THE ECHO

by Ella Staton

In fifth grade I eagerly sat in the library with my classmates. We had been waiting for two years to receive our own laptops. We had gone through days of boring and detailed instructions. Our teacher called the first name, and the young boy stood up to collect his laptop. Being at the last half of the alphabet, I waited for what seemed like forever. Finally, they called my name, and the laptop was in my possession. I couldn’t wait. I went home and played Cool Math Games on it all night. The next day at school was the same as well. This was only the start. 

My English teacher explained how her teaching career began at a school system meant for incorporating new technology. This program started her relationship with school and technology off on a positive note. As her career has progressed, her view on technology in school has drastically changed. AI is one of the leading problems in her classrooms. She has noticed that students have shorter attention spans and worse critical thinking. So, along with the whole English department here at Avon, she had decided to make students handwrite their essays and take their tests on paper. 

Similarly, my substitute in second period recalled her experience with technology over the years she has worked for Avon. She explained how Schoology is a very helpful tool as a substitute. She enjoys it when the students have a set plan and instructions on their own devices. She also explained the troubles of when it doesn’t work. Troubleshooting is difficult when she knows nothing about the program, and she said directing the kids to another task can be risky. Lastly, she stated her largest pet-peeve: students who never get off the devices. She frequently has to ask students to pay attention and get off cellphones and laptops when not instructed. 

Lastly, I talked to my Spanish teacher. She talked about foreign language teacher’s struggles with Google Translate. She said that students will rely on Google Translate for question after question in class. Although, it is highly evident when the work is levels above the average student in the class. Similarly to my English teacher, she explains how students don’t use their critical thinking, and it really shows when they get to tests. The scores on classwork and tests have a vast difference. 

Some technologies make school much easier, but at what cost? AI can give you any answer you desire, but our teachers had to use thoughtful analysis to get to the position they are in today. As well, the attention span and attention to details is much larger in adults today. This is why our teachers had it better than us.