As technology has advanced, it has become much more prevalent in classrooms across the world. When the Covid-19 pandemic hit, schools became increasingly reliant on technology. Students participated in classes fully online, causing a shift from assignments on paper to assignments on a laptop. Even now, school revolves around laptops and Smartboards. The question is, does technology affect education positively or negatively? To answer this, it is essential to first consider the evolution of technology over the years as well as the effects Covid has had on education. Before Covid, many schools gained technology intending to improve the education of students. At this time, most assignments were still on paper and laptops weren’t predominant in classrooms. After lockdown and as students began returning to class, many, if not all assignments rem online formats. This shows that as technology has become more important to school, education has certainly changed. Numerous studies have been done to decide if this change is good or bad.

Let’s begin with technology’s negative effects on education. Research shows that typing is a less effective way to take notes than writing can be looked at. A study was conducted that tested students who typed their notes and students who hand wrote their notes. Both groups were tested on information immediately after taking notes. The results clearly showed that students who handwrote their notes did better on the test. This allowed them to conclude that handwriting notes is more effective than typing because handwriting activates areas of the brain that are responsible for memory while typing doesn’t. Because of this, using technology to take notes is a less effective way of learning. This shows that using more technology in the classroom can be a less effective way of teaching. Another negative effect of technology is that students become very reliant on technology. Because assessments and assignments are often online, students are heavily relying on the answers being online as well. Because this information isn’t always correct, it can be misleading to students and give them wrong information. For younger students, good handwriting skills are going extinct. Technology also provides a distraction for students in class because it is so accessible. As shown, more technology in classrooms has certainly had negative effects.

On the other hand, it has also had positive effects. For example, education has become more accessible for students. If a student is sick, they can access their school work throughout the day instead of waiting to get paper copies when they return to school. Along with more accessibility, technology can also increase student collaboration. Group projects that would not be possible without technology can now happen. Technology also makes receiving feedback from other students much easier. It provides teachers with more tools to assign students hands-on learning experiences, allowing students to learn better. Students have the ability to use search engines to look up unanswered questions and additional information to complete assignments. This can make schoolwork more motivating to students, allowing them to complete their assignments and receive better grades. Technology also provides students with the tools they need to be successful in the classroom. For example, online planners and calendars allow students to keep track of their assignments.

Do the positive effects of technology outweigh the negative? Well, it does help students to be successful in the classroom when used in moderation, but it is not hard to become overly reliant on technology and allow it to become a disadvantage and a distraction. In conclusion, although there are positive effects of technology in the classroom, it has had an overall negative effect on students.

— Emma Javor

With the new semester starting, it is important to keep working hard in your classes, because if you didn’t do too well during the first semester, you have another chance to get your final grade up. In this article, I will provide you with some tips that will help you to make the most of your second semester and hopefully allow you to reach success at the end of the year.

Trying to get and stay organized for the second semester can be a challenge, but it can make a big difference in your success. It is most important to organize your schedule. When organizing your schedule, it is helpful to make a list of all you wish to accomplish and add to it throughout the day. You can make this list with an app on your phone, with a document on your laptop, or simply with paper and a pencil. Another way to organize your schedule is by using a weekly planner. For example, once a week you can fill out a planner with all the activities you are going to have to do for the week. This planner can be an app on your phone or a paper planner. After finding a method to organize your schedule that works best for you and increases your productivity, how can you keep your schedule organized to add to your success? To keep your schedule organized, make sure your to-do list or planner is accessible. This will make you more likely to add to it throughout the day. It is also helpful to set priorities on your list for maximum productivity. Put the most important things you want to get done at the top of the list and the less important things towards the bottom. The goal of organizing your schedule is to allow you to be more productive with your time. With increased productivity, you can do more assignments and have more time to study. This will result in better grades, which is a great step toward success for the semester and the school year.

Another important tip that can help you to reach your goals is staying motivated. This is arguably the hardest thing to achieve, but it can be the most helpful for your grades. One way you can stay motivated is by rewarding yourself when you get work done. For example, for every assignment you get done, you give yourself a half an hour break. This can help you to stay motivated because you are not getting too stressed and get to relieve yourself when you do get stressed. Staying motivated can help you be successful because if you have motivation, you will get your assignments done. The more assignments you get done, the less you have that are incomplete or missing. This can result in better grades, which could in turn help improve your motivation.

The last tip I have to help you succeed this semester is to utilize your teachers as resources. It can be helpful to ask questions in class if you are confused. The more questions you get answers to, the better you understand an assignment. This can result in a better grade on the assignment, which sets you up for success in a class. Another way to use your teachers to help you reach success is to ask for help and feedback. This can be done over email or in class. Let’s say you are unsure you are doing an assignment right and you want clarification, you can ask your teacher or email them to clarify. This is helpful because it not only helps you get a better understanding but also lets the teacher know you care about their class.

In conclusion, to be successful in the second semester, it is important to stay organized by sticking to a schedule or making a daily to-do list. It is also important to do your homework while staying motivated and pacing yourself. Lastly, it is important to use your teachers as resources to help you. You can do this by asking questions in class and asking for feedback on confusing assignments. I hope these tips are helpful and help you to get better grades, reach your goals, and ultimately achieve success. Good luck and have a great second semester!

— Emma Javor

Raise your hand if you don’t get enough sleep. Even though I can’t see you, I can assume that you raised your hand. It has been estimated that 1 in 3 adults don’t get enough sleep. And as you probably know, sleep can decrease your self-esteem and your ability to function as a person. So to help you get more sleep, I have a few quick tips to help you:

1. Don’t sleep with your phone next to you. Instead, try reading a book before you go to bed.
2. Get to bed at a reasonable hour each day, and try to make it consistent.
3. Set aside screen time at least 30 minutes before bed.
4. Sleep in a comfortable bed.
5. Make sure you feel comfy when sleeping.

Sleep tight!

— Billy Wikol

If you’re one of the types of people who always drifts back onto your phone after 5 minutes of work then, you are not alone. It has been estimated that 90-95 percent of college students have caught themselves in some form of procrastination, and I’m no different. One of the reasons we drift back to our phones to finish that Netflix episode is because we don’t know what to do during that time. If your to-do list is full of tasks, then you’ll do them—eventually. Probably at the last minute. But what the to-do list doesn’t say is when to do those tasks. If there is no “when,” then you’ll go back to the habit of scrolling through Instagram.

Fortunately, I have a solution: Timeboxing. How it works is that you create blocks of time concentrating on one thing. You are creating an appointment where you just work on your chosen task. By doing this, you no longer need to think twice about when to do that homework assignment. All you need to do is to follow your plan and let that be the guide to doing your work.

Now I know what you are thinking: “But what if my plan changes?” That’s true. Plans change all of the time. Sometimes an unexpected event or task gets in the way. Yet—like anything else—if your plan changes, then you just need to adapt. Create a new plan or calendar. It’s as simple as that.

Some of the best ways to start timeboxing are to use some apps. I use Google Calendar, but there are many others out there. If apps don’t strike your fancy, then you can use the classic pen-and-paper. But no matter which method you choose, you’ll get a productive timeboxing experience.

— Billy Wikol

Hey Blue Demons!

Hoping that you each had a wonderful summer, I and the rest of the Kennett High School journalism team now welcome you back to a new school year!

Here at Kennett Journalism, we work hard to bring you coverage of school, local, and world events, and we’re so excited to bring you more this year! From school sports to national events to popular media reviews and everything in between, this is your spot.

This will be our second year—our first full one—since our digital relaunch, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait. Given everything that the Fates threw at us last year, Demon Press and KTV rolled with the punches and did a great job; that said, this year is going to be even better! KTV will hopefully be able to bring back many of the segments we all missed, and Demon Press will have tons of new articles and content for you!

A moment of shameless self-promotion: Writers and photographers interested in joining the staff of Demon Press, please contact me! All are welcome, and we’d love to have you!

Best of luck this year,

Rhiannon Stewart

Editor-in-Chief

300278@bluedemons.org