The world of education is changing faster than it ever has before. It is hard for people, especially the older adults, to change a system they have been using for their whole lives. Books have been their main learning tool for decades and it is hard to make the switch to computers. There are many obstacles standing in the way of educational reform, such as politicians, parents, and teachers. Computers are playing a more significant role in education, and these changes are for the better.

Computers are used for essentially everything and used by nearly everyone in today’s world. Computers are used for communication and instant access to information, and, not just from desktops, but from laptops or mobile devices almost anywhere in the country. This very useful tool is used by businesses, governments, and people in their homes. As experts say, it is so easy to use computers with everything we do, working, education, or recreational activities, there is no reason not to have this tool. Therefore the majority of Americans own either a computer and/or a mobile device. This reliable tool does however make us more dependent on the internet. Most Americans would probably leave their wallet or purse at home before they leave their cell phone at home. Communication has been forever changed. Modern day Americans are constantly texting, calling, or emailing someone else. Along with all the different forms of communication, there is also social networking, which is huge. Facebook, the world’s largest social network and world’s second most popular website, is used almost religiously by the so many Americans that have an account. The creator of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, was also the youngest billionaire in history after launching the website. This new way of communication is not only used by people for small talk and to view each other’s lives, but also by businesses and a few schools for work related tasks.

Computers are not only used to show information, but also to make the information. Computers have had a large impact on today’s science studies and advances. An example of a major advance would be in the medical field. Doctors in Canada are on the verge of curing cancer by researching using technology only available on a computer. The world can perform incredible actions in topics such as stem cell research. Another huge topic is what doctors can do with child births. Doctors can now not only tell you what the gender of your baby will be, but they can allow you to choose the gender of your baby before it is born.

But the medical field is not the only major industry that has been revolutionized by computers. The ability to produce animations in movies or video games has been greatly enhanced. For instance, the video game Modern Warfare 3 made around 750 million dollars within the first 48 hours of its release. The video game industry is a more profitable industry than the music and movie industry combined. Becoming educated on video game design in school would give students the opportunity to involve themselves in this industry. Another important fact that people don’t realize is the significant role computers play in getting a job. There are very few jobs available that do not require some computer skills. America’s number one most available job for the next 20 years is expected to be a computer engineer. One would think that with all the expectations for computer skills in future jobs, public schools would emphasize the study of computers. But unfortunately schools are not even coming close to using computers to their full potential. Public schools have strong firewalls regulating internet use. These extremely strict regulations are causing many websites to be inaccessible. These firewalls have prevented students from actually learning outside of the small box that schools keep students locked in. It is arguably not the individual teacher’s fault for not teaching students what they should be learning. It is more the governments fault for the lack of the correct education. Although some politicians, such as President Obama, are trying to change the educational system, there are still those who do not want to reform. These politicians do not want to reform because they fear change. They believe the education system should remain relatively the same, for better or for worse, because books cost less than computers. This fear makes it hard for politicians trying to help the younger generations. If schools incorporate their curriculum by using technology, that they will be raising a nation of dolts.

Certain people do not want to learn about or try to use computers more in classrooms. But what they don’t realize is computers are an important tool for research. Computers can show students information that books simply cannot show, such as 3d scientific diagrams or videos. There are, however, few who do recognize the true power computers have in teaching and preparing students for the future. These ideas are important because if students are not becoming educated with computers, the most experience they will have on technology will be with their smart phones, which are believed by most high school teachers as not “classroom appropriate.”

With the obvious facts on how important computers are for the future of students, teachers should be incorporating computers into their curriculum much more by unblocking websites and allowing students to study more in depth how computers work and the career available.