Most students of today are technology
savvy. They know how to access technology and use it to their advantage.
Educators have played a role in promoting technology, however the students have
carried it too far by depending on computers and other technology to create
everything from bibliography generators, grammar checkers and even spell check.
This can be a dangerous pattern because the students of today will be our
leaders of tomorrow. Do we want workers to go to a computer to find out how to
solve problems or do we want workers that provide solutions to problems with
their own cognitive powers? Some students I have worked with cannot do any
intermediate or complex math problems without using computers or calculators. I
do not believe that trusting a machine to solve problems is a good thing for
the human race.
Educators
need to come up with a way to engage our students and have technology take a
secondary role in their lives. Today, administrators and educators are obsessed
with testing and put unwanted pressure on their students. Is this why students
feel they have to turn to technology so they won’t get behind in homework?
Educators can give students the tools they need to succeed but most importantly
the self-esteem they require to help them achieve their goals. They can do this
by more hands on activities and making students aware of the consequences of
using technology all the time.
It
is time for our students to use their brains to accomplish goals without the
crutches of technology and become a successful part of our society. It is up to
our educators to make this happen before we raise a society of technology
driven zombies.
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