Use of Technology in Education for Learning and Teaching

When I was in 12th grade, my high school assigned what was called a “senior project.” The way it worked was that every senior had to pick a topic they were interested in and write a research paper about it and also do fieldwork centered around that topic. For example, I did my research paper about the sweatshops that produce most of our clothing, and for my fieldwork, I learned how to sew clothes.

This project was for our English class, so we were often given time during class to work on the project. Since the students were not given access to WiFi, we had to go to the computer lab where everyone could do research on their topic. This was completely inefficient since our senior class had hundreds of students and there were only two physical locations on campus with wired technology where we could do research.

 I remember all students in my English class had only 30 minutes to do research once we walked in the computer lab before the next English class had to walk in. We were required to write about seven to ten pages for our essay, so as you can imagine, we got almost nothing done because of the limited time we had in the computer lab. If we were allowed to stay in our classroom, and were all given access to laptops or tablets that were connected to WiFi, we would have had enough time to do our research, and would have been right next to our teacher if we had any questions or needed help. I am assuming my school did not provide us with access to WiFi because the principal and staff thought it wasn’t necessary and that a computer lab was sufficient enough; however, WiFi in schools will aid students in their studies and even enhance the way they learn.

We are living in a digital age where we have quickly steered away from all things tangible and are moving everything online. According to Router Instructions website, we no longer turn to books or magazines for up to date information; instead, we turn to the internet . Because of this, students need WiFi access in schools in order to help them in their schoolwork. Although most students have their own phones, many do not have access to WiFi at home, making it absolutely necessary to have WiFi in schools.

When I was in 9th grade, I did not have WiFi in my house or in my classrooms. I found it very difficult to complete my assignments because I had to share one wired computer with the rest of my family. If I had access to WiFi in school, it would have definitely helped me in my studies and would have allowed me to access much more information than only what was in my textbooks.

Ever since I started college, whenever I had a test coming up, I would stay on campus after class and do my studying in the library. I did this because it was a quiet area where I wouldn’t get distracted. In the library, I would bring two things: my textbook and my laptop. I needed my textbook to go over what my teacher taught in class, and I used my laptop to search online for whatever I was still confused about. Since I was able to connect to WiFi, I had access to tons of information and study tools about the subject I was studying.

Almost every time I was studying, I would read the textbook then look for YouTube videos or summaries online that covered the subject I had studied. This was a study technique that I, and most of my peers, swore by, and that we owe many of our my A’s to. If my campus didn’t have WiFi, my only options would be to use the computer lab. I know for a fact that there wouldn’t be enough wired computers in school to accommodate for all of the students. If all of the information I had to study from came only from my textbooks, I wouldn’t have done as well as I did in school. I believe these facts apply to students in grades K-12 as well. All schools should provide access to WiFi in order for their students to receive the best education possible.

As we are living in a world surrounded by technology, proper usage of technology can enhance our education system and give students the opportunity to perform more efficiently in school. WiFi should not be considered a luxury in schools, but rather a necessity. With access to WiFi, students are given access to all the information and study tools they could possibly need available at their fingertips.