There’s no arguing that technology has taken over the modern world. You can go just about anywhere with a guarantee that multiple people will have their faces buried in their phones. This discussion is often talked about and, quite frankly, overdone. With that said, the Equinox would like to open up the discussion even further and look at the use of technology in schools. Especially here at Keene State College.
For many of us, we can’t even imagine going through school without technology. We’ve grown so accustomed to using our laptops to write papers, do research, create projects, etc. On top of that, many of our assignments are submitted electronically. With the use of Canvas, many professors post all of their assignments online. Students are expected to complete assignments and submit them onto Canvas by a certain deadline.
While this sounds pretty simple, it actually presents many issues. For example, just a few weeks ago, as many of us probably recall, the internet went down on campus.
Many of us didn’t realize the level of impact the internet has on this campus until it went down. Many professors cancelled class and students were unable to complete and turn in assignments. It was as if everything went haywire.
This type of experience brought us to a particular realization. We wondered if we are too dependent on the use of technology in schools. How much are students actually benefitting from this modern way of learning?
Well, the Equinox has an opinion on both sides of the coin. While we can see the problems that arise when
Brendan Goodwin / Equinox Staff
technology decides to malfunction, we also see the benefits it can bring when operating correctly.
Without the surge in technological advances, we would be much more limited. Our use of programs such as In Design, Photoshop, Excel, Powerpoint, Vegas, Final Cut, among countless others, opens us up to a world of opportunities.
These types of programs allow us to exercise our creative abilities and create some top-notch projects. However, with that comes a price to pay.
What happens when these programs unexpectedly malfunction? How badly will your grades suffer because your program suddenly shut down and caused you to lose hours worth of hard work?
Of course, we can try to take measures to prevent these types of things from happening. We can keep our computers free of viruses, we can back up our papers, photos, etc. We can use hard drives but, no matter what, accidents happen. They are unavoidable; things will malfunction and we will lose some of our work.
So much of our school work depends on the use of technology. It’s crucial that we stop and ask ourselves, have we gone too far?
Some argue heavily for the use of technology in schools, while others find it to be an extreme hindrance. Some benefits we see in technology include building multimedia projects. This type of work allows students to be hands-on and create something visually interesting.
In today’s world, we are seeing many transitions from traditional to modern. Our newspaper is a great example of this. While we abide by certain journalistic rules and protocols, we’ve expanded our horizons a bit.
Without the use of photoshop and InDesign, our paper wouldn’t compete at the level that it does. It takes intensive training to get used to these programs, but, once you know what you’re doing, you can create some impressive projects.
On the opposite side of the coin are the problems that arise.
Many of our editors often come in to work on their sections and find that the server is down. This means they are unable to access any of their photos or graphics, and sometimes unable to get into InDesign itself.
With technological difficulties, a large amount of time is wasted trying to fix the problem. Instead of wasting time trying to fix the problem, we could be doing reading for another class, going out and doing interviews, etc.
Another way technology poses a problem in schools is that it oftentimes acts as a distraction. Many students can’t fight the urge to check their social media, check up on how their favorite professional sports team is doing, go online shopping, the possibilities are endless.
Like we said before, technological difficulties and problems are inevitable. They happen. Simple as that.
It is important to find the right balance between using technology but not allowing it to take over our academics lives. While it can be challenging, it is the direction we are moving in.
