Technology Is Changing Education Essay Research Paper

Technology Is Changing Education Essay, Research Paper

Fernando Leigh

English Composition and Rhetoric

Research Paper

Technology is Changing Education

The best method for improving educational standards is to utilize every tool

available, including state-of-the-art technology. Computers and the Internet have

expanded the way in which education can be delivered to the students of today.

Today?s networking technologies provide a valuable opportunity to the practice of

learning techniques. Educators are discovering that computers and multi-based

educational tools are facilitating learning and enhancing social interaction. Computer

based telecommunications can offer enormous instructional opportunities, but

educators will need to adapt current lesson plan to incorporate this new medium into

all the classrooms. The only problem is that some of today?s schools are hindered by

an under-powered technology based curriculum and, in order to stay competitive, the

American educational system must do a better job of integrating.

Computers have made a fundamental change in most industries, providing a

competitive advantage that has come to be essential to stay in business. Therefore,

education must also use technology to improve the educational process instead of

simply applying it to existing structures. School systems often consider acquiring an

enterprise computer network, but justify its purchase by applying it to routine

administrative tasks, or take period by period attendance. Although these tasks are

important, they only represent a small part of what technology can do for an

educational institution. Technology must go beyond just keeping attendance, it must

focus on keeping students interested and productive. “Curriculum improvement is the

best strategy to prevent dropouts; technology is especially useful in this regard”

(Kinnaman 78). Technology can provide a unique and compelling curriculum

resource, that challenges every student.

The Clinton administration has taken steps towards improving educational

standards via its “Goals 2000: Educate America Act of 1994″ (Thornburg 23).

However, several interpretations of the Act never mention the use of technology.

Advocates of the Act need to realize that Internet linked computers can provide more

current information than what is found in today?s “exciting” textbooks. For example,

science textbooks and history textbooks are notoriously out of date. In contrast, the

Internet offers students a vast pool of current scientific data. Most of the time the

Internet makes learning fun, unlike the plain fashion of the “almighty” textbook.

Computers and other technology can also heighten the learning process by actively

engaging students in the task of exploring data. Some students may be tempted to

simply download information from the Internet that does not have anything to do with a

particular subject that they were asked to research. This shows that the Internet may

have a greater impact to education than to learn that information from a typical

textbook.

Since computers and the Internet have expanded the way with which education

can be delivered to students, it is currently possible to engage in distance education on

specialized subject and fields through the Internet. Distance education involves audio-

video linkage of teachers to many students and even in remote areas. Video

conferencing allows groups to communicate with each other. Desktop video

conferencing promises to bring student together from geographic and cultural distances

face to face via computer. Students in New York City will be able to learn about a

Chinese culture, not only through books, but also from Chinese students. Not only will

the teacher talk to the students but the students will be able to interact with each other.

This will make the students more interested and fascinated with learning about another

culture.

Not only does the Internet, and video conferencing help education, also

Microsoft has created new programs for designed for educational purposes, Some of

these are “Encarta World Atlas” and “Encarta Encyclopedia.” “These two particular

programs make learning easier and more enjoyable, all because of the use of the CD-

ROM device” (Keen 100). Instead of looking for a particular country and simply

finding out where it is in a regular atlas, students can type in the name of that country,

and not only will they find out where it is faster, but they will obtain more information

about that particular country. Instead of having volumes and volumes of heavy

encyclopedias, Microsoft has place all of these massive books into one light CD. This

CD is much simpler than the unpleasant job of flipping page by page just to read about

an uninteresting topic, such as history. But, with the use of this CD, not only do you

receive regular information, but you may al

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