I strongly believe that the Internet is very important for modern education. A number of positive effects that it gives create a favorable environment for high-quality, comprehensive and comfortable education of the modern generation. I am going to base my position in this essay on the example of personal experience and how the Internet has influenced me personally as a student.
I strongly agree that the Internet has made me a better student in many aspects. There are many advantages to having the Internet around, especially when you compare it to the past generations where it did not exist. To start, student life is a lot easier compared to the older generations. Today, I can access the Internet from anywhere and anytime in the world from my smartphone, laptop or personal computer. This can be extremely helpful since I can still access all the resources, I need for my school work. The Internet also gives me time to catch up on all my assignments and class reading for the semester. By having the Internet worldwide, it gives me a better opportunity to stay connected to my studies and complete work while I’m away. This gives me an advantage because when I get back, it will be like I never left, making the first week back at school not so difficult to transition back into.
Secondly, I believe that having instant access of knowledge has greatly impacted my school career positively not only for me, but for my professors as well. “By having easy access, it gives my professors a chance to give me a holistic view of any subject. It also allows them to teach me how to assess the quality of the information I find online while removing the one-sided restrictions of the textbook” (Mata, 2016). When my professors use outside resources like the Internet, I feel like I’m more engaged in those lectures. It gives me a better idea of what I’m learning. It also opens my mind up to more possibilities and views that might not have been there if I was only learning from the textbook (Mata, 2016). I have learned so much already by using the Internet every day in my classes, and gained practical skills that will be useful to me in the future when I go out into the real workforce. These skills include critical thinking, creating presentations, and writing emails (Savvidis, 2016). The Internet can also be used as a tool to benefit my professors as well. “Virtual lesson plans, grading software and online assessments can help teachers save a lot of time. The valuable time they save can go toward helping students who need more help” (Savvidis, 2016). It allows them to have more time to meet one on one with students. As well as make more time for longer office hours. I know from personal experience that it is helpful when professors have the time to meet with me and answer any questions I might have. Another reason why having instant access to knowledge is so great is because it saves me so much time throughout my day when I’m doing assignments or projects. I don’t have to go look for books in the library as much anymore. All I have to do is a click a few buttons and all the information I need is in front of me. I also have access to the Internet all over my campus as well. Which enables me to be proactive during the day and complete my assignments or readings whenever I have time. “A Digital Study Trends Survey by the Hangover Research report shows that four out of five college students find digital learning technology to be helpful in improving their grades” (New Survey Data, 2016). Schools have even set up an Internet site where students can go and access assignments, course readings, and grades. Another good thing about having the Internet is that I can email my professors right away If I’m stuck on a question or need to inform them of something going on. It can be a very helpful tool.
Third and finally, I think that student collaboration is one of the most important things that the Internet has increased and has shaped me into the student I am today. “Collaboration teaches students how to use people around them as a resource, share their voices, and develop their opinions. Those opinions that students have will dictate the people they will become in the future” (Sanders, 2016). Being a student can be hard at times, especially when trying to connect with your classmates to work on assignments. Everyone is so busy with their schedules no one has time to meet up, but with the “Internet students can collaborate on almost anything” (Sanders, 2016). The Internet has also implemented may different resources that make it easier for students to interact and do school work without being together all the time. “Some of these tools are Cacoo (a collaborative mind map creation), Vyew (an online interactive whiteboard collaboration), and Google Docs (Sanders, 2018). These tools can allow students to collaborate on brainstorming for projects, building presentations, and compiling research (Sanders, 2018). By students using these online tools in their daily lives for school. They are not just being more connected in their academic studies, but preparing themselves for the workforce. Many companies today use a lot of these tools I have mentioned. Students can even put some of these resources they have used for collaboration at school in their portfolio when going to apply for a job. “Gregory Lewis of Linked reports collaboration as one of the top four skills employers look for in new job candidates” (Sanders, 2018).
In conclusion, I think that the Internet has made me a better student by giving resources I need to be successful in my studies as well as give me skills that will benefit me greatly, and I can use outside of school. “High-quality digital learning technology has proven to be one of the most effective tools for driving success in higher education” (New Survey Data, 2016). I don’t even know what my student life would look like without having the Internet. I feel like it has made a huge difference in my life, made things a lot easier, and made me more engaged and interested in the things I’m learning. It has definitely made my student career a lot more memorable. I hope that technology continues to find ways to make education better and more help students become more successful members of society.
References
Mata, W. (2016, June 23). 10 Benefits of Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from https://centretechnologies.com/importance-of-technology-in-the-classroom/
New Survey Data: Four Out of Five College Students Say Digital Learning Technology Helps Improve Their Grades. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.mheducation.com/news-media/press-releases/2016-digital-study-trends-survey.html
Sanders, C. (2018, June 21). Christina Sanders. Retrieved from https://www.emergingedtech.com/2018/06/how-peer-collaboration-technology-prepares-students-for-careers/
Sanders, J. (2016, June 3). Why Student Collaboration is More Effective with Tech. Retrieved from https://www.eduspire.org/technology-blog-for-teachers/why-student-collaboration-is-more-effective-with-tech
Savvidis, P. (2016, Feb.18). Top 6 benefits of using technology in the classroom. Retrieved from https://www.webanywhere.co.uk/blog/2016/02/top-6-benefits-technology-class