Improving Education Through Technology

Improving Education Through Technology Imagine a future made up of a society of people who wanted to learn and discover new information instead of simply memorizing facts. There would be a new generation that would possess the skills to solve some of the world’s most threatening problems. Well, this dream could soon become a reality if the youth of the world is taught the skills necessary to use technology to solve these problems. Our society is moving forward into a technological age, and in order for our students to be successful, technology’s integration in the educational system will need to continue and improve. Students today are far better prepared to be productive members of society than those ten or twenty years ago, mainly, due to technology. The integration of technology in education has dramatically improved educational standards by creating students that are self-learners. One way that technology has improved educational standards is that it prepares students to enter a job field with an increasing demand for workers with skills in technology. The average high school and college graduate will have about six to eight jobs over the course of their life (National 2). This shows that the advancement of technology moves so fast that it creates new jobs that have existed for only a short period of time. If students aren’t taught how to use technology to learn, it will be hard for them to adapt to the ever-changing job market that requires them to learn new skills in technology to do jobs that don’t yet exist (“Give” 12). Technology’s integration in education has also made students want to learn instead of just knowing information. When students understand how to use technology, they can use it to learn at their own pace. According to Richard W. Riley, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education, “Technology can help tailor instruction to the individual needs of students ... [as well as] connect student learning with the real world” (2). Technology enables students to figure out how they learn best, “not simply reading to learn anymore” (Irwin 13). This prepares them for the new technology they might use every day in the future. Lastly, technology has improved education by making new material easier to learn and teach. Often in science class, students need to visually see an experiment performed in order to understand the concepts being taught. Education experts “strongly believe that actual experience is vital for young children,” and when these experiments are too dangerous or expensive to afford, computers can be used inside or outside the classroom to watch the experiment online and experience interactive learning in this way (Irwin 11). Technology promotes self-discovery by “encouraging cooperative learning in which students work together on computer projects in the classroom or on electronic networks across the continent” (Mosaic 13). The schools and their ability to teach their students has increased due technology’s integration in the curriculum. The standards of education all over the world are increasing because countries use technology to give students the fundamental thought processes necessary to become productive members of society. Unless technology is continually used to improve educational standards in America, we will not be able to compete with the technological advances of developing countries like China and India.