Online education is beginning to become very popular in the United States. Schools (such as mine) are starting to use Google classroom instead of a notebook or paper worksheet. Google classroom allows students to send copies of worksheets to their peers and teachers instead of handing them in. Also there is Google docs that is just like word. You can type essays and make diagrams just like you word in a note book. But is this learning method all that great?

As a student I would much rather be reading a textbook or writing on a piece of paper and I can say this for many other people. The use of Google Classroom is boring and not natural. Ever since I started school I never used a computer for more than 40 minutes now I’m on one for 3 hours maybe more per day, not include when I’m at home! The town next to mine does all school work on iPad’s with only a break of an hour and 20 minutes. Also think about some of the teachers, when they use the computer for class they are using it four times as much as a student. Using a computer very often during class means homework on the computer. Many students have little internet access at home which is a problem school wise and embarrassing. Textbooks online and then physical textbooks is

A big problem with using electronics so much each day is eye and head aches. Starring at screens all day can irritate the eye. It can cause burning, itching, and eye fatigue. It is somewhat likely that student’s eyes will burn or be irritated but headaches more likely. People that spend two hours or more a day on electronics with screens have a greater risk at developing Computer Vision Syndrome. Computers have lines that run across the screen that the human eye can’t focus on so it causes headaches. Also when you use a computer you blink less compared to a book or paper plus more of the eye is exposed when on a computer so more damage will occur. The brightness and how close you are to a screen determines how our eyes will react. Low brightness is better and being far away is better. There are no long term conditions but if you repeat this process then it will happen over and over again.

The outburst of digital textbooks began in 2012. Schools wanted to use Chromebooks and tablets. It may be beneficial but many problems occur. Most schools were worried it would be a distraction or too costly (which is my opinion as well). Also they cost money too and most students won’t use it if they have a hard copy. “Too distracting for students, easy to break, and costly/time consuming to fix. They say tablets contribute to eyestrain headaches and blurred vision, increase the excuses available for not doing their homework.”  I agree completely. Each Chromebook (a lap top) cost about 250 dollars and we have 10 carts of 25 so we spent 62,500 dollars just for that. Then we will end up repairing them which will cost a lot. Yes we get good education on a computer but most students don’t even stay on the page. Students will exit their page a play games, go on social media, or even do other homework.

Did you know that 99,000 K-12 schools spend eight billion dollars on instructional materials and technology.  Joint reporters predict that by 2020 eight billion will turn into seventy billion dollars. EBooks made sixty-eight million in 2008, by 2012 they made three billion. People worry humans (mostly the young generation) will always be online staring at screens. Students will be online during school, for homework, and for social media. Also people will have to adapt to typing instead of writing all the time. It’s therapeutic for some people to writing in a journal or a notebook.  Adults don’t like the fact computers are now our ”notebooks”. 

I cringe at the fact cyber bullying will be increase as the technological era continues. I cringe at the fact of not writing at school. I cringe when my science teacher explains how to use Google classroom for the 150th time this school year. Using a laptop or a touchscreen device isn’t as important or beneficial as it seems. Privacy is lower, students don’t go on classwork but games instead, students teachers are confused when using the internet, and financially it’s a downer for the majority of people. Honestly I love my IPhone and I love my laptop, but at school is where I read and write not stare at screens and lose my work in cyber space.