New technology is being placed in schools around the nation to enhance school performances. Traditional chalkboards are the thing of the past and are starting to be replaced by smart boards that allow you to use touch detection for user input.
Marquise Parker, first year teacher at San Mateo Elementary School in Jacksonville, Fla., feels like technology is great in the classroom.
“I think technology can be a great thing in a classroom because technology brings the world into your fingertips. There are so many things we can do with technology that I only wish we could have done when I was in elementary school,” Parker explained. “For example, technology is helpful with organizing data. Grading, contacting students parents, and even students and parents contacting the teacher is easier with the help of technology.”
Kandice Asbury, fourth-year Florida A&M University political science student from Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., feels like more technology is both a good and bad thing.
“It’s a double edged sword,“ Asbury discussed. “On one hand, more technology makes students competitive for the workplace. However, it can form a dependency and decrease critical thinking and analytical skills.”
Anastasia Woodberry, professional MBA candidate at FAMU from Lilburn, Fla., feels like technology is good as long as people continue to push themselves mentally.
"Technology is a great advancement in our society. It has given us the ability to do things we, as people, were never brave enough to even dream about,” Woodberry said. “However, the biggest problem with technology seems to be that people have forgotten how to think for themselves. After a while, we may not be mentally capable to support the upgrades and advancements of technology. More technology is a good thing, as long as we remember to think for ourselves."
The use of technology in classrooms cuts back on paper waste, students will be allowed to purchase eBooks that will allow them to take notes and follow along with their teachers from a tablet. Learning how to effectively use technology at a young age will benefit students in the long run, but I also feel like there will always be a place for oldfashioned paper and pen.