Convergent Education

Blog 18: Convergent Education

            The technologies that are available today have greatly increased the ease for people to get information on just about anything they desire. Notebooks, iPads, iPods, laptops, smartphones, and many other portable devices make getting information from the internet or other people at anywhere and at any time a reality. There is much more knowledge available on the internet and can be found faster than a person could find in any library. With this boom in technology, teachers are encouraged to keep up with technology and begin incorporating it into their classroom teachings. Many teachers have a hard time using technology in the classroom for the simple fact that it is too expensive for schools to get the technology needed. Rigorous testing that is required for schools to give their students also makes it difficult for teachers to find enough time available for their students to use technology.

            Even with these struggles there is still an outcry for students to become more involved with technology because they are surrounded by it outside of school. Schools may become boring because many students don’t have or aren’t allowed to use the technology that they have become “addicted” to the point where it drives them nuts to not have access to it all of the time. Their thinking may be more about using their technological devices during school than focusing on what is being taught. Schools are testing out using phones and other portable technology students may have but there is little data on its effectiveness because it is new. There is a possibility that this can be a very positive tool in student’s learning but there are many questions as to if this can benefit all students or a selected few. Not all students have or have access to the required technologies. As popular as technology may be there are still many students who have limited if any access to technology that is beginning to work its way into school systems. This simple fact can hinder the progression of technology in schools and also put more stress on teachers. Some students may have a good grasp on technology but the ones that are behind make it difficult for teachers to stay on task and keep up with what is expected of them to teach.

            Technology continues to grow and some believe that there will be some type of global learning between 50 percent of the classrooms in about 10 years. I don’t see this as something that is going to happen that soon. There are still too many questions and problems with what societies should do with technology in classrooms. Until we know how to use technology in classrooms to its fullest schools shouldn’t rush to get the latest technology in their buildings. Technology changes faster than schools or even people can keep up with. I fear that the technological revolution involved in education is happening too fast for it to be successfully incorporated into schools. Some technologies can be administered into school use right away and be effective. Our world has become greatly connected because of the internet and with so much information available to people, governments feel that it is important to teach students technology and incorporate it as soon as possible in schools to better prepare students for the future. I do think it is important for students to become familiar and efficient with technology. I only hope that more efficient ways to use it will be used found and incorporated into ALL schools to benefit not only the schools that can afford the technology but also those that could use some financial help in getting it into their buildings as well. It will be very interesting to see how technology evolves and gets incorporated into school systems within the next 10 years.