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The Pros & Cons of Technology in the Classroom:

In today's world, the internet and technology advances have taken over. This ideal, yet complicated way of life has definitely changed the way in which classrooms around the world are run. Although, one would believe that bringing technology into the classroom would only be a positive experience there are many aspects to consider in this tech-driven world. The following points will discuss the pros and cons of technology in the classroom.

Pros:

  • Gain instant feedback - tools such as online polling and quiz questions help to engage students and they can lead to instantaneous results.
  • Full participation takes place - online surveys and polling can help to get shy students to participate and share their insights, which they normally would not engage in. Most online sources for technology make answering a mandatory process.
  • Streamline simple, tedious tasks - tasks such as taking attendance and student performance can be easily eliminated or made simpler with the help of technology. This allows teachers' to spend their time on other tasks that need more of their attention. 
Cons:

  • Distraction Aspect - the use of technology can cause student's to focus on other interests when using the internet. Just the fact that the computer screen is placed in front of them, they could be more interested in their screen, rather than hearing to what the instructor is saying. This can become quite a big issue in the classroom and very frustrating for the teacher to manage.

  • High risk of cheating - although the risk of cheating has always been an issue in the classroom, technology brings on the high risk factor of plagiarism. Having the internet at students' fingertips, allows for more chances of copying someone else's work.

  • Fairness of access - a major issue that comes into play with technology is the child's ability to get a hold of resources outside of school. Although, schools all over are getting laptops/tablets added to tuition, the lack of resources may still be an issue to many. Also, the need for wi-fi access is typically needed for students' to get their work done, which may not be readily available at all homes. 
As one can see, there are many pros and cons related to technology in the classroom. It seems as though this trend will only continue to rise. Students' will be accustom to the technology advances that many of us did not have during our days of school. 

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