Dear Editor,

Things and times have changed. Gone are the days when students used slates and books to write their notes in the classroom; instead, smart devices were created to facilitate an easier way to organise note-taking and remembrance.

It is a brand new world with a brand new perspective. Each day morphs into an upgrade — literally. Men now use previous creations to form human-like advancements to facilitate an easier way of living. These advancements are not limited to the classroom, yet not implemented. Frankly, it’s fat-headed to not implement technology in instruction when it is ubiquitous in the present world. All that we now see is technology, and it has a place in the classroom.

The obstinate concern that lingers on the tongues of most educators is: Technology is dangerous in the classroom. While I agree with its mischief of honing cyberbullying, academic dishonesty, and poor time management, the good balances the scale. Technology advances learning ability and provides a reservoir of information for students and teachers alike.

By scrolling through Google I have come to realise that both sides of the argument are heavily substantiated. This, therefore, forces me to conclude that arguing about whether technology is beneficial in the classroom is irrelevant. Instead, as professionals in education, our concern should be getting our teachers to accept the current era of technology by allowing them to understand that they now have an additional responsibility to ensure that students develop digital literacy and digital ethics.

From the training I am receiving as a student teacher, I am informed enough to know that teachers ought to be open-minded professionals. In summary, one of their roles is to keep abreast of advances in their profession and the society at large. They should exemplifying a life of modernity.

Why do some teachers reject technology as means of instruction in the classroom? If teachers could only take time to realise that those born after 2019 engage with the world through digital devices, then accepting technology in the class environment would not become an issue. Talk about student-centred learning!

To end, I’ll leave you with a quote from American educator April Chamberlain: “Education is evolving due to the impact of the Internet. We cannot teach our students in the same manner in which we were taught. Change is necessary to engage students, not in the curriculum we are responsible for teaching but in school. Period.”

Alexious Gonzales

alexiousgonzales6@gmail.com