As times have changed, there is no doubt that technology has become a huge part of how we live today. The real question is how is that technology being utilized in the classroom setting? As a biology major, I know that I have had to use tactics such as reading online in order to complete my tasks in labs and for major assignments. Although technology is being used to its full potential in the college setting, is it being utilized in all school systems? I believe that technology is a very key component in students’ education for the fact that it will keep them constantly updated and have access to all knowledge possible.
Students in all school systems on each level of education should be presented with all the technology possible. Susanne Murphy believes that the way schools are run today is somewhat ancient. For example, a lot of institutions still expect students to cite their papers the same way they have been doing for the past 20 plus years. However, that isn’t very realistic anymore. Murphy states, “For providers of professional credentials? Who is welcome to contribute to a scholarly field and how should the contribution be evaluated as worthy of consideration by others — and credited when re-used? In what sense are collections of knowledge and archived thoughts relevant to have and to share? Are these collections properly physical, or virtual, or both? Is there any sense in trying to assign “credit” to the shapers of our thoughts, and (as I am interpreting the quotation from Pope in the opening) can/should we separate the source of the idea from the format in which one talented author has chosen to frame it?” ( Murphy). Here she is saying how instead of giving every piece of information a citation, we quote them just as we do on Twitter and Facebook. I agree with this statement because if one is assigned a 10-page paper and utilize a lot of information, one cannot trace and track everything they used to cite their sources. However, they don’t want to be accused of plagiarizing. In addition to Murphy’s research, Paul Lafarge also believed that ancient teachings should be left in the past. In Lafarge’s article “In the Digital Space of Reading” his main topics consist of how reading online is beneficial than reading from the text. In Lafarge’s beliefs, reading online enhances us; he states, “The Internet may cause our minds to wander off, and yet a quick look at the history of books suggests that we have been wandering off all along. When we read, the eye does not progress steadily along the line of text” (Lafarge). I agree with this thinking because if we as humans let our mind wander just dreaming about what we could do with the information, then when reading online we can wander to different links and access different article and vocabulary words that would help us better comprehend what we are learning about.
Regardless of the presented evidence on why technology is fundamental and should be heavily utilized in the classroom, In the article “Is Google Making Us Stupid” by Nicholas Carr, he mentions how reading online is in a way transforming his brain to the point where he cannot read an actual book. He also makes note that when reading online he tends to jump around in the text and begins to feel anxious when having to actually read for comprehension online. Carr states, “I can feel it, too. Over the past few years I’ve had an uncomfortable sense that someone, or something, has been tinkering with my brain, remapping the neural circuitry, reprogramming the memory” (Carr). In a way I can definitely understand the new transitions that Carr is experiencing because when developing a new skill, it takes time to evolve. However, if adjustment issues are the reason for not expanding technology in institutions then that’s where I’ll have to disagree. Nothing is easy the first time you try it. Taking time to master a skill will take time and dedication. In addition to Carr’s article, “The Reading Brain In The Digital Age “by Farris Jabr has very similar opinions about how technology is taking over. Specifically related to institutions Jarbr states, ““When taking [a] quiz, volunteers who had read study material on a monitor relied much more on remembering than on knowing, whereas students who read on paper depended equally on remembering and knowing. Garland and her colleagues think that students who read on paper learned the study material more thoroughly” (Jabr). I my opinion and past experiences in high school I do know the feeling of being taught how to take a test instead of being taught the material. However, if enhancing technology in school systems, there will be a lot of hands on and interactive tactics that can help students comprehend and retain information easier.
Understanding that there are both sides to any argument leaves room for any type of adjustments for change. Being closed minded and one sided will not get your point across. As a student reading online has helped me connect a lot of dots that at one time were not filled when reading a hard copied book. Like stated before, I can connect with Jabr when he felt as if students weren’t reading for comprehension, they were just reading for the answers because in high school you are taught how to take a standardized test instead of how to tackle the problems. On the contrary, I agree more with Murphy on her belief of needing to change some of the rules when it comes to technology. I have been in a situation where I had to write a five-page essay and I was not able to remember every citation that I used. So in my defense if we could change the rules the earlier the education, the easier it can be moving up in school level.
Any act of trying to change a system that has been intact for a long period of time can be difficult. However, I believe the rate that we as a society are progressing, it is only going to be a matter of time that ideas such as Murphy’s and Lafarge’s will be a part of every school system K-12 and higher. The unity of technology and the education system can only better students so they can receive every opportunity that is presented to them.
