The pros and cons of using computers in elementary school “In a world driven by smartphones and other mobile devices, it's really no surprise that technology has found a home in the elementary classroom. In fact, according to a 2009 infographic published by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), 98% of elementary school teachers had computers in the classroom every day.” (Riskey, 2016) There are many pros and cons of using computers to assist in educating children. Do the pros outweigh the cons…. that is for the teachers, parents, and children to decide.
Pros
The first pro is motivation. Having computers and technology in the classroom motivates children. If children come into a classroom and see computers and know they do not …show more content…
Every child is different. The way they learn is different. The progress rate that they learn is different. Computer assisted learning would help each student learn at the speed he/she needs. Certain educational apps would allow questions and problems to get easier or more difficulty, depending on student performance. (Ronan, 2017) If students were in a regular classroom environment everyone would be stuck at the same level of instruction. With computer assisted learning it would help both the teacher, to see where each student was for the content, and the student to be able to learn at his/her own pace.
Communication through technology is also a pro. Students who are shy or do not talk well with others could use computers as a medium to communicate. Students could send emails or start a chatroom or instant message other students to communicate with them. If students are having trouble with questions or a project they could start a discussion post about it. Effective communication can foster teamwork and possibly be the first step in building …show more content…
Yes, certain computer applications can check for spelling and simple grammar errors. However, these applications cannot teach things like punctuation or nouns and verbs. They also do not teach students how to write legibly.
Computers in elementary school could also encourage laziness. With the amount of information and things one could find on the internet there might not be a need to go out and have some fun. If students never had to go outside to play with each other or go out and do research on a project because they could do all that on a computer that would led to them possibly being lazy. Students could think that they could do any and everything they needed to from a computer.
A huge factor would be cost. Not all schools can afford to have a computer for every student. That would cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Not to mention all the software needed to educate the students. Or all the security features needed to protect the computers. (Ramey,
Pros
The first pro is motivation. Having computers and technology in the classroom motivates children. If children come into a classroom and see computers and know they do not …show more content…
Every child is different. The way they learn is different. The progress rate that they learn is different. Computer assisted learning would help each student learn at the speed he/she needs. Certain educational apps would allow questions and problems to get easier or more difficulty, depending on student performance. (Ronan, 2017) If students were in a regular classroom environment everyone would be stuck at the same level of instruction. With computer assisted learning it would help both the teacher, to see where each student was for the content, and the student to be able to learn at his/her own pace.
Communication through technology is also a pro. Students who are shy or do not talk well with others could use computers as a medium to communicate. Students could send emails or start a chatroom or instant message other students to communicate with them. If students are having trouble with questions or a project they could start a discussion post about it. Effective communication can foster teamwork and possibly be the first step in building …show more content…
Yes, certain computer applications can check for spelling and simple grammar errors. However, these applications cannot teach things like punctuation or nouns and verbs. They also do not teach students how to write legibly.
Computers in elementary school could also encourage laziness. With the amount of information and things one could find on the internet there might not be a need to go out and have some fun. If students never had to go outside to play with each other or go out and do research on a project because they could do all that on a computer that would led to them possibly being lazy. Students could think that they could do any and everything they needed to from a computer.
A huge factor would be cost. Not all schools can afford to have a computer for every student. That would cost thousands and thousands of dollars. Not to mention all the software needed to educate the students. Or all the security features needed to protect the computers. (Ramey,