How can we use digital technology to solve problems in schools? By: Cheyenne Olson

Research  The majority of my research was for putting technology in the classrooms. Some pros I found were that technology would create peace of mind, generate instant answers, there would be wider access to information, access to video, there’s a wide range of music available, and there would be social learning. Also, technology in classrooms would provide a better learning strategy that could keep students involved in their classes.  The technology would provide a broader learning base and in high schools, it can be beneficial because if a video isn’t working on the teachers computer, students can look it up on their iPads or tablets and be able to watch it and they’ll be able to see other ones similar to it which can be beneficial as well. It can also make the class more interactive and the teacher can make it so they can submit answers, kind of like clicker questions we have here.

 There are some cons to this as well, but not as many as there are pros. They are the harmful effects of digital devices, the fact that there are inappropriate materials, child predators and cyber bullying, and they provide a dis-connect. Also, students can become distracted during class and not pay attention in class.  They also may just fool around with the tablets and iPads because they can and they’re little kids-young adults who can’t seem to handle technology appropriately during school hours which is why most school don’t allow them.

Survey  I surveyed university students on my floor in my dorm hall because the majority of the people on my floor in my building are education majors. I posted it on our Facebook page so they could freely answer it.

Results from Survey

Results  I found that a majority of the people were for technology in the classrooms. One person said that it depends because they can be distracting, but if it was for purely educational purposes it would be fine. 8 out of the 12 people said that technology should be allowed in classrooms. Two people said no, and two people said sometimes or it depends. These results show that a majority of people want technology to be allowed in classrooms.

Conclusion  I learned that there are several benefits to allowing technology in the classroom, but also detriments. As an education major myself, it made me think about if I want to allow these things in my classroom or not, although I’m an elementary education major and won’t really using it unless the school provides it for the students. The technology could still be helpful for students in the age range I would like to teach as well.  This can be helpful in the classroom because it eliminates having to go to computer labs, especially for elementary aged students. As I mentioned before, it can engage students by creating interactive parts of the curriculum and keeping them interested. It may also help for students in special education because they’ll be able to be a part of the class more with the interaction.

Resources  w/ w/  w/ w/   resources/academic-policies/electronic-devices-in- classrooms-and-academic-buildings/ resources/academic-policies/electronic-devices-in- classrooms-and-academic-buildings/  and-cons-of-allowing-digital-devices-in-the-classroom/