The Positive and Negative Impacts of Technology in a School Environment

Throughout the decades, the typical school setting has consisted of desks, paper, pencil, and other traditional school supplies. In recent years, however, technology, such as tablets and computers, have penetrated the conventional school room. While technology teaching aids indicate success in schools, especially economically, there are also negative impacts, such as communication barriers and hindrance of the brain’s thought process development. Though technology allows teachers and students to interact with one another in entirely new ways, such as online assignments and electronic forums, this newfound interface may impede on more meaningful communication between the student and teacher. Tim Wilson, a technology specialist at Hopkins High School, asks about the integration of technology into an education setting, “How do we communicate with students today who have grown up with technology from the beginning?” (Source B). Without face to face interaction, the student is unable to grasp concepts as quickly or thoroughly. In addition, it is extremely difficult to ask teachers questions via the Internet. I have had personal experience with this in my online Spanish class last year. Throughout the first half of last year, I attempted to learn honors Spanish through an online school. Somehow, it was my most challenging class because I could not fully comprehend a language without hearing it spoken and having a teacher’s guidance in real time. Whenever I was lost on a particular concept, my only option was to email my moderator, causing a several day delay before I received a response. My struggle with my online class ultimately hindered my progress in Spanish to the extent that I switched to Latin this year. In the end, technology may allow a different type of student-teacher interaction, but schools must remember that direct contact is crucial to the teaching process, or the student will not reach his or her full potential. Another factor which schools should