Parents, Teachers, Kids Speak Up On Ed Teach (Communication, access are important to students; most parents believe technology is underused in schools

by Justin Appel, Assistant Editor, eSchool News


This is the second year in a row in which results of a survey have suggested that students and teachers desire to have more technology usage in schools. Also, an overwhelming 97% of students, but only 50% of teachers think that cell phones should be allowed in schools for emergencies and for connecting with parents. I personally do not support the idea of using cell phones in schools because they are too much of a distraction and are too tempting to use for texting with friends. I also think that it is really interesting that students polled said that they used technology the most to communicate with friends and people from all over the world. This influx of communication has altered the meaning of "friend". Who knows what other terms will be altered or even new words coined as technology advances throughout the years. I think that it is sad that younger grades have reported that there is not enough access to computers and technology. I believe that computers and technology should be very much a part of lower level classrooms because at this age they soak up information like a sponge and at this stage of life they are laying the foundation of knowledge for upcoming years.