After years of Jamaica trying to integrate technology into the classroom,and doing so at a

painfully sluggish rate,the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic forced the integration of technology

to happen at a blistering speed.In a span of two years the Jamaican classroom has becoming

largely centered around technology,with some classes still being entirely online.This has been an

overwhelming positive development which has greatly helped Jamaican students,however too

much of a good thing is inevitably a bad thing.

Undoubtedly technology integration will induce progress in the Jamaican education

system,and progress is necessary,but progress at what cost?My philosophy for the integration of

technology in education is that students should be made fully aware of how to use the necessary

tools,but they must also be taught how to do tasks without them.It is my personal philosophy that

the integration of technology should not serve to eliminate the other tools in the classroom as this

will cause students to have a crippling dependence on technology.

As a student of Science,one of the main ways I have seen technology integrated into my

classes is through the simulation of labs.Through these simulations,students are able to gain a

virtual learning experience of completing the lab.However,when presented with an identical lab

for an in-person class,many students-myself included- found it difficult to complete the lab even

though we had already completed it virtually.And therein lies my issue,I believe that the current

trajectory of technology integration is headed to a future where real life skills are neglected in

favor of virtual ones,and that I believe is a massive problem.

I do not believe that educators have a choice of whether or not to integrate technology in

classrooms,the choice has already been made for them.In order for students to fully adapt to the

digital world they must be taught all the tools they will need to survive.This must include far

more than the typical word processing skills students are usually taught,students need to be
taught technology that they can apply to their everyday lives.However,to achieve the most

holistic results for students,then students must be simultaneously taught “real life skills”.The fact

is that there will be times when technology fails the students and in those instances they must

have the skills needed to continue working in the absence of technology.

My final reason for technology integration to be done at a more controlled pace is that it

can cause the deterioration of the social and communication skills of students.While not

explicitly stated as a part of the curriculum,these are skills developed throughout school life that

are essential for the development of students.

In conclusion,my personal philosophy in regards to technology integration in the

classroom is that it is essential to better equip students for the digital world.However,I do not

believe that technology should supercede the practical skills,but instead a more balanced

approach should be taken in order to achieve the best results for students.