OPINION
BY MADISON MULLINS, Freshman
BLYTHEWOOD -- Technology is contributing a major role in the influence of our future. It is important that technology becomes a part of student’s daily lives so they can prepare for the real world.
Steps have already been taken to reach those goals. At Blythewood High School, in Blythewood, South Carolina, students are required to use a Chromebook throughout the day. However, it is the teachers who are responsible for the use of the Chromebook in the classroom.
Currently, 40 percent of the students surveyed at Blythewood High School think that learning is more interesting when technology is incorporated. Unfortunately, only 23 percent of teachers agree with this statement.
In my personal experience, teachers use the technology in the classroom in a variety of different ways, but many teachers neglect the idea altogether.
Tami Lenker, the Information Technology specialist at BHS, gave some insights on the importance of technology in the classroom.
“Using technology in schools is important because it’s how the world works now. Using technology effectively is important so that resources are used in the correct way,” stated Lenker. “It is also important that with technology, students learn management skills.”
“Many times teachers will use technology as a babysitter, or they will not use it at all, which is not what we want. It is imperative that students learn how to use technology, but in a way that we can interconnect ourselves with the world, not in a way that students cannot rely on their teachers,” Lenker said.
Schools are in need of technology because the world is more dependent on it. Technology allows students to prepare for their future by giving them a broad range of resources and opportunities to learn.
Personally, technology has helped me in creating presentations, sharing work with my teachers, and doing research for various projects. Using technology in the classroom is a great resource.
Unfortunately, a handful of teachers reject the idea altogether, and prefer to use less modern ways of learning, all in a convenience for themselves. Other teachers use technology as a replacement for face to face learning, resulting in less impactful relationships between the teachers and their pupils.
In order for technology to be used properly and efficiently, teachers must first give the enthusiasm and appreciation towards students so they can equally share the experience.
This chart shows the engagement of learning using technology, teachers side represented by solid bars, students striped. The results come from Blythewood High School students and teachers.
