brad jermeland: technology and education

Technology Trends in Education Help Prepare Our Students for the Real World

By Brad Jermeland

According to the 2013 Speak Up Survey from Project Tomorrow, major trends in technology are making their way across education systems of America, proving to be

beneficial for students and helping them to prepare for the real world.

CEO Julie Evans revealed the latest trends from the Speak Up Survey, which include video for homework and mobile computing, but these weren’t the only benefits that students

are seeing as a result from the influx in technology.

These results represent over 400,000 surveys from 9,000 schools and 2,700 school districts across the United States.

Input was given from mostly students, but from teachers, librarians, parents, and district administrators as well. The

most beneficial results from the use of technology in the education system are the following:

First, students have quickly adapted the ability to use different tools for various tasks. Julie Evans commented

about how this technological era has made different tools for students to excel in different areas of learning, tools that are

catered to do exactly what they need to figure out.

Apart from using one platform for an abundance of tasks, students have proven to become more savvy about taking

advantage of the tools they have available.

Evans said, “We find them using video, social media and cell phones for communications; they use e-readers for reading

texts and articles; they write, take notes, and do research on laptops.”

Not only does this help a student excel in the particular field they are studying, but it also helps them learn tools that the

work-force is using and just getting used to.

So that by the time they see themselves in the real world, they will be extremely efficient at completing the task at

hand.

Another great technological advance students are using to their advantage is their increased interest in learning from

online resources.

According to the 2013 Speak Up surveys, students who have not taken an online course say they are very interested in the opportunity to do so, stating that they want to have more control over their learning and will get continuous

support from a teacher who is online.

This could be due to a number of factors, such as an embarrassment to ask questions in person or peer pressure from other students that excelling in school is “nerdy” and

“uncool.”

Paying attention to the digital footprint is another huge impact that technological advances in school systems have for their students. According to Evans, 44 percent of high schoolers said they believe a positive digital profile is an

extremely important aspect of their future.

The survey results showed that sixty-four percent of high school students responding admitted to being cautious about

what they post online; 39 percent admitting that they stopped interacting with friends who post inappropriate

content online.

Not only do technological innovations in school systems across the country help students earn higher grades and

prepare themselves for future jobs, but they also keep students aware of their online presence; because monitoring online decisions are just as important as the decisions made

in person.