Technology in Education Curates Curious People by Julianna

Technology in Education Curates Curious People by Julianna - November 2025 Scholarship Essay

Technology has significantly impacted classrooms in the modern age, but whether or not this is a good thing is a common question revolving around education. It is no secret that technology can compromise the integrity of the classroom, cheating, AI and just plain distraction. This being said, technology is a net positive for the classroom in my experience as a student at a small school in a rural area. It has propelled me forward to becoming the curious person I am. I think without technology in education, me and many others would have untapped potential.
The main topic that everyone mentions when discussing why technology is a positive in the classroom is the ability to tap into its almost unlimited resources. Especially when it comes to research. All you have to do to access the equivalent of the Library of Alexandria today is to push a few buttons. There are not enough words to describe how amazing it is to live in a day and age where this much information is at our fingertips. Although it has its flaws like the spread of misinformation and untrustworthy sources, these are easily mitigated with media literacy and the gain is far too big to ignore. I also want to mention how this impacts low income areas. My school is a very small K-12 Charter School, which means we have a very limited library selection and most of it is targeted towards the smaller kids. If I were to not have access to technology, I would have to go outside the school to find my resources. I live in a low income county that also has a very small selection of books. Most of the nonfiction books are related to hobbies, and those that are not are very outdated. If it weren’t for technology, me and many others would not be able to find credible sources for our research papers. This is just the tip of the iceberg of what technology has done for me and my education.
As previously mentioned my school is small, meaning there is a limited selection of classes. In order to have the strongest education possible I have to take online courses through the local community college. Many of these classes have no instruction, only textbooks and assignments so students are left to learn an entire curriculum with no guidance. This is where technology becomes my savior. If it wasn’t for the many people on Youtube who walk through example problems such as Khan Academy, My Organic Chemistry Teacher, and Glaser Tutorials, I and many other students would be completely lost. This is just one of the many examples of learning resources online that can help the classroom.
This is the most personal of the ways technology has assisted me with my education . Writing has always been my sore subject, ever since Kindergarten. I can read highly advanced literature, but if you ask me to spell difficulty on paper I am sure to get it wrong. This is because of a Traumatic Brain Injury I had as a child, not for a lack of trying. It takes me so much more effort and time to learn spelling and grammar than others that if I weren’t for technology I would be getting multiple letter grades off of essays for spelling and grammar for being so behind my peers. Spelling and grammar checks by computers means I am not relying on someone else to check every single word in my essay for spelling. Technology allows for me and others who have setbacks in their education to have independence in their education.
Finally, teachers in my life benefit from technology in the classroom. They can utilize the many resources available, including the ones I mentioned earlier. This can help make their lessons more entertaining and enjoyable. I asked my English teacher, who was a teacher before technology became integrated into the classroom, what part of technology in the classroom most impacted her as a teacher; She said “Honestly, grading was the thing for me that was most impacted. Not having to keep up with essays and being able to grade basically anywhere on my computer was such a life changer!”. Having everything you need all in one place streamlines a lot of duties for teachers. This means they have more time to put into mine and others' education.
Technology has improved my education in more ways than I can count. I wouldn’t be nearly as successful of a student today if I didn’t have all these resources and tools with me. It also in general allows me to satiate my curiosity of the world by having quick access to information. I think that is the whole point of education, not to get a student to a standard, but to encourage them to act on their curiosities. Curious people are the ones that put their studies out to the internet for me to use in my essays and my personal research. I hope to one day join those people and technology played a massive role in it.