A New Connection

Technology continues to change the way the world works, and education is not exempt. The use of chromebooks, laptops, and online websites or applications for education in classrooms has increased, beginning to overshadow the use of paper or physical assignments. The debate of whether or not the shift is good or bad is ever-growing. 

In the midst of the Coronavirus, education made a major shift from in-person to online, but the impacts were severe. Does keeping online elements of education hurt or benefit students and educators?

“I believe that a good balance between the two is better for learning,” junior Riley Miller says. “Too much paperwork cannot prepare the students for the future, whereas too much computer work can cause a loss of important skills.”

As of now, the majority of the upperclassmen have likely spent their time in elementary school and a portion of middle school without online education. The skills learned at those ages are crucial for success in life, and one of the concerns of online education is whether or not those skills are being affected.

“I think paperwork is a human connection that we are slowly losing,” Miller shares. “Handwriting, spelling, and other factors are slowly being lost each generation.”

Taking account of the effects on students is important, but the shift in education can also be either a blessing or challenge for those teaching. Whether or not educators can take something away from the change doesn’t change the fact that the students are the ones paying the price.

“The teacher talks less. They’re like, ‘the slideshow is on Canvas, go take notes,’ and the rest of the class was silent. I’m not learning like that,” senior Mattea Dhamo says.

Despite what people may think about the ever growing dependency on digital school work, everyone has their own way of learning and each will benefit from different styles of learning. Digital learning is seen as a threat, but only big enough to raise concerns as of now.