Trying to delve into what I believe about technology in the classroom by looking into what people believe is wrong with the practice remains my theme for this post. I looked at two more articles in an attempt to clarify my thoughts, “The Problem with Technology in Schools,” and “Technology in the Classroom: Don’t Believe the Hype.” In my last post, I pretty much did a search and picked an article that addressed drawbacks. Today, I wanted to look for articles from more recognized sources. The first article I listed comes from the Washington Post, and the second comes the National Education Association.

The arguments weren’t all that dissimilar given what might be seen as a disparity of sources: tech is leading to distracted researchers, schools are spending too much money for the return they’re receiving, tech sometimes wastes class time. The moral of the story of all three of these articles seems to be the same, there is a middle ground. You would think we would have learned this lesson in general, but we seem to need to hold completely back, or go all in. But when it comes to using technology in our classrooms, we simply must be discerning.

Noel Enyedy, associate professor of education and information studies at UCLA in the NEA article notes that policymakers should continue to invest in technology, but at a more incremental pace, rather than simply trusting and buying into the claims of tech companies. In what I find to be an important point, he notes that research isn’t always finding that tech promises are delivering, results are lacking. And generally, he categorizes technology as relatively new. That is to say, we haven’t developed a feel for what is good or what is bluster. We don’t have a lot of research yet to back up all claims on technology, or the history with it to have a lot of effective techniques to use it. In that vein, he also points out that teachers must be supported with training in the use of technologies, as the technologies will demand a broader range of skills from teachers than has been demanded in the past.

None of these articles say that technology is a bad thing in the classroom, but they caution that perhaps our approach to technology has been unwise, without caution. There are clearly avenue that technology is opening up to us and our students, but it may take us a little time yet to figure out what the most effective uses are.

In exploring my thoughts of teaching with technology, I thought it might be interesting to take a look at an article focused on the the drawbacks of teaching with technology. In doing so, I’m thinking I might more clearly see where I can agree and disagree with such a viewpoint, and better see the value I place on technology in the classroom.

I came across “15 Disadvantages of Technology in the Classroom.” It’s not a particularly carefully written article, but it also raises a few points worth discussion. Some of the disadvantages in the article can’t be argued: technology is expensive, teachers are often poorly trained in using the technology, technology is buggy, and (importantly) access to technology is unequal across the board.

Are these detriments enough to keep us from looking at what technology can do for us in our learning environments though? The author, Grace Pomers, initially mentions in points 2 and 3, that teachers and students are using technology mindlessly. Teachers don’t have the training to do any better, students are becoming lazy because of computer assistance. She acknowledges that technology can be used more effectively, but doesn’t spend too much time looking into this. Yes, teachers do use technology inadequately or for its own sake at times, but we have the power to do better. If we get away from the flash of technology and teachers explore its value in inquiry-based learning (as Pomers mentions), then technology becomes  a powerful tool, not a liability.

Pomers next notes that technology allows for inaccurate sources of information, distraction, and the ability to cheat. The former is a problem. But again, it is up to the instructor’s ingenuity to train their students to critique what they are finding and to choose the best possible resources. The latter two are also true, but I believe schools and instructors are finding ways to counter these problems. Many social sites are blocked, and teachers are designing lessons to incorporate technology into quizzing or culminating projects, seeing the technology as a student’s ally, not an instructor’s enemy.

The list goes on: cyberbullying, student disconnection from the real world, lost assignments, and the like. It’s not particularly worth working to refute each of them. Some of her disadvantages seem a bit frivolous to me, some of them are real problems. But I think it is worth considering two points: the advantages outweigh these disadvantages; and technology is not going away any time soon. We as a society have committed to technology, and of course, there is no such thing  as a free lunch. There is going to be work involved in our adaptation to it. We are going to face challenges in how students make use of such a powerful tool that can be used for so many different goals. Technology is going to be a part of our futures, more so a part of our students’ futures and careers. It is incumbent on us as teachers to engage with technology, understand it, and engage our students in using it to its full potential as a learning tool.