Is it beneficial for all schools to have technology in classrooms?

Many students believe going digital is a good thing, but what they don’t know is how it affects your knowledge. Studies have shown laptops can have a positive or negative affect on students. If the laptops are used for course-related purposes then the students engage more in what they are doing. Meanwhile, if the students are using their laptops to play video games and not using it for educational purposes then there is a decline in their attention and learning.

Smile. Freshmen Joana Arapi, Kacey Au, Bella Craiker, and Leah Jaggessar smile as they hold up their school laptop. “It’s been easier to access things on my school laptop,” explained Au. Photo by Paige Sincebaugh

Freshman Kacey Au said, “I can type a lot faster but sometimes I prefer to handwrite stuff.” Some students believe it isn’t beneficial to have technology in the classroom. There are a lot of reasons why schools don’t go digital. Many surveys have shown having access to technology during school distracts people from getting their work done. Examples of this would be there has been many records of students copying answers from the internet and not giving credit to the source they got it from. Another reason students don’t like laptops at school is because all of their assignments are online and if their computer has a problem or is broken then you can’t do any of your work.

On the other hand, students believe it’s useful to have a laptop during class because it is easier to take notes while the teacher is talking and have access to the internet if they have any questions. Furthermore, it is also helpful to have technology because if the teacher can’t read the student’s handwriting, then the teachers can still understand what they are trying to convey if they type it. Schools believe laptops are good overall because even though they are expensive to get for every student, they will save money and resources in the long run.

Another positive reason schools should have laptops is if a student is struggling at home, they can use their school email to communicate with the teacher to get help. Many parents also like that schools are going digital because if they need to contact any of their child’s teacher about any problems the student is facing, the student will have their information on their computer via canvas. Au stated, “It’s been easier to get access to school work and to take notes,” also seems to be the opinion of many students attending Timber Creek High School.