Asking with a tablet and answering with a phone
Many of the electronics firms believe that this is the way forwards. They believe that teachers should be able to post questions from their tablet onto a child’s phone, and that the child should be able to answer the question on the phone. But, ask yourself if you really want a future generation of employees being asked a question and pulling out their phone to answer.
Plus, how could this possibly test a student’s knowledge in an engaging way? The fear of being called upon in class is enough to make the child want to know the answer. The fear of looking silly in front of classmates will make the child want to know the answer and pay attention. But, where is this incentive if the child simply gets every answer wrong on the phone where nobody is around to care?
Interaction with a tablet between teacher and student
How could this possibly ever foster a healthy learning environment? A teacher asking a student a question in the class will force the child to act in a public and social setting. The child is going to spend the rest of his or her life in this situation, from when he/she is asked a question in a store, to when he/she is asked to rise in court. The children need the student and teacher interaction. Even if the child learns nothing at all then at least the child is exposed to an authority figure, which he/she may not get at home.
How healthy is it going to be when a person grows up and has to consult a tablet device for an answer? When a person will be asked in church if he/she does, and they have to wait for their tablet to load.
Technology can be used in the classroom
It can be used for cheating in the classroom. This is a well established fact. As mobile phones became smaller and smaller, more and more people started to try to sneak them into exams. Scientific calculators may now hold some very detailed information, and people are told to blank the memory of their calculators. If more and more technology is allowed into the classroom for the sake of having it, then students are going to find ways of cheating for the sake of cheating.
Can technology be used to engage students?
Of course it can, if it is used correctly. However, nobody has yet found a method that is more effective that current methods. The fact is that advancements such as digital projectors have not really caused a distraction and have engaged students nicely. But, things like PCs have engaged students whilst also causing a distraction. Luckily, the payoff for the threat of distraction is sufficient. But, this cannot yet be said for most technology at the moment except for virtual reality helmets (and the like) because they force people into engaging. However, they are still too expensive for widespread use in classrooms.
Is there hope for technology?
As time goes by then some form of technology is going to come into existence that may be pragmatically applied to the classroom. However, at the moment, the “new” mobile technology is not quite there yet.
About the author:
Cindy Bates works as a freelance writer and editor at Bestessaytips. She used to write articles and share her knowledge and experience in educational sphere.