How Technology Has Transformed the Classroom [#Infographic]

Parents are famous for their ability to reminisce about days gone by. It always starts the same way, “Back when I was your age, we used to walk 10 miles to school barefoot—in the snow.” Or, “I remember when school lunch cost a nickel.”

Thanks to the integration of technology, schools, and classrooms in particular, have changed so dramatically in recent years that some parents might not even recognize them. It’s a classic case of old school versus new school.

Fortunately, as this infographic courtesy of Microsoft points out, the importance of technology in schools is one issue on which parents and students can agree.

Did you know, for instance, that 97 percent of teens believe the tools and technology they use in school are better than what their parents used? Or that only 12 percent of today’s parents report having used computer software in school compared to 73 percent of students today?

Almost across the board, students rely on technology as a tool for learning. Ninety-four percent of students say software and online tools make it easier to collaborate with classmates. Eighty-seven percent of parents say that software and online tools are critical to student success. What’s more 81 percent say it’s important for their child to have a laptop to be successful. That’s funny, especially when you consider that 53 percent of parents used typewriters in class!

Want to learn more about how the integration of technology is changing the face of learning in U.S. classrooms? Check out the infographic below. And remember, the next time one of your students or your children accuses you of being old— or worse, out of touch with educational technology — it’s not an insult: you probably are!