Technology in private schools in Pasig has come a long way, following the trajectory of the rest of the world when it comes to using digital gadgetry and software. What role does it play, however—is it an enabler or a crutch? A source of learning, or a tool for laziness and emotional detachment? Find out below!
Unlike teachers who have a curriculum and timeline to follow, technology is available to students anytime, anywhere. This means that they have a wealth of information and appropriate learning tools at their fingertips whenever they need them.
Students who have a hard time learning in the classroom can make the most out of this by using technology and the Internet whenever they need to better understand something. At the same time, technology levels the playing field for students who struggle to match the pace of their peers.
Technology allows students to think beyond the walls of their classrooms and learn from more updated and dynamic sources other than books. Many available websites and software promote interactive learning and have extensive, regularly-updated information that students can take advantage of.
We recognize that no technology can replace the understanding and empathy of a teacher, but students and even teachers themselves can definitely benefit from this wealth of information made available to them.
Graduates who are unable to understand the connections between their academic lessons and real-life situations tend to forget what they learned as the years go by. They become receptacles for information that has no context, and therefore, no significance.
This is something a progressive education strives to avoid by contextualizing students’ learning in real-world situations and actively showing them why these lessons matter. In doing so, they ensure that their lessons are relevant and their students are future-ready.
To supplement this kind of teaching, teachers can leverage technology to provide examples, identify role models, and discuss historical and current events. Not only does this provide context for their lesson, but it also improves students’ cognition by forming mental connections.
Access to technology and information about or in relation to historical and current events is a double-edged sword when it comes to training children to be aware of the world around them.
On one hand, it teaches children to be aware, proactive, and conscious of issues affecting them or those around them. In a society that continues to be more globalized and more interconnected than ever, this is an important trait to have since it develops citizens who are aware of, and compassionate toward those around them.
On the other hand, this unfiltered access to information can expose children and teenagers to people, content, or situations that might harm or negatively influence them. This is especially the case for impressionable or vulnerable youth, who are more at risk of issues like cyberbullying or online harassment.
As teachers and parents, it’s important that we educate students on the crutches of technology. While it is there for them to use, it’s vital that they know how to use it responsibly.
To help them, students should also know about the different disadvantages technology can bring about.
While technology has the ability to connect people from all over the world with each other, it also has the uncanny ability to disconnect people from those in their physical vicinity.
Many of the youth today use mobile devices to virtually remove themselves from all kinds of situations. These situations can be mundane or boring like waiting in line, but they can also be important like seminars, talks with parents, and school events. This detachment is just the start of the damaging effects of gadgets, and it can get worse.
It’s recommended that parents and teachers educate students on the appropriate times to use their gadgets. They should also be taught how to distinguish online spaces that are safe for them.
Students who are dependent on technology start by being unable to deal with real-life issues unless aided by a screen. They may also feel the need for technology at every given moment, unable to live their lives normally without it. If left to fester and grow, this problem could turn into something much worse—an addiction.
Addiction to online games, social media, or other virtual activities is a very real issue faced by many students today. Like all addictions, it starts seemingly harmless and then becomes problematic as time goes by.
A child or teenager addicted to technology is often unable to cope with boredom, gets restless or irritable when they don’t have access to their device and suffers from certain issues with emotional intelligence. If you see these signs in your child, it could be a sign that they are getting too dependent on technology.
Technology in all its shapes and forms is meant to make life easier for the people using it. However, there’s always a balance that needs to be achieved. It’s been found that children who experience failure, take up challenges, and know how to embrace their mistakes become more resilient and world-ready in the future.
Just because the information is readily available doesn’t mean it’s always accurate. Just because making online connections is easy doesn’t mean everyone on the Web is a good person. Control, prudence, and self-discipline will always be things that growing students need to learn, and if too much technology is taking away their chance to develop these values, it might be time to lessen their gadget use.
Technology in itself is neither positive nor negative. In the same way that you can use a hammer for good or bad purposes, technology is simply a tool that people have at their disposal to make their lives easier.
At Reedley, we believe that it’s important for schools to be up-to-date when it comes to technology not only to stay competitive but more importantly to keep students aware of the world around them. As we said above, technology in private schools in Pasig has developed a lot over the years, and we’ve developed right along with it. With that said, however, we don’t stop encouraging our students to be rooted in the real world and appreciative of the world outside a screen.
Reedley International School is a private school in Pasig and the best international school in the Philippines. Contact us today to know more!