In today's world the use of technology plays an important role in the economy and school systems. The nation's learning community has come to lean on technology to help educate students. Technology has proven it-self a valuable resource and shown its potential for its future in school systems around the United States. The integration of technology has, and will help today's and tomorrow's learners.
Technology has created new sources for learning as well as enhancing students' ability to adapt to daily technological advances. Computers have created a way for students to get research and data with the click of a mouse. In libraries around the nation endless rows of computers help provide students with easy, accessible use to information. Computers have given every student the opportunity to learn how to use valuable resources of information, such as high-speed internet, encyclopedias online, and search engines like Yahoo.com and Google.com. Learning to use such resources will create a smarter, more technologically aware generation for the future.
Even small devices, such as calculators, have seemed to advance with society. Thirty years ago a calculator consisted of four main function buttons: subtraction, addition, multiplication and division. Now one look at a new TI-83 Plus scientific calculator will intimidate anyone. Over thirty buttons can do an array of mathematical tasks, along with a large square screen that can display graphs, games and just about anything the mind can conceive. The major careers of the future are all intertwined in technology. That's why teaching students how to use technology early means so much. When students learn something new, at a young age, it becomes repetitive and leaving students anxious to learn something new, or maybe even create new technology of their own.
In schools around the U.S., education depends upon technology and its new careers. Connectivity and the use of computers in education in American schools and colleges have rapidly improved.” (TechLearning). Students willing, they will base their college career on technology. Choosing a career in college affects what technology you learn how to use there. Learning how to adapt is important to any profession, weather its teaching or taking ticket stubs at a movie theatre. Teachers still have to learn how to type grades into a computer so they can be electronically submitted to the counselor's computers so that the counselor can produce report cards using their computer. As for ticket takers, I've seen new ticket taking devices at events such as Round Rock Express baseball games, where the ticket is scanned by a handheld device that reports your purchased ticket to a computer that confirms your purchase. So now small jobs such as ticket taking involve technology. The need for technology is obvious in today's society. The fast paced lifestyles and “get rich quick” attitudes of today's people have created a sense of urgency and a need for success for students. This attitude is not necessarily bad, but it could easily work in our favor, teaching students to use technology and implementing it into the minds of learners that this is the future may give them enough initiative to be successful.
Technology affects almost every aspect of education. “Even Art educators cannot avoid the fact that they have entered the world of technology, especially computer graphic technology.” Technology has created a way for visual learners to be successful as well. Almost every class I've ever been in has at least one television and one VCR. These allow teachers to show educational videos to students who learn better through visual aide. These videos help most students visualize certain events in history. Some examples may be history events, such as battle scenes or even the picture of what people wore in a certain era may help them get the concept of what they are learning. Technology in education is being used to profit every student.
The fast paced economy and continuous upgrades in technology have forced not only teachers and advisors to adapt to new equipment, but students as well. “Increased connectivity has made computer literacy a major part of the school curriculum.” These upgrades bring new computers and methods of teaching into schools every year. Forcing students to adapt to new technology brings about new problem solving skills that would have otherwise been undiscovered. New equipment brings about obstacles and hurdles learners must face in order to be successful. Being able to learn and have patience with something new develops character. Adapting to change is a daily ritual in schools across the nation, and it is because of technology that must students are beginning to develop this skill. Technology has also created new jobs for college and high school students. New career opportunities have produced new motivations in today's schools. The job security and salary that a career in technology offers has proven to be enticing for just about anyone. Most of today's high school students base their choice of college on a career they would like to have, and a good portion of college applications are aimed at being accepted into some sort of technological field. Technology has proven itself to be very important to all level of education. In today's society technology truly is the future. Implementing it into schools will prove to be a success for the upcoming generation and many more to come.
