Technology in education and for teachers is constantly evolving and impacting us every day. In the last 100 years alone, technology has advanced from pen and paper to write assignments, to laptops, that not only aid in writing but also have a slew of information to aid in research at a click of a button. I believe the advancement in technology is mostly beneficial, however I do fear the loss of more traditional skills.

The pandemic in 2020 saw great advances and quickly, we had to work fast to be able to continue education in a formal manner. The teachers had to learn how to use an online long-distance platform and children had to begin solely learning on a computer. if we hadn't had these technologies we may have had to shut down schools and refrain from teaching at all or potentially recorded a lesson to play on the T.V. or radio like they did during the Spanish flu in 1918-1920 (Davis, 2013).

One of the downsides of digital technology advancement is potentially forgetting traditional skills, such as penmanship, or reading maps. I feel strongly about the loss of penmanship. In '1984' by George Orwell he shows the importance of having the skills to write with pen and paper. In a world where everything was tracked and manipulated by the government the main character was able use pen and paper to preserve his truth and memory in a form they could not get access to easily (Orwell, 1949). In addition to preservation, Klemm (2017) mentions that learning to write with a pen on paper, aids in characterisation skills, attention and discipline. He then mentions that learning cursive can help the brain visually scan more efficiently and activates large areas of the brain that are usually involved with thinking, memory and language (Klemm, 2017).

I still believe the effect of technology in education and teachers is mostly beneficial. Children have more opportunities to learn in the present day then previously. Having long-distance platforms like google classrooms, allows children in rural areas engage in learning just as efficiently as those in a classroom. However, I still mourn the potential loss of penmanship, as previously discussed these skills can be very beneficial to expanding brains.

Looking forward I would like to see more schools promoting traditional skills, while also engaging in digital technology. I like the model that Sydney grammar has pioneered, they have their children hand write their assignments, while having a dedicated computer lab where they can learn how to engage with the internet and other digital programs (Anderson, 2016). This might not be the perfect balance but I am sure we can find a balance that teaches children fundamental traditional skills and can also get them ready for a mainly digital world.