Everyone knows how technology is a force to reckon with and has become more ubiquitous in recent years; it’s a part of almost every aspect of every person’s life that sometimes it seems like it’s impossible to live without it.
In a manner of speaking, yes, modern life without technology is almost next to impossible to live properly, especially as the most in-demand jobs require knowledge, talents, and skills in using technology. It is used in most businesses to do various tasks, from making advertising proposal requests to speeding up communication. This requirement has urged many schools to integrate technology into their education system to better prepare students for a technology-centric future. But just like most things, technology has both disadvantages and advantages that are important for you to know.
Modern Education
Since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced many schools to hold online classes to prevent the risk of spreading the virus, more people have realized how important technology is. Many students had to adapt to the new normal way of attending lessons, which some took a long time to get used to. This sudden change in education prompted more people to scrutinize technology and its pros and cons.
The Disadvantages of Technology
It’s essential to know the downsides of incorporating technology in education to anticipate any challenges and know how to deal with them. Here are some that you should know of:
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It can be expensive.
Even if technology is helpful in many aspects of education, some gadgets are not affordable for some students from middle-class families. For anyone who is financially struggling, getting a MacBook or any proper laptop for online classes is not easy.
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It requires users to be tech-savvy.
While every skill can be learned, not everyone would get the hang of using technologies right away. Both students and teachers face difficulties and encounter some technical issues when they hold classes online. This kind of challenge can make some students fall behind their peers.
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It is time-consuming.
Technology is known to make processes faster, but some things can cause them to slow down. Preparing online lessons and Zoom classrooms isn’t easy for most teachers, especially since the platform is different from face-to-face classes.
The Advantages of Technology
As mentioned, technology has many benefits that people should be aware of. While these benefits outweigh the disadvantages, it doesn’t necessarily mean that education should solely focus on using technology as there are different types of learners. Still, here are some benefits you should know about:
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It makes information more accessible.
Of course, technology has made all kinds of information readily available and accessible for students and teachers. This benefit of technology removes hours of going through different books to get the information you need from the equation. With search engines like Google, anyone can type in any topic or question, and any related information will show up in a matter of seconds. Having this type of feature will also allow anyone to cross-reference any information with another to ensure that they are correct.
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It makes communication faster.
Gone are the days when students need to call their peers through landline and get a busy tone. It’s the same when connecting to the internet, which had come a long way—from when it was first invented to the dial-up setup. Nowadays, most students have their phones, social media, and emails that allow them to go online and exchange information and messages more quickly.
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It engages students in learning.
Students enjoy learning in different ways as there are many kinds of learners. Some students are visual learners, while some are auditory or kinesthetic learners. Whatever type of learning style every student has, access to technology will foster their learning skills and even improve on other styles of learning by having access to different kinds of engaging content online.
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It increases productivity and creativity.
Some may argue that there are too many distractions when you go online, but if students can overlook that problem and learn how to manage these distractions, they will become more productive. If technology is used properly, there are many websites and apps that students and teachers can use to make learning and teaching become more stimulating learning, thus increasing creativity, too.
The Future of Education Is High-tech
Technology in education has long ceased to be a divisive matter as more people have embraced technology, although some still doubt its effectiveness. Whether it is effective or not, and whether some people approve of it, it will continue to be a part of modern education.
