Carrie Kniedler

03/01/14
Do computers negatively affect students growth?
YES
Not all students have access to a computer at
home or in school

NO
Future needs- work, social
The logic seems to be, at least on the
governmental level, that we cannot afford for
the coming generation not to be computer
enabled, as this ability will be critical for a
country to be economically competitive
Give the students skills they need to flourish in
a high-tech world

Young children should be utilizing their natural

propensity for physically based activity rather
than be stuck in front of a computer.
Misuses of technology may adversely affect
brain maturation and development. Given that
possibility, Healy argues, young children would
be better served if they manipulated and
interacted with their physical environment
rather than a computer
Skills acquired today by a five year old will not
be relevant later in life because technology
will develop beyond comprehension
Whatever computer skills they picked up in
primary school had been rendered obsolete by
the frenetic pace of technological innovation
Accessibility and Suitability - If an individual
does not have access to a computer or does
not understand the content through a
language deficiency or cultural differences
Most digital content is overly simplistic in its
structure. For example, a sum can only be
wrong or right. The content will not explain to
the student why the sum was wrong.
A real teacher will mark a piece of work and
offer the essential logic reasoning for the
decision that will enable the student to gain a
fundamental understanding of the system
behind what constitutes correct/incorrect.
Computer based content is a long way from
offering the depth, flexibility and tried and
tested results that a trained, dedicated and
experienced teacher can offer children. In
addition, the interaction with a sophisticated

The cost of technology is ever-decreasing

The earlier the education system allows
students to become familiar with technology
the greater will be their depth of
understanding and effectiveness in using it.
A preschooler who learns to read using a
computer and who conducts advanced science
experiments with the direction of educational
software. When children control their media,
rather than passively observe, they develop
faster
Skills acquired can focus on an understanding
of what computers can do rather than just how
to interact with todays computers. In addition,
once the initial groundwork has been obtained
the potential for adaptation to a dynamic
system can be incrementally updated in the
same way, as adults have to adapt to new
technology.
Computer based content allows a level of
individual engagement and interactivity. By its
nature learning with the computer is a one-onone experience
Computers allow users to individualize their
speed of attainment to suite their personal
needs and capabilities

Computer based learning allows the maximum

effectiveness and distribution of the best
quality teaching and content.
With the advent of new technological

adult allows critical advanced vocabulary and

personalization skills.
Qualitative difference between learning about
something and learning from something

Alien-zapping in place of quality math

investigation; draw-and-paint programs
instead of finger-painting; and programs that
reinforce random clicking rather than skills of
problem-solving, communication, and
investigation
Students who can use a computer or calculator
to perform math procedures i.e. addition,
subtraction, division and multiplication. That
same student could not perform the same
math procedures accurately by hand
Computers pose health hazards to children.
The risks include repetitive stress injuries,
eyestrain, obesity, social isolation, and, for
some, long-term physical, emotional, or
intellectual developmental damage.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has
expressed concern about the amount of time
children spend in front of various types of
screens, and several experts in eye
development have stated that computer use is
creating problems in childrens developing
visual systems
Children must be protected from the dangers
of the Internet, stalkers, adult content, hate
and violence. Filtering software is notoriously
inefficient.

Schools are ill-positioned to embrace

technology and use it properly
Computer crashes, glitches, old
programs/operating systems, slow processors,
malfunctions
Data systems require constant collection and
reporting of information about students
learning, behavior, etc.
The expectation that things will happen
quickly flows over into real life

advances, teachers can become facilitators of

learning in a resource-rich environment rather
than disseminators of information.
Virtual tours- virtually take kids to places they
may never have the opportunity to go
Virtual classes- can reach more students with
one teacher, more cost effective and effective
A great teacher is not limited by the classroom
but can reach out across the Internet to
thousands either through building digital
lessons or distance learning software and
programs

Assistance technology for students with

disabilities
Students who may be too shy to speak in front
of a class but comfortable with an online
discussion board
Learning Disabled students- spell check can
give visual cues

Emotional and intellectual openness: a priority

for those with Web pages and chat rooms
through which they explore and expose who
they really are
Teachers have the opportunity to teach
student how to use the internet safely and
responsibly.
Advances in technology have saved countless
hours of paperwork and stress on everyone
involved in the education system
Data systems that can track students, store
information about students that can be easily
retrieved

Smart board Being able to have instant access

to facts and not have to bother with the library
is a good thing.

Technology cannot gauge a students growth,

possible interests, or unexpected growths
Children are not communicating with one
another verbally or in written correspondence.
Many students have limited verbal skills
Technology should not replace valuable handson experiences, particularly among primaryaged learners
An excess of information may actually crowd
out ideas, leaving the mind (young minds
especially) distracted by sterile, disconnected
facts, lost among the shapeless heaps of
data. Students that use spell check instead of
learning to spell, and students that use
calculators to add instead of learning to add
The study found that students' recreational
use of computers to play games, explore the
Internet for fun, or chat with friends at home
had a negative effect on students' MCAS
reading scores. Similarly, students' use of
computers to create PowerPoint presentations
was also negatively associated with MCAS
writing scores
Students were also extremely tempted to
simply use the IPad as a toy, taking wacky
pictures, videos and watching YouTube videos
instead of the directed use of them
Lots of time would need to be spent
beforehand, for the classroom teacher to find
and access the materials to use. Links would
need to be created, passwords, accounts,
copyright issues, and constantly checking to
make sure that what was used previously is
still available and appropriate
Students being irresponsible with the care of
the unit. Kids pounding on them, dropping
them, handling them roughly. not taking
careful care of them

Creates a society full of material comforts but

devoid of meaning
Students become disengaged from family
Kids no longer interact with nature, play
outside, watch older siblings during a sports
event.
Students sacrificing internal growth for

Straight forward, time-tested ways to make

data widely and instantly available
A strong sense of autonomy derived from
active roles as information seekers rather than
passive information recipients
Evidenced in the way children from different
cultures meet, collaborate, and accept each
other as never before
Technology should allow students to do what
they could never before do in classrooms:
design systems models, run simulations,
research topics on the Internet, join in global
communication, and manage information in
non-linear ways

Study found that the more regularly students

use computers to write papers for school, the
better they performed on the Massachusetts
Comprehensive Assessment Systems (MCAS)
English/Language Arts exam

Ease of submitting work, communication with

the teacher
Technology can help teachers use their time
more productively, allow more time for
teaching, tutoring, preparation, and
instruction

Teaches respect for taking care of property

Parents can access students grades anytime

through programs like skyward, instead of
waiting for report cards
Engage parents by involving them in an
activity with students
Teach responsibilities and limits. When it is
appropriate to use technology. Facilitates real
conversations, use it as a teachable moment
like a math lesson on graphing

external power
Outcomes have replaced insights and
standardized tests are replacing human
judgment
Abstract information must somehow connect
to a childs concrete experiences if it is to be
meaningful. Computers cannot do this
Kids are exposed to technology even at home
and away from school. Children are inundated
with technology from the moment they are
born.

Standardized tests produce valid data

Can take children to far away places they
could never experience on their own
Use technology as an engagement piece.
Powerpoint, Facebook, Instagram to go into
depth about a character in a book

Bibliography
The Technology Source Archives The Technology Source Archives at the University of North
Carolina
JULY/AUGUST 2000
The Impact of Computers on Schools: Two Authors, Two Perspectives
by Katie Kashmanian
http://technologysource.org/article/impact_of_computers_on_schools/
Medical News Today, Saturday 29 January 2005
How computers affect student performance, the good and the bad
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/19387.php
Contemporary Issues in Education
May 17, 2009
http://edfn500su09ely.blogspot.com/2009/05/issue-5-do-computers-negatively-affect.html
Milken Exchange on Education Technology, 1998
http://www.mff.org/assets/Uploads/newsroom_archive/publications/ME158.pdf

In my lifetime, technology has gone from landlines and phone booths to cell phones, Atari
to Xbox and Wii, desktop computers to IPads, floppy disks to flash drives, cassette players to
IPods and dial-up to wireless. According to Moores Law, technology advances at exponential
rates every few years. In order to keep up with this technology, humans have to advance as
well. We have to change our beliefs and ethics and we have to educate, the young and old, how
to use these technologies. As a nation, it is critical that our citizens be computer literate so we
can be economically competitive. Where does one go to accomplish this on a large scale?
Schools. How we teach our children in school and what we teach them must change. But when
is it ethically sound to begin using technology in schools? What are the ramifications of

introducing technology too soon or too late? Where is the balance between education through
technology and hands-on experiences?
Originally, computers were used for research in laboratories, aircraft companies, and the
federal government. The Internet, designed in 1969 for research, education, and government
organizations, provided a communications network linking the country in the event that a
military attack destroyed conventional communication systems. Then in 1989 the Internet
became available to the public. Now almost every home in the US has at least one computer,
several TV sets, a play station, and handheld technological devices like IPods and cell phones all
connected to the Internet. By 1998 schools were spending $113 per year per student on
technology, with only $22.50 of that for teacher support services, about $8 for software, and the
remainder for hardware. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development reports
that in 2012 schools were spending $400 per student annually on technology education. That's
a 250% increase in spending! Computer labs, computers in the Library, classrooms, and offices,
assessment tools, smart boards, software programs, wireless connections, and so on. At every
turn, students are seeing, working and playing on computers. The 21 st century education system
will prepare students to live, learn, and work in a global, digital age.
While some believe the earlier students become familiar with technology the greater
their depth of understanding and effectiveness in using it will be; others feel that these skills
can be learned in a year or two in high school. I believe that young students should be learning
with all their senses: taste, smell, vision, touch, and hearing. Learning about something by
looking at pictures and reading about it cannot compare with physically interacting and
experiencing it, especially for young children. Humans do not have the ability to really
understand something until we actually experience it and have that aha moment that creates
a concrete neurological pathway in our brains. As experiences happen and new information is
presented, new schemas are developed and old schemas are changed or modified. Technology
can be part of this process, but it cannot replace the authentic experience. As students develop
concrete knowledge and personal experiences, they will be more apt to connect abstract
information presented through technology to arrive at a meaningful cooperative understanding.
Teaching a child basic math skills using pencil and paper, manipulative, and play teaches the
concepts, facts, and methods to problem solve, then, when students have mastered the basic
facts, support that knowledge by teaching them how to use a calculator. If a child is taught how
to use a calculator first, they will never have the desire or capabilities to solve basic math
problems in their heads or on paper. They will never be able to figure out how much they could
save during a 25% off sale or how much they would have to pay someone for 1 hours of work
without having to use a calculator. Taking students on a virtual tour of the Redwoods can
fascinate them for a short time, but walking among these ancient giants, joining hands with ten
friends to encircle the base, smelling fresh moist forest air, and holding a small pinecone in

their hand that will grow into the tallest tree in the world, will give them an experience they
will remember forever!
Technology, on the other had, has been a blessing for Special Education. Speech
generating devises that help autistic children develop spoken language, E-readers help students
turn book pages without applying dexterity, personal FM systems to assist hearing disabled
students, and voice adaptive software can help students answer questions without needing to
write. These technologies can help special education students reach their potential because it
allows them to capitalize on their strengths and bypass areas of difficulty. Technology can help
close the achievement gaps between regular education and special education.
The American Academy of Pediatrics has expressed concern about the amount of time
children spend in front of various types of screens, and several experts in eye development have
stated that computer use is creating problems in childrens developing visual systems.
Computers pose other health hazards to children as well. The risks include repetitive stress
injuries, eyestrain, obesity, social isolation, and, for some, long-term physical, emotional, or
intellectual developmental damage. Cell phones may have the potential to cause certain types
of cancer or other health problems as well. For these reasons, I believe young children should
have limited exposure to technology. As students grow, their availability to technology should be
commensurate with experience. Technology needs to be presented at optimal times during
development and growth in order to provide the highest level of achievement and success.