Is Technology really necessary in the classroom?

I feel that this class has really opened up my eyes about incorporating technology with education.

But is there maybe a sense of technology overload? Can bringing technology into schools be more harmful than helpful?

This article from The New York Times supports the idea that technology does more harm than good. It discusses a study that tracked student’s math and reading scores for 5 years that showed a significant decline in those scores to students that had computer access. The study also suggests that giving children internet access has been linked to lower grades.

The article further states that only people who are highly trained should use  or teach with technology in the classroom. Also, technology should only be used for those with learning disabilities or when the situation was appropriate, like a science simulation. Does this EDT 211 class count as making me highly trained?

“tech-centric skills that students learn in the classroom transfer to novel problems that they need to solve in other areas.”

The article even questions if the “tech-centric skills that students learn in the classroom transfer to novel problems that they need to solve in other areas." Okay, I suggest the author write her next article on a typewriter, or better yet, a stone tablet and chisel. I'm sure engineers, doctors, journalists, and many others regret using technology in their education.

The biggest problem with the article is that the information is misleading. The author automatically blames too much technology as the main cause of academic decline. If a 5th grader has low math or reading scores, its not necessarily technology’s fault. If the student is sitting on the computer and surfing the web all afternoon instead of touching his or her homework, then its obvious that math and reading scores will be lower. If however, the student is playing a math game on the internet, that could actually help his or her learning process. The study focuses on “computer access” but does not specify what the computer is being used for.

Second, technology has been proved helpful to in many subject areas. The article mentioned making it subject appropriate - like using a computers for a science simulation. I have actually used simulations in my physics class, and it was very helpful since many experiments cannot always be replicated in a classroom. Almost every subject can benefit from some use of technology. This article shows the many ways we can actually increase the learning process through technology- like using a blog in a classroom.

I think what the article is really trying to say, is that maybe parents should monitor the technology use of their children. Not every toddler needs a tablet. Schools should not have to limit the use of technology in their curriculum because children are abusing their computer privileges at home. Schools are not trying to replace teachers with computers, they are simply using them to get the full benefit of the learning experience. Teachers don’t simply hand students a tablet and walk away, but many parents do. The article manipulates it’s readers by convincing them that technology doesn't belong at school, when really maybe there is too much technology with no supervision that is the real problem. We can’t blame President Obama or technological development for poor academic growth - we have to look further at the problem before we scare the public.