Technology can be transformative in the classroom, however, some advents of technology can detract from taking education to the next level. Mike Silagadze, explains “We need to be careful to introduce technology in thoughtful ways or else we will be left with another generation of teachers who see technology as nothing but overpriced distractions rather than useful teaching tools” (Lynch, 2018). Not only can technology be distractions, technology can be used for more nefarious acts, cheating. 

Classrooms no longer need brick and mortar locations for learning to take place. Schools can differentiate for students beyond the classes that they can physically offer at the school. For example, if a student is past the current curriculum for math, they can take a college-level math course online. Conversely, if a student failed courses at school, now credit recovery courses are offered online. Students in these courses complete lessons and are tested at the end and must earn a certain grade in order to recover the credit. At the district where I work, these students are often put into a computer lab with one person supervising. Often times these students rush through the lessons and take the test while using google to look up the answers. There is no actual learning taking place. Once students realized they could recover credit by cheating and sitting in a lab for two weeks, some started skipping classes more, failing that course and “recovering” the credit later. This system has the exact opposite effect as intended.

Classroom Cheating

John Merrow explains issues with School Reform on PBS News Hour:

Merrow explains teachers are held accountable for the outcome of the students, “the students are workers and learning is the outcome.” Too often teachers are considered the workers and student achievement are considered the outcome. But if you look at the issues with academic honesty, the use of technology to cheat, learning is not taking place. More needs to be done to ensure the efficacy of the learning environment to ensure technology is being used to improve the outcome, not defraud the system. 

Bibliography 

Lynch, M. (2018, August 16). The Dark Side of Educational Technology. Retrieved from https://www.theedadvocate.org/dark-side-educational-technology/.

PBS. (2017, October 10). PBS News Hour. PBS News Hour. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lOfioQR6WTI