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Lauren Moravick Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102-026 DATE: 21 September 2013

The influences technology usage has on the learning habits of students in elementary school As I continue my voyage through college and carry on with experiencing the best times of my life, I have come to realize that one thing is ever so prevalent in my findings of becoming a teacherthe use of technology. It is hard to believe that at one point in time, we didnt have all the fancy technologies we have today. Students werent carrying around Tablets or I-pads or Laptops, but rather a pencil and some paper. Whats crazier to think about is the fact that this happens as early as elementary school. Over this past summer, I was babysitting and found out that the little girl I watched after was actually allowed to take home a tablet from her year-round school and do her homework on that instead of a notebook. I found this to be rather interesting because I was never accustomed to that style of learning. What also troubled me was the fact that what would happen if the students piece of technology were to malfunction at home and the parents, being from a different generation, were unable to fix it? Would the students grade suffer if they were unable to complete an assignment? From the article Using the Technology of Today, in the Classroom Today, it was stated that because of these new advances in technology, teachers lesson plans have become stronger but they also make for a disconnection between the ways students are taught in school and the way the outside world views socialization. I thought this was an interesting piece of information and it really raised the question of what will happen if all lesson plans are taught with the use of

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technology. Is there an underlying problem that we, as a society, dont see that could potentially hurt our future generation? Sure technology is great and can definitely aid the teachers in the way they conduct their lessons, but how much is too much technology? I was recently at John M. Morehead STEM Academy where I got to witness firsthand the major use of technology in a classroom. As I walked into one of the fifth grade classrooms, I noticed, right off the bat, the huge smart board in the front of the classroom accompanied by the large projector hanging from the ceiling. As I was a little star struck, the teacher walked over to me and began explaining their discipline curriculum. She was telling me that all the kids have a database on the smart board system and all their parents have an email account set up to their childs folder. Every time a student misbehaves or acts out, the teacher changes the status of their folder which then gets emailed automatically to their parent. The parent gets immediately updated when something happens to their son or daughter in class. This process acts like a progress report via the web. Coming from the time where my teachers printed out our individual progress reports, which we had to take home to get signed by one of our parents; I was taken back form this experience. I was shocked by the ability this technology had on changing, what I thought were simple processes, and making them into so easy a caveman could do it processes. It became clear to me that maybe technology is the classroom isnt so bad after all. What still has me puzzled though is the fact of why we are so suddenly starting to use more and more technology in the classroom? Does technology make the job of being a teacher easier? From the article Change in Student and Teacher Roles with the Help of Technology, I found that most teachers who were interviewed stated the same thing; that with the use of technology, the connection between the teacher and the student has decreased. The student no longer needs to ask the teacher for help or for better understanding because the piece of

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technology can do that job. The teacher is no longer the center of attention in the classroom but rather the technology being used that day is. The teacher is then freed to move about the room asking the students questions about why they chose to display something the way they did. The teacher can become more mobile with interacting with their students. Also from this article I found that in nearly all the classrooms studied, the most common effect on students was an increase in their motivation. With the help of technology, students are able to gain immediate feedback from their completed assignments, which can help boost their confidence. This kind of encouragement can also be seen at home with the parents too. The child comes home from school eager to show their parents the work they completed in class, which raises their overall self-esteem. According to one elementary school teacher interviewed for the article stated above, she found that most of her students would rather stay inside and work on their computers or tablets rather than go outside for recess. This is where I see the problem with technology. Although the usage of technology is great in the classroom and you can do so many different things with it, there has to be a point in time where it stops and the students move on from it. Too much technology isnt good for the young students and with that kind of learning style; I believe it hinders their ability to learn in other ways; like hands-on learning. With all the learning being done through technology, will students still be able to create things with their hands and their mind? I can remember a time when I was in school, that all we did was create things, especially during the holidays. We would make crafts that related to our lessons and honestly, doing those crafts helped to better understand the topics being discussed. I am definitely a hands-on learner, so these kinds of activities helped me become more successful in school. Even though students can get creative with technology, it makes things more challenging

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when they have to physically create something. Technology is great but just like everything else thats great, it also has a weakness. Technology can be crippling. According to Adam Frank and his article Sometimes, the Old Ways are the Best Ways, some things, I feel sure, just do not need to change. If a lesson plan works by teaching it verbally or through the use of a chalk board then so be it. If it aint broke, dont fix it, as my mom would say. According to the article The Dos and Don'ts for Integrating iPads, most teachers interviewed did not let their students use their I -pads in class. This was for the reason that if students are allowed to use their I-pads in class then they wont pay attention or listen to the teacher. I found this statement oddly familiar with the students in my classes. I noticed a couple of days after reading the above stated article that I was paying more attention to what my classmates were doing rather than my actual teacher and their lectures. Students, in particular college students, have found ways to trick the system. If their teacher says no phones in class, we both know that some students will put their phone away for 75 minutes but others are figuratively glued to their device. They cant put it down and they soon become so caught up with whats happening on twitter than what their teacher is teaching. This is saddening to me because in college, you are paying for your education. You are just wasting your money if you dont pay attention. Technology has become a huge distraction for students. How often do you see a student reading a book? Now think about how often you see a student reading a text or email or Facebook message. This number is greatly different. All this is due to the fact that technology is taking over our society and the way our educational system works. Whether or not technology is an advantage or disadvantage in the classroom is strictly up to the teacher. As from personal experience, I feel that technology should be limited and should not be used in elementary schools. The kids in an elementary school have their whole life to look

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forward to using technology; they shouldnt be filling their minds about how to use Tablets or I pads but rather how to create things with only their minds and their hands. Technology is too distracting and more often than not, students who use technology in the classroom are paying more attention to the apps then the lesson plan. Teachers should find a way to block certain apps from being downloaded on the piece of technology so students minds cant just drift away. The mind of a student, especially an elementary student, is very fragile and should not be influenced so early on by technology. Technology has the power to change our future and it should be taken into special consideration before it is implemented into a schools curriculum.