Technology and its Effect on Education and Teaching

Technology and its Effect on Education and Teaching

The use of technology in the school curriculum has portrayed a tremendous number of impacts on the education system. Technology, through the incorporation of students’ access to computers within the classroom level, has facilitated access to more information. Moreover, the increased internet connection with the classroom seems to increase the research studies in numerous fields within the school. President Obama’s initiative of connectED is focused towards developing quick integration between technology and the classroom activities. Technology is being used in schools to improve the quality of teaching skills that are delivered from the teachers to students. However, it can be noted that the application of such technologies despite being efficient has not significantly been implemented. In the US, it is worth ascertaining that more than 97% of the classes have access to at least one or two computer devices. Nevertheless, it can be indicated that more than 99% of classrooms are connected with internet services within the country. The most alarming issue is the fact that only 40% of these classrooms can integrate technology during worktime and instruction in the teaching process (YouTube, 2016). Consequently, it is reasonable to maintain that despite the technology being an impediment and distraction for students, it has facilitated the increase of the capacity of teachers to educate and further enable students to learn new skills.

Technology is evident in its role in improving the capacity of teachers to educate students. It has been possible through the use of computer-related devices that have facilitated the development of new sources of information to be used in classwork. Moreover, teachers have had a broader opportunity to explore various strategies that be applied to the teaching of students in the classes. For instance, in the initiative that was developed by President Obama, connectED seeks to improve the capacity of teachers through the development of new strategies through the use of various devices. The American government partnered with tech giants such as Apple and Microsoft to promote the integration of technology into classrooms. The Apple industry, through the program, has enabled the accessibility of an iPad to each student, both iPad, and MacBook to teachers, and promoted the presence of an Apple TV in each classroom. The devices have supported easier integration of technology to boost the skills of teachers and develop a more comprehensive training capacity within the classroom levels. Therefore, it is worth ascertaining that technology within the classroom improves the capacity of teachers in promoting the learning process among students.

Furthermore, it can be developed through the connectED program that was facilitated by President Obama in the US. Apple has achieved the building of the technological infrastructure in numerous schools. Moreover, more than 760 320 feet of internet cables have been installed in the schools where the initiative has been implemented. The apple industry has also supplied more than 4,400 teachers with iPads in the schools where the initiative has been applicable. The effects of the connection to technology through the connectED program has been the development of online platforms where students and teachers can chat and share about the information they learned (Apple and connectED, 2015). The online dashboards that have been used for discussion among students and teachers have proved efficient in improving the skills of the teacher in classrooms. Teachers can widely understand and discover the complexities facing their student through the online platforms which the students can access through the iPads that have been supplied from Apple company. Moreover, discussions among students of various schools and colleges have been capable of. Information is thus, widely spread among the students making the relevance of the application in the teaching process possible. Online discussion enables the teachers to have a better relationship with students as they are open to discuss more than when they are in the classroom. The close relationship that has been developed between the teacher and students provides an opportunity to expand the knowledge among instructors based on the appropriate skills that should be applied in the classroom. Moreover, it allows the teaching process to be conducted off classes as the students can post questions that need guidance from their instructors in the same discussion platforms through the use of the iPads. The internet connection in the schools that have benefited from the connectED program also promotes the sharing of information through the discussion forum (US Department of Education, 2016). Thus, it is worth ascertaining that technology is necessary for improving the learning nature of students through its capacity to facilitate access to the discussion forums. Hence, technology, despite being a distractor to students, has accelerated learning through the increase of the instructors’ teaching capacity.

The integration of technology in classrooms has also increased the capacity of students to learn specific skills. It can be indicated that through the access of the iPads, students in the schools where connected had been applicable have had a chance to boost their skills in learning. For instance, the new technology that has been implemented enables the students from various regions to have a learning process conducted at their own pace. The advantage that arises from such technologically improvised learning is the ability to develop skills that are highly demanded in the employment sectors. The specific skills can only be acquired through the use of technology to achieve a more critical learning strategy among the students. Moreover, the efforts of the Obama administration in the implementation of the connectED program have help in making a more comprehensive range of skills that are related to the demand in the industries today. Hence, it can be ascertained that technology promotes the improvement of the skills through the integration of technology with classwork activities. Consequently, students have been able to learn specific skills that are relevant in their careers through the use of technology.

The integration of technology with classrooms has facilitated the learning process among students through the opening of the opportunities to access the world around them. In this specific case, students, through the use of the iPads that have been made available by the connectED program, could obtain comprehensive knowledge in various levels of studies. It can be indicated that students have had access to e-books and some other addition that is relevant to their surveys. Research papers are written by students; therefore, they have become more effective through the outsourcing of information beyond the classroom levels. The wireless connection of the internet has also enabled the students to access learning materials such as textbooks from various sources to improve on what they already about certain things. Teachers have also had the opportunity to instruct students through sending of additional reference material to student corporate emails. The expansion of the capacity among the students to learn new skills and information on various topics has made it possible to increase the intensity of the learning process. Therefore, it is worth indicating that students that have benefited from the program have had the opportunity to improve their learning capabilities.

The integration of technology in classwork has further allowed students to acquired specific skills such as computer programming in robotics. The use of the iPads and other technologically powered facilities has allowed students to have better connectivity of the internet used towards achieving expansive knowledge and skills in the learning process. It is predicted that employment in the industrial sector that deals with computer programming is likely to increase by 20-30% in the future (YouTube, 2016). Therefore, Obama’s initiative is focused on developing improved skills in programming to create more opportunities among the students.

Nevertheless, technology has been exposed as a distraction to students. They have continuously been disrupted from concentrating in studies by the various features on the iPads, such as Netflix and Spotify, that are used for entertainment. The capacity of the devices to run games has dramatically affected the students as they spend more time in it than for learning purposes. The devices can power social media apps such as Facebook and Instagram that have also tampered with the study periods. Hence, it can be developed that the learning process has been distracted by the integration of technology in the classroom.

In conclusion, it is probable to assume that despite new technology acting as a distractor to the learning process, it has increased the capacity of teachers to educate and enabled students to learn new skills. The connectED program in the United States is a perfect example of the benefits that have facilitated by technology in the classroom. The benefits of access to information through e-books and online journals increase the support to students learning. Moreover, the generation of computer programming in robotics helps in creating skills that are demanded in the employment opportunities in the future. Therefore, governments of various states need to engage in integrating technology with classwork through instruction and work time among students.