The 21st Century marks the incredulous start of the Information Age where an unprecedented amount of data could be accessed at the tips of one’s fingers. With each successive year, technology is rapidly improving for the sole purpose of making daily life more faster and efficient. For many Americans, a world without technology is unimaginable. Computers and smartphones provide the daily news and frequent updates on global occurrences. Social networking sites also provide info on the latest trends and drama and further connects people on an ordinal scale. Today, most businesses would be impossible to manage without the use of modern technology. Quickbooks and digital portfolios ease the organization of revenue and profit margins which creates a system that is many times more efficient than simply writing down the statistics. Most importantly, the digital age has had a major impact on the field of education and learning. In recent years, there was a noticeable influx in the usage of tablets and laptops within schools allowing for an ease in the access and organization of information. However, many who oppose this technological movement fear that this incorporation of technology would have negative effects on a student’s productivity and mentality. Whether the student is an innocent primary school child or an aspiring college undergraduate, the integration of technology made significant changes within the monotony of the timeless classroom environment.
According to an extensive survey administered by Project Tomorrow in 2015, 47% of teachers reported that students had access to mobile devices in which 58% of students used a personal device and 62% of students have used a school-provided device (National Science Foundation). Students today can reap the benefits of technology being prevalent in their academic lives. With quick and easy file storage and organization, class material could be found much more efficiently compared to traditional paper and pencil notes stuffed in numerous folders and binders. And, with the inclusion of electronic tablet pens, the versatility of digital note taking has increased exponentially. Storing all these notes in Cloud technology can provide multiple access points through many different platforms. Via the Internet, a seemingly bottomless amount of information can be found as a supplement to study material. Research data and academic journals can be found on specialized websites and can easily satisfy the needs of a student.
However, with the amount of poverty and the widening digital divide in America, not everybody has full access to the Internet and expensive devices. Many poorer school districts also cannot afford to fund schools to buy laptops and tablets causing many people to fall behind in this technological age. But is this difference really detrimental to the education of students? Does the incorporation of computers in the school system really promote productivity? Along with the immense amount of information the Information Age provides, there is also a substantial amount of distractions associated with it. Social media and other smart phone apps can veer the focus of many students during class time or the ever-so important hours of studying. In this day and age, most people are well acclimated to the vagaries of technology. Technology has had major influence of many important careers today. By introducing these devices in the classroom, students will be more ready for the new technologies in years to come.
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