For my topic, the broad overview is this: Technology in the classroom is a negative because of the detrimental effects it has on students brains, skills, and learning capacity. I would really like to answer the question "why" it has these effects. I think that after a while of soul-searching and thinking I have finally come up with a very basic, but solid working thesis.
It is, Using technology in the classroom not only stunts the learning process, but it also ruins a person's attention span and memorization skills. Where as "typical" learning teaches and enforces the learning process.
I know statistically that students that take online classes versus traditional classes in colleges tend to do worse on standardized tests about the subject. I also know that it is proven fact that attention spans have lowered with the use computers and what they can do while sitting in the classroom. I also know that using computers and new technology makes it easier to cheat and hurt people's ability to actually learn, rather than just go through the motions.
I think that I need to find specific examples of how the learning process is stunted after using classroom technology. I also would like to tell everyone exactly what I mean when talking about technology in the classroom, because I do agree that some of it is good.
Some arguments about my paper might be that, it makes school cheaper - it gets information readily available to students with the touch of a few buttons - if you're using iPads interactive work can be done and make the professor/teachers grade load easier - it makes communication better between peers. Stuff like that.
I have 2 books, an Internet site (.gov), and one scholarly peer reviewed article.
