Goodbye Pen and Paper, Hello Technology (Revised)

We are becoming a technology-based society, encouraged by even the President, himself. But is this really what is best for our students? Today, every school is equipped with a computer lab, or two, at the very least. Some have even went as far as going “all-laptop” where every student has their own laptop for their educational use. Years ago, teaching was based on learning facts and having the ability to recite them back at a later date. Fast forward to the present, and you will see that everything is technology based. Schools are currently in a transformation from fact fetish to more interactive ways of thinking by using software integration. Some say that this new way of learning is more beneficial because what you learn coincides with everyday activities as opposed to the general learning in schools. The most comforting fact is that books are not totally extinct…yet.

Continue into the future one hundred years from today. All of this present technology is preparing us for the future, right? Not according to Clifford Stoll. In his article, Who Needs Computers?, Stoll argues that the jobs we have today will still be needed one hundred years from now. While it is true that whether it is a “dentist, truck driver, ballet dancer, salesperson, or schoolteacher” (47), technology is not needed to be at the top in any of these fields, the authors of Video Games and Learning will argue a separate point. In this present article, the authors’ argument is not that one needs technology in order to perform a task for a job, but that it will help one to learn to do their job better. Learning strategies at a young age, in terms of a video game, help children get a sense of a real job is like. These findings challenge the common thought of many that video games are just a waste of time. Although, at one time, technology in our future may have seemed of concern to only those planning to work with computers, the authors of Video Games and Learning show that this new technology will help any profession in the future.

Whereas researchers used to believe books, paper, and a pen were the most effective ways of learning, new studies show that technology might actually be the best for our future. Soon, students will be taught by computers rather than teachers, all homework will be done online, and novels and magazines will be issued through e-mail. The world is changing and we are all a part of it.