ICT ASSIGNMENT

ICT Assignment: Technology and Education

ICT Assignment: Technology and Education

Mostly schools have an extremely low budget of approximately eighteen million dollars. In education, the issue of technology is constantly rising in debate. Should schools spend money on computers and networking which is an extremely hard field to keep updated both in software and hardware? Schools have found both the benefits and the drawbacks in investing in computers and technology.

The use of Information Technology benefits students greatly in many areas. Information technology has encouraged the development of productivity, (THE Journal 2002) increased student involvement and enabled students to complete joint projects with students in other cities, states and even countries (Carey 26). Studies on students who have twenty four hour access to laptops have shown that students shown an increase in problem-solving and critical thing sills, enhanced learning in core academic subjects, produce higher quality work and have even provided more one-on one time between teachers and students (THE Journal 16).

Technology is an integral component of learning. Being those students learn at different rates, technology can individualize instruction. They can move at an appropriate pace providing a solid foundation of basic skills. Computer based technologies can administer individualized lesson sequences that branch and remediate according to student's unique needs, quickly and automatically track progress and generate reports.

The Internet provides a communications tool, which can assist students in networking within and between schools. (Schwarz 2005) Internet technology permits swift student-to-student communication through relatively inexpensive e-mail. Through the Internet students are also able to find Internet pen pals and experience the world through the vision of other students.

The Internet can also be used in cooperation with the library. It can provide students with an enormous and readily accessible database with research materials and therefore may be used to research different topics. (Peck 2003)

Not only can students learn on the Internet, but they can also teach about areas in which they have knowledge and sills. Students have been able to create web pages to display to people all over the world. School newspapers and college web pages can also do the same. (Laptop Lunacy 2004) These pages can be read anywhere by anyone and has thus provided for greater publication.

Although computers and technology provide for much advancement in education, there are some basic problems. These difficulties range from psychological addiction to unethical behavior and inappropriate actions of technology producers and users. (Garrett 2004)

As for addiction, some persons are so addicted to its use to the extent that they have actually flunked out of college, lost their marriage partners, become mentally sick, given up their jobs, and decreased their human contracts. Some persons avoid personal contacts by overusing the Internet so to decrease their personal communication with persons. Some have also gone into Internet seclusion, (Eddy 2006) while still taking care of daily routines so failing to work and deal with people. With such addiction there provides no room for advancement in education.

Technology can alter the content of what school children think ...