Educationa: The Fate of Education in the Hands of Technology

You know, what fascinates me oddly is how technology is transforming education. People (mainly students, teachers, and administrators) are affected by what technology is giving them. A lot of good has come from technology. However, there are problems that have arisen, and other problems that have not been solved. But, fortunately, the good has really outweighed the bad, and technology has blessed people with convenience, further comprehension, and various other perspectives on topics that would have otherwise remained obsolete or vague.

How is technology changing schools? It is changing right in the eyes of students, faculty, and even administration. For students, it is becoming a a necessity. Most of their assignments rely heavily on the use of a computer in one way or the other. Math courses require the use of calculators. Books, handouts, transcripts, and presentations are accessible on websites so students (need they be absent) can keep up with their lessons and lectures and not be lost from missing a day or two of studies. Students, when taking academic placement exams, do not have to wait for their results to be returned to them in a few days or so, but can receive their scores as soon as they complete their studies. Computers can also now create a new form of schooling: the online school. This is where students can have access to an education from their home via computer. This is a product of effective academic communication also, as things such as text messaging and e-mail can help create social networks with other students and teachers.

Teachers and other faculty members are able to access grades and teaching material via the Internet, reducing their workload at home and at school. This really reduces the back pain and stress of carrying grading notebooks, unbound papers, and teaching plans for the week. Faculty members are able to save paper by sending and receiving memos and important notices via email, rather than asking students to deliver notes or other critical information to other teachers or aides. Pedagogues do not need to rely on notebooks to plan out their day of teaching and grading students. Teachers do not have to make mistakes while creating and grading exams, as Scantron devices and tabulating machines can create, grade, and return tests and their scores to the students. This is a boon to students and administrative personnel, who usually bear the brunt of the teachers’ demands and requests.