Technology has become a must have in everyday school life. Between Chromebooks and phones it is used during every class period. Students use Google classroom and online textbooks to complete assignments in school.

“I think using Chromebooks helps relate students to learning through the use of technology because they use it everyday of their life,” junior Cameron Jones said.

Teachers can reach their students through technology in or out of school. They can assign worksheets and study tools even when they are not at school. It also allows for later due dates. Instead of assignments being due at the beginning of class, students are allowed to turn in some assignments by 11:59 p.m. that night.

“I think Chromebooks can serve as a valuable educational tool if used properly, but unfortunately I think a large number of students don’t use them as an educational tool, they use them as a distraction and it hurts their academic successes which results in them performing less than they otherwise could. It’s kind of like a dual-edge sword,” Mr. D’Antonio said.

Although the drawbacks, some teachers teach almost entirely off the computer. Mrs. Taylor’s accounting class does most of their assignments off a program called Cengage. She uses Cengage to teach her students how to enter accounting concepts, while she also teaches them how to write them out on paper.

“I teach with both technology and paper to give them ‘the best of both worlds’ and make sure they are able to learn it in a new era, but also be able to go back and do it on paper because it will benefit them when going to a job. It gives them hands on experience, real life experience, and it allows them to learn in multiple ways,” Taylor said.

Cengage also grades the assignments so students are given instant feedback. This gives Taylor more time to help students on what they are not understanding.

“I feel they learn better because it is learning in a way to prepare them for college and jobs. It gives students more of a visual learning experience,” Taylor said.

While some say using technology in the classroom can be a distraction, Taylor doesn’t feel this way about her accounting class.

“I feel the only way it could be a distraction is because some people learn on paper better, but that would be the only distraction that I could see,” Taylor said.

Technology can be a blessing or a curse in the classroom. Despite the fact that technology can cause distractions in the classroom, the flexibility and resourcefulness it creates furthers learning in the new era of electronics.