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Debate: Should students rely on technology for their homework?

Today, students use ipods, ipads, phones, laptops, and different tablets to use the internet to help them with their homework. Don't know a word? Google it. Don't know the answer to this math problem? Use a calculator. And so on. Does this make sense?

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    Oct 19 2012: it is one thing to use technology to blindly answer a question when you don't even understand what you're answering. it's another thing to use it as a tool when you fully understand what you are doing.

    it's the difference between relying on something and utilizing something. relying is not so good.
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    Oct 22 2012: As anything in the world, technology has its up sides and down falls when incorporated to the education system. There is no question that using technology is very convenient for taking and preserving class notes, organizing assignments and planning ahead of time, however, the problem with this is that it creates a 'tech dependency' that is difficult to escape from.
    Students in the past had to hand write everything, and the only source that could be used when they did not understand something, apart from asking the teacher, was books such as the dictionary and the encyclopedia. They had to learn to manage time independently, and they had to learn to keep notes organized so that they could be used when necessary. As a result, students in the past were very independent and down to earth.
    Compared to this, the students today have all commodities that could make education simpler; internet and compact technology. Students go on the internet for all kind of help, including websites, translation kits and Q and A sites. This may seem like a positive change, however, in the long run it creates tech-dependent adults, because they need this convenience for anything that they are responsible to do. Life does not work that way: sometimes we are demanded more than what technology can offer us in a golden plate. We have to study from analog sources, and interact with other people face to face.
    Technology may help students reach for a variety of information the fastest and easiest way possible, but at the same time make them inefficient without its help.
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    Nov 18 2012: technology is just a medium, what counts is that you use your own brain in what you are learning and contributing on the subject. for example, if you find the meaning of a word or concept through an internet search once and then you intentionally use it and apply it beyond that homework, you are learning. but if you have to keep searching for the same thing, you are not engaging with the concept.
  • Nov 17 2012: I'm joining this conversation late, so I apologize if I'm repeating other's ideas. My understanding of teaching and learning took a quantum leap when I stumbled upon Bloom's Taxonomy (with Anderson's update) of cognitive activities:
    knowledge, (remembering)
    comprehension, (understanding)
    application, (applying)
    analysis, (analyzing)
    synthesis, (creating the highest level in Anderson's update)
    evaluation, (evaluating)
    Yes, I found this on the web.
    Most of the comments I've read only address the lowest level of cognitive activity - knowledge. Learning, to be of any use to the learner, at a minimum must get to the third level - understanding. To learn in a meaningful way - to develop the ability to use your own mind to manage your life and contribute to society requires the learner to actually exercise their own mind and develop not just knowledge, but understanding and the abilities to integrate new knowledge with what is already known and apply it to multiple different situations.
    Or simply put, using technology as a learning aid can be helpful *if* students are required to do more than just collect information or harvest the results of others' efforts. Teachers have to demand that their students get beyond collecting information by giving assignments and guiding classroom exercises that require students to demonstrate understanding and synthesis of new information.
    For example, a test question like "What's the state capitol of Maine?" signals students that all they need to do to pass tests is memorize facts. Questions like "Why does the US federal government have 2 houses of Congress?" or "What are some advantages and some disadvantages of having only 2 major political parties in the US?" signals students that they need to use facts that they've learned for purposes above and beyond just knowing something.
    • Nov 17 2012: Hey Louise,
      I really liked your final point about students using higher cognitive abilities than basic memorization (ie looking up on wikipedia). I agree that if the teachers learn to adapt to the technology appropriately we will get students who are better able to use creative thinking and problem solving to answer questions instead of just basic fact digging. I mean I think this could be easily compared to when calculators came out and people were worried about the fact that students wouldn't be able to do basic mathematics in their head, however that technology has allowed us to move past the basic drudge work and spend more time on the process of mathematical reasoning. Although I do sometimes feel helpless without a calculator, I won't lie... need to practice my times tables I guess.
  • Oct 26 2012: I think students should be able to use all tools at their disposal, they'll need to know how to use them to get ahead in the work force. Knowledge of all aspects of the web and it's capabilities in necessary to thrive in this day and age.
  • Oct 21 2012: As a student, I believe that technology helps with assignments and studying, but we should not rely on it. Not all the information you find online is accurate.
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    Oct 20 2012: Yes, students should rely on technology for their homework.

    That said, the main danger is that you will come to rely on technology as a substitute for direct experience and experimentation, moving you away from other solutions that allow for other kinds of knowledge.

    I will give you some specific examples where relying on technology too much will cause our society significant problems. I believe we may have developed neural structures over the eons that allow us to whisper information up and down through time and the generations, and across space. We see evidence of this in indigenous cultures, with people regularly "talking" with their ancestors, receiving wisdom. I also see evidence when our own CIA had a fairly well funded program which is now commonly referred to as "remote viewing", for the purpose of using "extra sensory perception" on military targets.

    Perhaps the biggest example I could give though, is the case of indigenous peoples who implicitly know how to make medicine out of plants (or animals even) in the wild - they know how to do this, despite that fact that we Westerners, with all our great technology, can't find crap in the rain forests without the help of people that figured this out, without "technology".

    Let me repeat that - these so called primitive people figured out critically important medicines that we rely on today, that we could not have figured out with technology. When you ask them how, they answer something like, "the plants spoke to me."
  • Oct 19 2012: Ultimately, students are best to rely on themselves, using technology as learning tools, not relying on them. Less we pitfall languorously while masquerading as time efficient. Perhaps this creates dependency, contributing to illiteracy. Or, not
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    Oct 18 2012: Yes.

    In real-world practice and applications, I would say that being able to navigate the web to search for your answer is more valuable of a skill than trying to solve the problem yourself. From my experience, you find the answer you need like 99% of the time on the web. If the technology is there, why not use it? A lot of times, you're required to understand the answer yourself anyways. Granted, using external resources can depend on the context of the task at hand.

    If the questions to the student are google-able, even though the purpose of the questions are for the students to solve on their own, then that's imo bad design. If the teacher wants students to figure things out on their own without external help, then the questions should be designed accordingly.
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      Oct 19 2012: An excellent question may be google-able. For example, what do you think of students posting a question here asking what the three main ideas are in a talk? Or for people's perspectives on some aspect of a classic book the student is assigned to reflect about?

      The same can happen with problems in mathematics.

      Posing "figure out" homework questions to others on the internet and transcribing the result is typically possible but creates dependence on others rather than developing an ability to think or consider. It is not unlike copying a classmate or having your dad do your homework.
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        Oct 19 2012: Well, I wouldn't consider those "google-able" since you require other people to answer those questions, whereas finding answers via Google is just searching if there's an answer out there without the need for anyone to reply to your query.
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    Oct 18 2012: The internet is a valuable and efficient source of information, provided the student has learned to distinguish credible sources from those that are not credible.

    But students should not be looking online for the answers to questions they are supposed to "figure out" rather than "find out."
  • Nov 12 2012: This question encompasses far more than homework; it considers the fundamental roots of our education system today and how it has rapidly changed as technology has advanced. The proliferation of the mobile device, specifically among the younger population, has created an increasingly short attention span. Rather than demand our students learn to read, write and do math in the standard fashion, educators have adapted to this shorter, "sound bite", attention of the new generation. Further, educators feed the need of these children to be entertained and have created a form of "edutainment" using technology, media, info-graphics and quick lessons.

    Why do children need an iPad or a computer to learn to multiply? Or to learn a simple history lesson? Or biology? Take the homework question out of the equation. Did many of us not learn these lessons from textbooks and highly qualified teachers? Computer skills are separate from these lessons; I don't deny their importance, but they are not fundamental to teaching the core of the English language, mathematics or science. In fact, computers are often an impediment to teaching children how to spell and write. The cost of education is skyrocketing while the quality is plummeting. Ask yourself why.
  • Nov 7 2012: I find it funny that people ask about technology while meaning computers when even a pen or pencil was a technological innovation at the time. Speech, the written word, the dictionary, the thesaurus, and mathematics are all also forms of technology as well regardless of whether we're talking electronic, written or spoken. The technology just gives people more ways of figuring things out and making sense of the world in multiple respects. Should students rely on the technologies you're citing? Yes. Should they rely SOLELY on the technologies you're citing? No.
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    Nov 2 2012: It really doesn't work that way. The written word is still powerful in the ranks of the educated and engineering. It will never go away. But, the fact that illiteracy can expand as children are given more powerful tools to educate themselves says much about how a lazy lifestyle can lead to undereducated.

    As technology increasingly takes over jobs and provides commodities that are superior in quality the hand made products, we would expect to see a decrease in the need for educated people. This is what we are seeing today. If I want a product, depending on how complex that product is, I can probably have it manufacture without human hands ever touching it.

    So, if we can use technology to solve all our problems, whey do we need educated people in the first place? Even most General practice doctors can't produce a diagnosis as well as computer software and a few technicians supervised by a nurse. Already the computer has replaced the great majority of workers in the office environment. CNC machines and automated assembly lines have already replaced a host of workers and craftsmen.

    I'm afraid the trend is for smarter machines and not so smart people. The big question is how do we get rid of the unneeded people? How do we prevent them from reproducing? Bill Gates and his people have an answer for that questions. Viruses. Has anyone noticed how those simple colds we used to fight off and have increased in number each year and appear to last longer and longer?
  • Nov 1 2012: I'm a current student in Australia and I must disagree with the belief that technology is ruining the schooling systems. Assignments cannot be copied from the internet as any assignment nowadays must be handed into a school run website that insures there are no sections of plagiarized material. Working on technology also decreased the need for paper in the classroom which has environmental benefits, and technology also allows students to be connected to teachers whenever a problem arises. Therefore I see technology more as a blessing than the curse that so many perceive it.
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      Nov 1 2012: My daughters had to do this also when they were in high school in the United States. It is not universal, though.
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    Oct 31 2012: I think assignments should be different from what they've been in the past, even though I'm not sure of the new form they should take; but I think one may not have learned anything if almost all the assignments can be copied from some online page and then pasted and submitted. Some schools are able to notice and penalize plaigarism.

    So much has been change about the need to change the education system; but I think the mode of assessment should also be considered for change.
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      Nov 2 2012: I'm taking online college courses and they talk openly about the test questions, even before taking the test. It's as if testing mean nothing anymore or is second place to understanding the material. I don't know what methods we will use to qualify people for their careers in the near future.

      Learning such things as Genetics is a simple task these days for those who really want to learn. For the others, It is an insurmountable task and always was for them during school. Some want to know while others simply want to exist. Engineering is still math intensive and there is no way around it.

      I've tested the young people around me and they all know many facts but if you pose them with a question that demands logic and math, they fall on their face. What they don't know they can find out real fast these days but if you ask them to solve a problem they can't do it in a reasonable amount of time. The harder the problem, the more time it takes, the more frustrated they become. The amazing thing is how short a time it takes to get to the point of frustration than it used to take with more primitive educational tools.

      I believe in the dummy down process as knowledge become even more available. You can pretty well judge how a child will end up in life from the video games they play and how they use their cell phones.

      We are approaching a time when we will have to decide how we are going to decrease the population of this planet. Population culling is the only path to a Class I Civilization.
  • Oct 31 2012: I spare a thought just for a moment what would happen if we don't have a technological revolution ?
    There is no doubt that technology has made a drastic change in our life , nobody could deny that . Students now could tackle with plethora of obstacles which face them everyday , and that doesn't mean they will depend entirely on it and neglect their mind , they have to balance . in addition , it is lovely to take into our account the advantages from getting a lot of information easily and faster .
  • Oct 31 2012: As an American teacher of science, I find that the challenge is students don't engage in schoolwork the same way they engage in everyday life. I really want them to marry the idea that what I am teaching them is not information to be stored in a box, but to integrate into their lives AT THAT MOMENT. So I go about finding ways (technology included) to get them to do that. So I agree with Yuddandi that students shouldn't have too much technology that could water down the learning process (by finding instant answers), AND I also agree with others that say we should teach them to use technology to solve a vast array of problems. The MOST important factor, comes from within the student: intrinsic motivation. In 4 years of teaching and 23 years of parenting, I find kids learn best when their misconceptions are interrupted and teachers create disequilibrium.
  • Oct 31 2012: Manipulating technology to solve problems should be a central part of their education. As for the usual complaint raised at this point, my opinion is that there is no better way to learn a system than to try to cheat it. We teach our kids what to think and not how to think. I firmly believe that each human being harbors something singular. Something that will draw him in and become a permanent and satisfying part of his life. Teach children to use the machines that will open the vast array of knowledge we have accumulated in five thousand years. In simpler terms teach them the basics and then get out of their way.
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      Nov 10 2012: I'm a student and we use technology integrated in our school and education system – which I believe gives me a credible insight to the issue.
      Yes, I think your idea of trying to use "reverse psychology" to make students smarter by 'tricking' them into thinking they're cheating is a good idea, and perhaps also a healthy challenge to creativity. The problem is that it cannot be an official announcement, because cheating is illegal.

      Secondly, and most importantly, what I've experienced so far is that we have a new subject in maths, for instance, and learn a lot of new methods and techniques as to how to solve the problems. When we've learned that, we learn which commands to use in our calculation programs, and how to solve such problems, then we write those down – and every time we get a home assignment, we simply use those commands and let the calculator-program do all the work. By the time we get to the final exam, and we can no longer use the computers, far the most people have forgotten how to solve the issues by hand method

      We become too dependent on the computers, because we are taught how to solve the issues by commands, and not by how to think of the answer by ourselves. That is an issue, and creativity dies out that way. Something needs to be done about it, and I think "encouraging" students into cheating by being smart might be a healthy solution to that issue.
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    Oct 31 2012: As a student myself, I think technology when used with moderation (within the guidelines set forth by a competent teacher) can be tremendously useful in helping students understand their work better. This is certainly the case where professors assign homework that is specific to them i.e. they have created the problems themselves and are confident that answers cannot be simply copied from the internet. Before the advent of technology, the ability for students to collude and complete homework always existed. Technology simply makes it easier. With respect to the part of the question that asks whether such behavior makes sense - of course it does. Modern advancements have increased greatly the comfort and ease with which humans can interact, work, etc. It should come as no surprise that the internet has led to students being able to find information faster and with greater ease. In many cases, students learn better from online resources (i.e. Khan Academy) than from their teachers at school - the case for homework is no different. The internet has simply made it harder for professors to assign homework that they know students can find the answer to online and they need to be more creative with the problems they assign.
  • Oct 31 2012: I think the question should not be centered on if the students should rely on technology or not, but instead on which level of technology is appropriated for each grade, elementary scholars should not use a calculator for their homework however high school students not only should but must. What level of technology should be allowed on each grade must be based on the maturity of the average student of that grade.
  • Oct 28 2012: No, students should never rely on technology for homework. By relying on technology, students create the harmful dependence relationship that flunks boatloads of students on tests simply because they cannot work independently on problems aimed to test the understanding of mathematical knowledge and the development of mathematical thinking. Students should rely on innate abilities to do homework, only using technology on occasion as tools to further expand on mathematical self-discoveries or ideas.

    Take the analogy of a mechanic. In his toolbox is a variety of tools that he uses to do useful work. Yet he doesn't carry a wrench in his hand 24/7 nor does he tighten every bolt he sees with that wrench. Similarly, students should not be armed with a calculator and Yahoo! Answers to finish math homework by plugging in numbers and equations into calculators or cut&paste answers online into their homework. In the short-term, they do work, but in the long-term, they aren't doing useful work.
    • Oct 31 2012: Try not to be so negative. The kids in those classrooms are learning something far more important than history, biology and physics, they're learning how to interact with and use an electronic network in all its assciated forms, which for the first time in human history makes instantaneous communication and knowledge retrieval possible.
      In order to accomplish this it is first necessary to learn how to handle the hardware. No better way to learn the system than by trying to cheat with it. You let a one year old baby fall enough and he will soon learn to walk. And when these kids today get to their feet and start running you better hold on 'cause it't going to be a wild ride.
      • Oct 31 2012: Yes, using technology may give rise to understanding concepts, hence teachers teach students about using calculators, online graphing tech or SAGEMATH (which I suggest everyone use).

        But the question is not the general understanding of math. It's the usage of tech when doing homework. At this stage, homework is used to reinforce concepts and make students apply their new-found knowledge. In this sense, tech plays a smaller role because it can only verify answers.
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    Oct 26 2012: I think in today's day and age, technology in schools and universities are absolutely necessary. It makes the course material more accessible to everybody and makes assignments much easier to submit. Although it makes student life a lot easier it can also be stressful if there are issues with the technology. For example if you have a assignment due at 11:59pm and the server crashes at 11:50, you are pretty much hooped for that assignment.
  • Oct 26 2012: Whether students should rely on technology for their homework largely depends upon their attitude towards the information that they can acess through these advanced learning devices. If students believe that all information related to their homework on the internet is absolutely correct without a doubt leading them to naturally seek answers of their homework without any cogitaion when doing homework, then relying on technology has baneful effect on students. Otherwise these products of technology will be beneficial auxiliary learning tools and bring nothing but benefits to students study.

    PS. I am a university student in China who is still learning English now so that if I make some grammatical mistakes or some sentences that are grammatical right but think in Chinese way hindering you to understand, then just feel free to point them out.
  • Oct 26 2012: Technology is a very useful tool for us students, if it is used properly (i.e. for doing homework, researches, ...) and not for too hours and end. I think it is up to parents to monitor how their children use technological devices.
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    Oct 26 2012: Why not? While anyone can take the advantage of technology, why not the students ?
    That being said , understand from where you are coming from. My feeling is , the format of homework need to be changed in a way so that despite using technology , students are encouraged to use their creativity.
    Our so called education system hasn't evolved as fast as technology evolved that's the challenge.
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    Oct 26 2012: What does it mean "rely on technology for homework"? If it means "should technology be required to complete homework?", my answer is "no". Human brains work differently. For some people, technology is counterproductive. I know people who had straight "A" in high school and who cannot use any software, except the browser. Students should not be forced into one learning style.

    What students are studying is also critical for the answer. I believe, computers are not necessary to learn most of the school math. It's difficult to type formulas on a computer or sketch geometrical shapes. I think, learning math is just fine on paper. Ability to calculate numbers is not as important as the ability to learn concepts. Most school math problems use simple integers that do not even require a calculator. And there is no harm in learning to do approximate calculations without a calculator.

    Reading a book from start to end on an e-reader is fine, but when it is necessary to switch from chapter to chapter, a paper book is, sometimes, more convenient. For me, it's easier to navigate a paper book. E-books do not provide the same physical sense of where I am in the book.

    For literature research, computers are indispensable. Having dictionaries and translators from all languages at fingertips is a huge advantage over paper dictionaries and encyclopedia.

    So, there is no unequivocal question to this question (and I googled the definition of "unequivocal" to make sure I'm not misusing the word). It's like asking "should we rely on cars for transportation"?
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    Oct 26 2012: I have a son in high school. On many subjects, he cannot do his homework without a computer - the assignments are online, the text books are online, etc. So, he spends hours "doing homework"... and then has a bunch of "incompletes". Why? Because all his friends are also online, email pops up every minute, links to news and RSS feeds pop up every minute, he can download music, movies, games, etc. Sometimes he spends more time setting up some application or trying to print something than doing actual homework.

    High schools require graphing TI calculators these days. My son says, he "needs" it for homework. Yeah, right. After a few days of using it, he figured out how to play "Doom" on that TI calculator (I'm not kidding - the DOS shooter game from 1980s).

    My son's high school, in fact, has a policy to have all electronic devices off in class. I think, this is a right policy. At his age, the neural connections in his brain are exploding. Teenagers have hard time navigating their world anyway - tracking assignments, activities, events, commitments, etc. I'm not sure that having all information in the world at their fingertips makes them more productive as students. Sometimes I think that a textbook and a notebook with a pencil might be more effective for homework.

    On the other side, these days, it is possible to take an on-line class from Stanford for free. Using technology is a skill.

    It seems to me that technology these days develops faster than our ability to use it. Someone has noted that these days an average cell phone has more computing power than NASA mainframe in 1969. NASA used this power to launch a man to the moon, and we use it to launch birds into pigs. It does not seem that technology necessarily makes us smarter or more educated. For sure, it makes us busier. And, perhaps, it's more difficult to brainwash people these days.
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    Oct 25 2012: I don't understand the word "student" here. Since if it's college students then it's not even a debate. Of courseeeeeee. They can use Google to find meaning of a word, they can use calculator. There will be problem when they try to find solution book and then just copy it.

    For the case a child learns how to add two numbers; then allow using a calculator will defeat the purpose.
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    Oct 24 2012: Personally, I think knowing how to use technology as a resource to aid learning is almost as important as learning the concept itself. I can cite a few reasons for this:

    -Technology saves time: If you life your life as though you were going to die any minute, you become acute aware of just how important time management is. Sure, there is a joy to looking up a word in a dictionary or computing arithmetic manually, and these are exercises that kids can be taught at a young age - however, as they grow older and have 'mastered' basic concepts like these, I don't see why they should be precluded from using the internet or calculators. This is particularly holds true in exams, where time is of the essence. An exam should measure a person's ability to solve problems and think, not their ability to compute complex logarithms or perform arithmetic.

    -Technology boosts learning: Technology helps make learning so much more dynamic than a standard teacher-textbook approach. Technology provides us with visualizations, useful resources, and models to help imbibe a concept. Someone who studies anatomy using a an online 3-D model in conjunction with their class is probably going to be able to visualize the human body much better than someone who has only benefited from a textbook perspective.

    -Technology is progressive: As a global society, we are constantly pushing boundaries and innovating. Technology is a reflection of this reality. The earlier students are taught to embrace and adopt technology, the more capable they will be to hack, deconstruct, and build new and better technology themselves. This is not to say traditional learning styles should be abandoned all together - there is a great strength in knowing how to use book references/catalogs/arithmetic, especially should technology fail (eg a power outage) - however, not knowing how to use technology is equally crippling, especially in today's age of constant research and innovation.

    Technology aids and informs learning.
  • Oct 24 2012: I think the problem, as in any generation with advancing technology, is not whether or not we should be using the technology but whether we understand the technology and are using it with care. In one sense technology can lead us to simplify and organize the base level trudge through simple arithmetic and computation and research to achieve more complex solutions to problems, however without being careful technology can also lead us to dependence on quick answers and instant gratification which, in a situation where technology is not readily accessible, may lead one to feel lost or anxious (or lead one to assume disorders like ADD). I think we can not depend on technology solely as a means to make all decisions nor should we completely reject technology and view it as some evil. We must learn to look critically at our use of technology while also appreciating a beauty and possibilities which it provides.
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    Oct 20 2012: actually this problem totally depends on development of technology . students who have ipod, ipad or notebooks feel comfortable because they know reaching information bery easy through these things and they don't need traditional methods
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    Oct 19 2012: I like the using and relying argument. I will use math as an example. My kids school said it was ok to use a calculator in class. I said no and my kids were alone in not using it. My plan was that if they made an error I could not see where they went wrong. I required them to work problems out long hand until such time I knew they understood the proper methods to achieve the correct answer and could apply the method to a real life situation.

    The top achievers will always be capable in education. When the tests that count come along and no calculators are allowed and you must understand the question and the method to derive the correct answer the hard work pays off.

    I was a member of the slide rule club (young people may have to look this up). It was a very effective tool. I was laughed at many times but the handy ole slip stick came through often faster than calculators in later years. We all use computers. I cut and paste some of the hard facts into some answers here on TED. I could never have discussed QE3 without research. The Lincoln conversation was all new to me. Some I had heard but the facts were eye opening.

    I spent years in the library and in dictionaries doing research and now I use a computer. Today I read Obamas investment portfolio. If your for him it is not good news. Years ago that info would never have come to light. So the computer can make things transparant that others lied about and want to hide.

    Teachers know what your capable of and if the report is to good to be true .... it probally ain't true. Your burnt.

    Love it or hate it ... it is a fact of life and here to stay.

    All the best. Bob.
  • Oct 19 2012: Yes, yes they should. And they better be very effective about it.
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    Oct 19 2012: Not necessarily "rely", i'd say technology assists doing homework. However, in the near future, technology is only going to become more integrated with our society and life in general. Then, we'll probably rely on technology for things such as homework.
  • Oct 19 2012: Doing field work & getting your hands dirty might never be replaced by the tools & toys that technology provides.
    Developing new items dictates that.
    Not everything is on the net either.
    Students should be taught the skills without the use of the tools & or toys first.
  • Oct 19 2012: I would say no, because a lot of college/university level information isn't posted online that is readily available. Plus I think it is important to teach them to use multiple different sources (ie internet, books, magazines, audio, video)
  • Nov 18 2012: I feel that the answer to this question rely's more heavily on the students age and grade than a simple yes or no. I have two younger brothers, both of with are constantly required to use technology, not just out of want for ease of access but because it is literally part of an assignment. My youngest brother is 11 and in 5th grade. I personally feel that technology can be a good thing, but to have his homework so dependent upon the technology. I also see your point in a calculator. Recently my husband had his calculator stolen in a class and was at a loss because he needed it in order to do is various math homework. He borrowed one from a friend, but still had an issue because the calculator did not have the same functions as the one that was stolen, because it was an older model.
  • Nov 18 2012: I too have joined this conversation late so again sorry if i repeat any ideas. I am a student in senior school in Australia and my school and government has provided all students with laptops.

    As a student with access to technology, i feel that the only necessary times to use internet and other technological contraptions is when i haven't been taught the material I need to know. In Science i'll have to do homework and find out an equation for chemistry and I won't have the knowledge. I can easily access the computer and find my answer.

    However i have many friends who use the internet to their advantage for example assignments. They just copy and past slabs of info from the net and hand in an assignment without so much as a nights work. Although the internet is one of the greatest things invented recently, it can still be an unreliable resource where some things are just plain wrong.

    I do believe that the internet is terrific however can be used for the wrong reasons and not particularly correct sometimes.
  • Nov 17 2012: Yes
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    Nov 15 2012: So, how many of you "GoogleIt".......and you find the topic or word you seek.......then something else catches your attention and you GoogleIt....and your off......now, instead of simply finding the definition to one word or info on a single topic you've gone on an educational journey......isn't technology wonderful, specially for we the ADD culture.......However when it comes to Math, there is a saying as much cliche', "It's not the destination but the journey that's important", considerably more important to Math because the journey literally defines the destination.

    Our technologies are in their infancy and our educational systems ( and social systems ) are struggling to catchup and keep up. Technology does not teach critical thinking but can support it.

    Education will be a moral, ethical, economic, and social imperative over the next 2 decades and technological innovation will not slow, turn, and look back to see what's keeping up, or not.
  • Nov 15 2012: Should students rely on technology for their homework?

    As a student myself, it makes sense that you can rely on technology for your homework, provided that you have an accurate source. But, I believe this question touches a far greater subject. That of creativity.

    Creative processes and innovations occur when someone knows alot about different subjects and makes new connections between them. This often requires intrinsic knowledge about these subjects.

    The availible information technology offers is great, but so much information will not lead to experts on specific subject, but rather to generalists with superficial knowledge about alot of subjects. Technology also withholds people from truely participating with the material, also reducing true understanding of the subject. This, and all the distraction an Ipod, phone, laptop or tablet offers, will reduce creativity and innovation.

    So noone should rely on technology, but use technology to assist them.
  • Nov 14 2012: On one hand, it would be somewhat foolish not to use all the resources available at hand. However, I would still say no to the original proposal.
  • Nov 14 2012: As an educator, it is important that students learn how to use technology as a resource. Using a calculator to do mental math is not the quickest way, but the mentality of some elementary educators is "there is a calculator so no need to teach multiplication, addition, etc" then when these students come to high school they don't have number sense. Using technology to further thinking is imperative. If it's faster and learning isn't being taken away, then why not. For example, looking up a word on Google. Students still get the definition, even better they see synonyms and antonyms. Much faster than a dictionary.

    Students should start learning, at a very young age the proper uses of technology and how to use it as a resource. Trying to teach students these skills in high school is tough because they often see technology as a toy.
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    Nov 13 2012: Ponder this When you are not in school a kid or working you use any and all technology to do any and all tasks. wE ARE NOT TEACHING CURRENT LEVEL REAL WORLD HOW TO OUR KIDS! So lets allow any and all tech to be used in all forms at all levels in education even in when taking a test! Do this in the USA and YOU TELL ME WHAT THIS GENERATION WILL ACHIEVE!
    BTW I am Dyslexic as is my oldest son we were destroyed by the current system!
    • Nov 14 2012: Fred,

      I agree with you that in the workforce we have many resources available to use that we might not have had while in the classroom. The fact of the matter is that the classroom is a learning environment and not a real-world environment. Think about your classroom experiences for a moment, and compare them to your work environment. Do you currently have the opportunity to guess, contemplate or question your answers. I doubt you do because you are expected to have learned a certain set of skills by the time you are employed. The classroom is, or should, be a place of exploration and questioning.

      When we deploy every piece of available technology we begin to diminish basic problem solving abilities in our children. Why think about it when I can just looking it up on Google or IM my buddy? Why actually learn math skills when I plug the numbers into my machine and watch the graphs appear? There is no need to learn to plot these graphs myself. I know many people see this as a waste of time, but these core skills are what teach our students how to solve problems, and letting technology do it for them is making them dumber.

      As it relates to your specific issue, Fred, the system failed you. Your special learning needs should have been addressed by your individual educators. There is simply nothing else to be said about it. It has nothing to do with the use of technology, but rather the failure of your educators to notice an issue and manage it.
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        Nov 14 2012: On Wed, Nov 14, 2012 at 6:15 PM, Charles Frederick wrote:
        When a student is asked to solve a problem or writing essay or read a book
        if they used all available technology they still do come up with the answer
        they still have to read the question-and-answer and with the technology the
        questions and the problems could get much more difficult therefore the basic
        elements and fundamentals will be learned in a format but much faster and their
        ability to solve much more complicated problems a much earlier age will be
        obviously enhance

        It still amazes me that in this day and age the resistance of society to
        utilize the next level of our evolution is so so resisted and entrenched in people like yourself
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        Nov 14 2012: Also the kids are board to death in the current ed system because they use these devices at home and at school the are forced to use a hammer and chisel to write with.
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    Nov 12 2012: I think maybe its a good idea to accept the living situation of our era to let the technology carry the weight of all these information.
    What students need to have is wisdom. But it's a good idea to know the references and reliability of the source.
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    Nov 10 2012: I think it is sad that a child will no longer know how to go t a library and look up information in books.
    Encyclopedia Britannica has ceased to publish its encyclopedias. This is sad. They go to Wikipedia instead. The only problem with Wikipedia is anyone can contribute to it so it’s often inaccurate.
    Google tells us everything so easily. We don’t have to research any more. We just type a couple of words and we get million of hits of information.
    Some say handwriting will cease to exist within 10-15 years. http://hotword.dictionary.com/handwriting/
    So much will be lost
    • Nov 14 2012: Although it's sad that students won't know how to look up books in a library, they will have an infinite number of resources at their hands to do research. The skills we'll have to teach now is how to properly research and how to check for reliability. Just because it's on the internet doesn't mean its true.
    • Nov 14 2012: It will be sad but why not move with times and advance with the technology. So much will be lost, but so much will be gained.
  • Nov 9 2012: students should be given enough time to cultivate their original ideas and use their own brain........the thing is not every student is same......he/she needs to clear his/her basics to put their mind and soul into the task given.......and for that student will always opt for shortcuts....like ipads, phones, tablets, internet,calculators......i dont think student require the hi tech options as solution but yes these surely will develop awareness knowledge and information about specific task........
    calculators must not b the solution for calculations as one should develop skills to calculate fast and accurate......even if there are decimals in the calculation or if its metric calculations too.......
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    Nov 9 2012: I don't think students should have to RELY on technology for homework because they should learn how to use other resources to get the information they need for homework.
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    Nov 8 2012: I think that we are changing our relationship with information and knowledge. We are moving from a focus on knowledge acquisition to knowledge access. Partly this is because knowledge is so accessible that we have less need for memorization. Partly it is because the knowledge based economy is so vast and changing so quickly that it is impossible to know everything about a field, and it is our ability to find the knowledge we need that allows us to function.

    It is a good thing to teach students how to access information on their own and become self learners. However, there is a certain foundation of education that is often required. If you are pursuing a career in engineering it is important to know how to access the relevant building codes you may need for a project. However, you should be comfortable with the physics behind it (You don't want to be teaching yourself Newtonian mechanics on the job).

    The question to me is at what age should technology based homework begin? Will technology become an economic barrier to the public education of kids? Do kids learn better with computers of are they just too full of distractions?
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    Nov 6 2012: They should because that way they can learn the useful skill of looking for information. No one can aspire to know it all, so we should all know where and how to look for the information we require. We could apply here the old saying "what matters is not how good you are, but who you know". In this case, we could substitute "what resources you have" for "who you know". I'm not saying students shouldn't learn new things by heart, but I'm sure that in the future, at least in some fields, it will be more important to know how to find some particular information on the Internet than to know 99% of the facts by heart.

    But as I said, they should also learn to be as independent as possible, but if they don't learn to use technology to their advantage they will inevitably stay in an inferior position compared to others. I guess technology is like a smart big brother, can either spoil you or teach you properly, it's up to us to find the right balance.
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    Nov 6 2012: A lot of students are on-line but off-track, if you have to write something and don't have the spell check with you, you are in trouble, so my recommendation for students are 2: first read all you can, the only way to learn how to spell is to read with a dictionary in the hand. Second you have to be hi tech and hi touch, learn all you can about technology so that you can go out there and live, human interaction is better for living a good life. technology should be used to provide extra time. the problem is not doing the homework with hi tech, is that hi tech absorve your attention for hours after you finished.... shut down facebook for a couple of hours see what you can do in your neighbourhood for real . :)
  • Nov 4 2012: My answer to this is sort of in the middle of both sides.
    My first take on this is that a lot of college courses now are online so students have to rely on technology in order to take the class. This has been very helpful for me and I love online courses.

    My second take on this is that I believe students should crack open the textbook for papers and assignments from time to time instead of turning on the computer and typing in their question for google to figure it out for them
  • Nov 2 2012: The only way we will prepare the kids for the future is to get them using technology early and often. They need to know that it is constantly changing and that they need to be comfortable with the idea of new tech devices and apps
  • Nov 2 2012: I do make use of technology to understand the concepts better. Some sites like Khan- Academy,Udacity, Coursera, Ted-ed etc are. really very engaging and help understand the fundamentals better. Once I have understood the concept, I like to approach the homework problems on my own. Of-course I am aware that over-dependence on these resources can kill my ability to think on my own so I make cautious use of these resources and advise other students here to do the same. I do use the net to research the topics to be covered in my assignments but I also make it a point to cite the resources and put in my own ideas and perspectives as well.

    Most students, including myself, are visual learners. I don't get the concepts until I am shown a few graphs, animations etc. At school, there is limited time and a lot to cover. So most teachers skip these parts thinking that they are not important from the examination point of view.So i turn to the net to understand the concept.
  • Nov 1 2012: I think technology is to make the things easy & fast. I see technology with the education system as a facilitator to ease the learning experience, bring more things to end user, make things more interactive, make communication faster etc.

    I differ with this idea of students rely on technology for home work. Home work is intended to make the kid work hard, which in turn, not only sharpen their skill set such as, analytical, reasoning or, verbal but also, help develop the overall personality. A help in completion of assignments won’t make the kid give his best to the problem. It’s like snatching the opportunity to explore himself/herself. One should face the problem head on, use his own caliber to come out of it – and homework gives that opportunity to become such a man in future. Remember, a hardship makes people stronger.

    In summary, we need to build our kids stronger to face the varied challenges where technology should help in becoming a stronger person.
  • Oct 31 2012: Technology is a way to do things faster and why not, better but it isn't a goal in itself.
    We shouldn't mix our goals with the ways we use to achieve them. Technology can help to be more productive but it's our willings and actions that define who we are and what we want to do in our life.
    As a summary, the most important is that our kids / students want to learn how things work and how to improve them. If technology helps to achieve that goal, perfect!!
  • Oct 31 2012: As a student I believe that students can use technology to an extent. But I barely know my simple times tables and I'm a freshman in high school. So I use a calculator, but I have a few learning disabilities so I look at it as okay.
  • Oct 31 2012: student must not be allowed to use modern technology to do home work. he must use creative skills, common sense, and learn challenging aptitude. how ever he must be conversant with modern technology. technology is not eternal. we should able to face any unforeseen eventuality with our tactical brain. dependability will ruin the progress.
  • Oct 31 2012: Teaching how to use technology to solve problems should be one of the central goals of any educational system.
  • Oct 30 2012: Sometimes, technology is necessary for students. It helps them do their home works more easily. But be dependent on technology too much you are likely to lose your creative and some crucial skills that you can obtain when you do your home works yourself. Therefore, there must be a balance on time studying with technology equipments and time studying with traditional styles.
  • Oct 30 2012: I believe it all depends on the level of education and the goals of the individual student.

    Until a student needs to choose his career the only function of technology should be to stimulate learning and not to make it easier. So no calculators or looking things up on the internet, besides this shouldn't be necessary at this level.

    Teachers and parents should regularly have discussed the goals, wishes and dreams of each student giving them the best tools to pick a school that fits them. At this point the young student should already be aware of what classes are core to his goals and which are secondary .

    Once the student starts at his new school the teacher there should also sit down with him and his parents and go over his goals, wishes and dreams again after this it's up to the teacher/school to allow the student to focus on his core subjects where there should be no limit to what level the student can follow (unless it goes over the capability of the school at this point private tutoring for this subject is a good option). The level of secondary subjects should be adapted to the students ability but are expected to generally lower level and should be there to give the student a good all-round education.

    Now to get to the point.

    Students should not be allowed to use any technology to make it easier to pass his core skills. So if one of the core skills is math it means no calculator. But if English is not a core but secondary subject the student should be allowed to look words up.
  • Oct 30 2012: From my experience as a math teacher I think technology now is not an option it is a must.
    My idea about this issue, that teachers should design new challenge tasks that encourage students to practice hands on activities.
    My work with dynamic software as Geogebra allow me to invent a new theory derived from Pythagoras theory. also it enables me to go beyond the traditional teaching
  • Oct 28 2012: Hi everybody, I'm an italian student, about this topic I think that technology is going every day more important to us. But we must teach the use of technology, because like every powerful instrument it can be used well or not. So a student can become lazy or can improve his own capabilities. It all depends on which use we make of it.
  • Oct 28 2012: Students first learn to solve simple questions and then graduately more complex and difficult questions. If a students does not try to cogitate simple questions at first before searching the answers via the Internet, how could he or she will be coerced to think independently when confronting challenging questions later.

    To labour the point-I do not say what you said is wrong but I do believe that students can benefit from advanced technology with a precondition,that is, students themselves already know how to think independently,how to distinguish what information is good,and how to read good information in the correct ways.
  • Oct 27 2012: As a current University student myself, I can say that technology is absolutely critical towards my education. Since there is so much technology available, the level that the current student generation is expected to perform at is very different than it has been in previous generations. I am not trying to say that we are smarter or anything, because different generations are not exactly comparable in that way. Since I have the internet at my fingertips I am expected to use all of the resources out there for papers/projects etc. Using a calculator for math problems, does not always simply make the problem easier to solve, but the questions asked also become much more complex. The world is changing and learning to use and become fluent with technology early in life allows for the advancement of more new technology later on. Having the internet also makes learning more accessible. If I am at home and have a question I do not know the answer to, I can look it up online and learn about whatever it is. Before technology I would have either needed to head over to the library (but probably not), or just say "oh well, I can't be bothered to learn that" and have learned nothing about what I wanted to know. I think the internet allows for easy access to knowledge for those that desire it.
  • Oct 26 2012: Assuming that by technology you are referring to the internet, then yes with a caveat. There is a lot of information available on the internet and a great deal of it is biased, misleading, just plain wrong, or badly sourced.
    Provided that the student actually do research, and not just take the first thing from google then technology can be a great way to discover information that in the past was very difficult to uncover.
    Usually, or rather hopefully, your school provides access to electronic libraries. That is one of the greatest sources of quality research I have ever come across.
    • Oct 27 2012: Academic School libraries are great, as well as Google Scholar, and websites like JSTOR that publish Journal Articles online so good peer reviewed literature can be easily accessed.
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    Oct 26 2012: I think , students should make use of technology to come with further improvements in technology , that should also be part of the curriculum... So though google has made our work a lot easier, introducing unique and creative assignments can also be another work around.
  • Oct 26 2012: Makes a lot of sense. Technology is there to help man kind. A better question would be why do schools and colleges

    teach students about information they will never use. Have you ever used any of that hard math that you learned?

    Cause I know I haven't. They make you learn stuff that is not even related to the field your tring to get into. Why learn

    something you will never use in your career. It's blows your mind how much teachers waste stuents time everyday.
    • Oct 26 2012: Although a great majority of knowledge we learned in schools,universities,and colleges is consipicuously useless for our future job,particularly in China in which people even start to learn calculus in middle school,during the process of learning such knowledge that we will never use again after examination,we will gain some vital abilities and skills including logical and critial thinking which are crucially important for our future career.
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      Oct 26 2012: I agree with Augsut. The value of education is, often, not information that students learn, but the ability to learn, set goals and accomplish them, do the research, etc. Learning the method is more important than the results. I went through 2 graduate schools. The theses and research I've done there has no practical importance, but the skills do matter.
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    Oct 26 2012: I love learning from online discussions, like TED. It's awesome to be able to ask a question online and get hundreds of answers from people all over the world, with links to various resources - books, videos, articles, be exposed to various views, learn how to express opinions without insulting each other, learn how to ignore insults (I've been in forums with less than tolerant attitudes). I would never have some of these discussions face-to-face.

    The key to learning is experience. Feedback is important - either sensory physical feedback or feedback from teachers or peers. Limiting experience to online experience is not a good idea.
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    Oct 26 2012: The best teachers guide and encourage learning, and motivate children. Technology is not the solution to the problem. Technology however can be a powerful tool for reforming education. Look at what Mooresville, NC has accomplished. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/13/education/mooresville-school-district-a-laptop-success-story.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 The cost of education is the elephant in the room, with school districts paying out around $15,000 pre pupil in costs each year. Mooresville School District has cut this costin halve and has "improved" its outcomes. This reduction in cost can create breathing room in school budgets to rescues programs that are otherwise being cut, like the art and music.
    Can a book do that?
    Books do have great value. There will always be a place for them in a child's learning. Every parent should read to their children......and buy them a book.
    • Oct 27 2012: Cannot agree more. Just as Mark Twain once said that the person who does not read good books or read book in a wrong way has no advantage over the person who cannot read. Teachnology can only be an auxiliary tool helping students to learn whatsoever they like or/and knowledge that they should learn by allowing students to conveniently access to tremendous information resource but it is unable to help students to find out their own way and more important correct way to learn.
  • Oct 25 2012: When you ask "should" they, are you asking whether it is beneficial for them to do so or whether it is morally right for them to do so?

    Although I am not sure that this is a sensible question to ask. If it makes completing their homework easier then they will use technology. It is pretty hard (especially with the pressure to get the grades on assignments etc) to get a student to see that this is not going to benefit them long term.

    Perhaps instead we should be asking why, when the world we live in has changed so dramatically, we are teaching the same things and in the same manner as our parents were taught? Perhaps we need a revolution in the way we teach to keep pace with the world, rather than suggesting the kids play by the old rules. For example, find ways to minimise the effectiveness of using technology.

    Interestingly I read recently that they are introducing more coursework to some curricula in the UK, which of course is far more vulnerable to the use of technology. I guess employers that wish to hire those most capable of using google will be able to rely on the grades.

    Of course, a really radical solution would be to inspire the kids so that they want to learn but perhaps that is a separate discussion.
  • Oct 25 2012: My personal experience is that technology is a great tool to help learning. I learned more on the internet and in books then I ever did in school. Of course, there is some people who uses technology as a distraction rather than a tool, but I defy anyone to find anything that was NEVER misused.
    Stating that students should only use paper and pen and read books would be similar to saying we should have kept writing with quills and ink, only because we lost the beautiful penmanship required to write with ink. The technology is there, and as much as some may dislike it's influence and presence in our lives, it is there to stay. We have the tool, it's simply a matter of finding how to use them wisely.

    I don't think a conclusion will be reached on this topic as it is probably more a rhetorical question: I hardly see how one would stop students from using technologies they have with them at every waking minutes of their lives.

    Also, your question bring another one to mind: Should teachers rely on technology for their classes?
    (p.s; don't point out my grammatical errors as proofs of technology's bad influence, English is my second language)
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      Oct 26 2012: Re: " I learned more on the internet and in books then I ever did in school."

      People always learn more when they learn what they want. My son loves to read, but it is a struggle for him to read a book required for a class.
      • Oct 27 2012: I felt the same way at my school, but the best is to just power through the school books so you can get back to those you really enjoy. Just make sure you can still remember it when the exam comes around.
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    Oct 25 2012: No, first they ought to use their brains. No technology required. No expense. Thinking and dreaming.
  • Oct 25 2012: The problem I see is that by using technology you begin to become dependent on it. As a student if you rely on your phone/tablet/computer to assist you with your studies, will you be able to perform well when you're tested on these subjects and don't have access to the resources.
    The other issue is that if you don't understand how your calculator is generating the number, you won't understand how to interpret the results.
    I had access to spell check when it wasn't on every computer, between that and being left handed I used to type all of my school work. Due to that I have horrible spelling and hand writing even in my mid 30s.
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    Oct 24 2012: It is a fantastic way to get to know the world by using the online technology as long as students are not distract from knowledge.
    As a English-as-second-learning-language user, I am sure that I am a beneficiary of internet. throught the powerful internet, I can google nearly everything in English which will help avoid as much the embarrassment of Chinglish as possible. Also, it seems like another window is opening for me.
    On the other hand, the technology provides us an open-source way of sharing and communicating. As the boy who gave a TED talk about the app he developed to help the teacher with their teaching, the internet makes us in web that can congregate all the possible resource into one. And in the mean time, we develop our thinking abilities much more than we could any time in the past.
    relying on technology for homework is just an apt illustration of developing problem-solving ability with the help of technology. so, basically, that's cool~
    • Oct 27 2012: This is not alway true.Relying on technology will also cause some children to addict to advanced technology leading them to graduately become a kind of people who once confront a question,they will soon search the answer on the internet without any cogitation,which is the thing that traggers the development of technology for free the time that hinder people to cogitate.
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        Oct 28 2012: To some simple questions, I believe that sutdents can search the answers to them. But to a large propotion of challenging ones, a student still have to think. They may get a piece of knowledge relevant to the task, or some hints of the task, but they will not always get the whole answer of it. Sometimes, they even have to discuss this online with others who have the same interest in it. Don't you think this is a good way to think.
        Admittedly, many students may develop into a bad habit of checking the internet before thinking independently. However, as mentioned above, when they find that the internet can't solve everything and that they cannot wait before the computer screen waiting the result to appear, they will deal with the task themselves, and cogitate the true meaning of learning by means of technology as well.
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    Oct 24 2012: What we can comment on, well educated people built that technology. It is better to use it to invent more.
  • Oct 24 2012: Being a student who readily uses technology to assist with my homework, I do believe it is an excellent resource. The internet is so vastly dense with information on an infinite amount of topics, and I don't see where the problems could exist. When we research different topics, we get a number of different viewpoints creating a more in depth understanding on the concepts that may be harder to grasp if we were to read it one way through one person's textbook. However, there is the underlying issue in that content on the internet is generally not monitored, leading to problems with errors and such. The transparency of the internet usually eliminates that problem so long as one goes and ensures they get information from a wide range of resources. Also using a calculator or google for a quick method of obtaining answers isn't exactly cheating. We are living in a world with an increasing dependence on technology, and having things such as calculators or Google could boost productivity if anything. Why learn how to create and solve an equation, if you can understand the process enough to interpret the information in a way that you could simply find what you're looking for by punching in the desired numbers. I don't think we should be shunning the increased use of technology across the globe, but rather embrace it as an arguably faster method of learning. It's not exactly cheating if you still end up learning what you need to at the end of the day.
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    Oct 24 2012: Students should rely on technology to enhance their ability to understand the information. Technology can definitely provide more effective tools than traditional teaching methods.

    I don't see any benefit in knowing how to calculate a math formula when a calculator can do it quicker and with much more accuracy. If we are talking about the value of understanding these things...I think its subjective. If we have a career that calls for such knowledge then obviously I support researching it.

    However, I don't think we need to get wrapped up in the methods we use. We just need to ensure the end result is a quality product.
  • Oct 24 2012: Whether we like it or not, technology is becoming a tremendous part of students‘ lives. We as a government spend too much much money on books and papers. I believe that it would be more cost-efficient in the long run, to have technology in our schools. I think it's very important to know how to do things such as do a math problem, or know a specific word. However, I think it would make more sense to become more modern and up to date.
  • Oct 24 2012: The real problem here is wheter or not the education system will realize that search engines are here to stay and however humanity progresses in the years to come that "Google" will always be by its side. The solution lies within the organizations that control how students are being taught and in which manner they should be graded. Allow students to really understand the basis of where the answer came from and the steps involved in acheiving the solution. Let them ask why and not what. Have them start backwards, and work there way into the question's origin and actual purpose. Let future students take full advanage of what makes us humans so different from the rest of life on earth. We ask why! Do not let Google remove that from us regardless of how quick and easy an answer is to find. This is how we can further our now tech influenced education system.
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    Oct 23 2012: We spent $20 billion annually on text book. Why?
    It is actually in the interest of taxpayers who pay for education to use technology as a cost cutting measure that can improve the overall quality of education.
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      Oct 26 2012: Text books are ridiculously over-priced in U.S.A. $100 for a book is a bit too much. Having text books online is, in fact, great. However, there are advantages to using paper books.
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        Can a book do that?
        The CEO of Chegg.com, Daniel Rosenweig makes this point:
        "We need to allow students to learn how they want, when they want and where they want - whether it’s in the classroom, via text, through video, in study groups with their class, in study groups at their school or even online with students around the world. Technology allows us to focus directly on the needs of today’s students, eliminating the historical boundaries of time, location, tools, scale and even cost."
  • Oct 22 2012: As I am a baby Boomer, I readily admit to making mistakes with the younger generation. We wanted all of the best for our offspring and technology was very high on that list. Back in the 60's we felt no one understood us, so we devised ways that they would. Now, we wish we hadn't. Having a person in front of you, to have a conversation, lets people understand each other so much better. The slight tilt of the head, twitch of the eye, etc. all gives us a better understanding of what is really going on in a person's mind. Talking on a cell phone, is not as good but at least you hear their voice.
    Texting fits right into the old phrase: It loses a lot in the translation.
    When our youngsters have to have a real conversation with a stranger, they will not no what to look for or react to.
    I like technology but refuse to have my cell phone surgically attached to my hip & I don't text.
  • Oct 22 2012: Well its normal for this to happen. Because we unconsciously look for the easy way out. There is nothing wrong with google search or whatever search engine we find in the net. But there must always be an Old School basis behind the new methods. There is a difference between someone that knows only Windows and someone who walked the path of
    MS-DOS before entering the point-click-drag operating systems. Most enterprises rely on computer systems for many tasks, but what happens when your building runs out of power, and all the computers black out due to a failure in the energy backup system? There the Old School people will know what to do. If you are in an outdoors adventure, and your GPS has a failure, The Old School compass will come to the rescue. You must walk before you fly. Problem solving with pencil and paper is the basis, is the walking, before we fly. Students must be involved with technology because this is how the world is now. But they must go through the basic methods, that will be the real basis of their formation. What teachers cant accept is students to copy-paste from google. They must read process and assimilate, and then make the homework.
  • Oct 21 2012: Adapting to your surroundings is kind of part of being "educated"...or at least it should be. And "adapting" kind of makes it sound like a passive thing, but it's quite the opposite. Because it really requires people to think critically, each for themselves. Self-reliance. (i.e. probably the opposite on relying on others/material things...)
  • Oct 20 2012: "Should students rely on technology for their homework?"

    Yes, because teachers are asking more of students, knowing that they have access to technology, this in turn makes the students (and the employees they'll later become) more productive.

    If you want to bar students from using technology then you'll have to give up some of their productivity and reduce their workload to what it was in the 60s and 70s.
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    Oct 19 2012: It is my hope that students actually know the purpose of education. There are certain instances where reading a few credible materials online would be of immense help. But questions are vehicles for progress, and it would be foolish not to ride in it as should be done.
  • Oct 19 2012: Right Anisha and Fritzie
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    Oct 18 2012: Absolutely.

    In fact they should be taught how to use their technology more efficiently. The reality is that iphone has more technology than what it took to get a man on the moon. We should educate children that there are more than toys but tools.

    Use your tool to do and create whatever you want.

    Rather i fear they use it to reproduce and mimic blindly. Because, i would argue, we are not educating them on what this New age of gadgets can provide for self improvement as well as entertainment. Teach to find the most interesting art and music!
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    Oct 18 2012: if it is the one of the answers to the question of why technology is invented,it makes sense.