Professor Gadget

“Does anyone know how I can make this bigger?” “ Who knows how to copy and paste?” “How do I select that box?” Teachers these days… It may just be me but I have been growing more and more tired of the naivety some high school teachers regarding technology in the classroom. In my opinion, if you don’t know how to use something, don’t bring it into the classroom. In this era, smart boards, laptops, projectors and iPads are prevalent in most private and many public high schools throughout America and most other countries as well. In the current digital age it is hard to get away from those who, try though they may, just cannot work out how to control computers and other technological devices.  While they can be confusing at times, I believe these gadgets play a huge role in the way we learn today. Without them, we would be much less connected to the rest of the country, not to mention the world.

            I find laptops in high school classrooms useless, distracting and a waste of money. Furthermore, it saddens me to think of books becoming obsolete and extinct. However, I do believe technology in the classrooms is necessary, especially in college. Laptops in a college classroom are much more acceptable in my eyes; while course-work is much more rigorous and note-taking completely necessary, it is easy to justify bringing computers to class. Also, professors in college classrooms seem much more apt to handle the “complexity” of the smart-boards and projectors that proved too difficult for the high school algebra teachers. I do understand, however, the argument that laptops can be extremely distracting to a lot of students (Snyder).  I find my fingers typing “Facebook” into the URL bar without even thinking about it, and I can’t help but peek onto the screens next to me to see my classmate’s new high score on Robot Unicorn Attack. Nonetheless, the fact that a laptop can be distracting is a weak reason to forbid them in classrooms. If a student is easily distracted, he or she will not pay attention even in the absence of a laptop, and those who are focused and want to actively participate will not let their screens stop them.

            Teachers who use electronic devices to support the curriculum are geniuses in my eyes.  While PowerPoint is boring and extremely annoying when read directly from, it is a helpful tool to keep students focus and promotes note taking (Freie/Behuniak). Smart boards are also extremely beneficial, that is, when a teacher knows how to use it. If time isn’t spent realigning the projector or changing pen color, the smart board is perfect in almost every subject. It’s like a whiteboard, projector and computer combined, how could you go wrong with that?

            Being able to use technology in accordance with my education has not only been extremely convenient but has also allowed for more stimulation.  Crowdsourcing, or “inviting a group to collaborate on a solution to a problem” (Davidson) has been increasingly easier with the plethora of social networking sites available today. Research is also much quicker, and while some people say this has promoted laziness, I say it has just cut down the wasted hours spent on fumbling through encyclopedias and tossing useless books aside. There are also more ways to learn these days. While Snyder argues that googling during class is counter-productive and just another distraction, I believe it is a helpful tool. Instead of staring blankly at my professor because I don’t know what the word “cogent” means and am too embarrassed to ask, I can simply google it and then continue taking notes. If I do get distracted and end up on other, less relevant websites, it will only replace the time I would have spent racking my brain, trying to self-define “cogent.” The Internet has so many education-based websites that it is almost overwhelming. We have so many resources at our fingertips that it would be a shame to not take advantage of them; hence the use of technology in classrooms.

            In my own experiences, technology has only improved my work habits and boosted my grades.  Learning in a digital age has been extremely rewarding. I have learned to adjust my work habits so that I don’t become distracted by the highly entertaining world of the Internet and to utilize my resources. I disagree with those who denounce the use of technology in classroom settings. I believe we must keep up with the times in all aspects, especially education.