In a technology driven school environment, much like Cathedral Catholic High School there can be a plethora of pros and cons. The debate of tech use in classrooms is ongoing, the opinions of parents, teachers, and students differ widely.

Including technology, like ipads in classrooms, creates a diverse learning environment. Technology allows classrooms to adapt to all individual students’ learning styles, giving each kid a shot at success. Technology can create inclusivity, especially for students who have disabilities. Technology allows learners to express themselves in ways they would never have the opportunity to before. With increased participation and engagement it is hard for teachers to pass up the opportunity to use tech in their class. “ I think Ipads are great if you use them wisely, but most students don’t.” Student Ryan Mccaffery says. Productivity and collaboration are also increased with the integration of tech. Students have the ability to access materials anywhere which creates a faster pace of learning. Students can collaborate with anyone, especially with the inclusivity of tech, the ability to collaborate with people they never would have before because possible.

Not only does technology have learning benefits, but it also prepares students for the future. Technology is advancing faster than ever, now it is a basic requirement for employment. Being tech savvy increases chances of employment. Including tech in classrooms ensures that students are prepared for college and the workforce.

The use of tech is fluid, allowing students who need to leave school to not miss a beat. Learning options like online courses or virtual textbooks allow students to learn from anywhere. The ability to save work on laptops or ipads ensures students are organized and held accountable for their work. The constant flow of communication from student to teacher which is accessible through technology is also beneficial, no more having to wait till the next day to ask a question.

Tech benefits our environment as well, with the use of technology the use of paper decreases dramatically. It provides students with never ending resources without having to print anything. There’s no need to spend hundreds on textbooks anymore when you have the ability to download it. This is also cost effective for schools; they can stop spending so much on other resources.

“Early research shows that tablets in the classroom have the potential to significantly enhance learning. UK-based researchers examined schools using tablets and found a range of learning benefits, including increases in student motivation, collaboration between students and teachers, and collaboration among students themselves. Another report found that using iPads helps high school students grasp complicated scientific concepts, like time and space. (National Geographic)

With the good of technology also comes the bad. The integration of tech in classrooms is a heated debate especially among teachers. Many teachers claim that students are intensely distracted, almost like zombies.

Internet connection issues can be a determining factor in the productivity of a class, when the internet isn’t working the lesson plan is gone.

Security concerns among schools are high. At our school I know that students are able to bypass security measures and have access to the entire internet right at their fingertips.

Health is also a topic of conversation when technology is in play. Increased screen time can cause both mental and physical health concerns. Tech can overwhelm both teachers and students. “I understand that technology is necessary to survive nowadays, but I don’t want my children to be on tech 24/7. I think integrating tech is important.” CCHS parent Audrey Cassidy says.

Issues with time, access, and training can cause unwanted strain and struggles for teachers and students. Teachers are now forced to babysit students and their use of technology, “put that away, unplug that” is a dance that teachers have to perform in hopes that students will listen.

Teachers claim students are distracted constantly. They are highly disorganized, and their analytical reasoning is worsening. (Great schools) Complaints of weakening attention span from students who use technology is a common thing to hear from teachers. The ability to have any information at a click of a button has caused students to lose work ethic and attention spans. Students will likely click one or two pages to look for data, but not any further. This means that students will lack the in-depth reading skills needed to truly learn about a topic. This will hurt the potential intellect that students could have.

“bolting technology onto an existing curriculum will not lead to increased student achievement.” Said Elliot Soloway, a founder of hi-ce, the Center for Highly Interactive Classrooms, Curricula & Computing in Education, and a professor at the University of Michigan. Mean exam scores did not differ between iPad and no-iPad remedial course groups in a pilot study among second-year pre- medical students (George, Dumenco, Dollase, et al., 2013). (U.S. Department of Education) To conclude, there are benefits and disadvantages to technology in schools.