Preparing our students for the future means incorporating technology into the classroom. So many of the jobs that will exist decades from now don't even exist yet. Giving students the ability to learn and play around with technology today will give them the skills and ability to continue learning how to use technology as it continues to evolve.

But that doesn't mean technology is a complete answer. There are many things your students will miss out on if you lean into using technology a little too much in your classroom. There are still times when it's more appropriate to go back to doing things the old-fashioned way.

That's what this article is all about! By all means, look for opportunities to use tech with your students, but as an educator, you also have to learn to resist the pull of technology when it matters most.

Here are five times you should put away the tech and do things by hand instead.

By definition, learning is about acquiring new information. When we're faced with brand-new information, it's best to take notes and interact with that information by writing it down.

In one study, the brain activity of students was monitored when they were writing things by hand as opposed to typing them on a computer. They found that those writing by hand had higher electrical activity in the brain associated with movement, vision, sensory processing, and memory. And that's just one study on the topic. There are many more that have shown similar results.

Writing by hand is important when learning new things because it enables students to engage many areas of their brains at once. It forces students to slow down and think about what they're writing. They have to consolidate information and relate it to things they've learned before. That's easier to do on paper than on a screen.

In the classroom, that means asking students to take notes by hand instead of typing them on a computer or a tablet. It means finding tactile ways to experience science and mathematical concepts instead of finding a video online. The more your students can use their hands when they're learning new information, the more they will engage their brains, which means they're much more likely to remember what they're learning.

Not only are your students learning brand-new skills, but they're also practicing skills they have already learned. Just because a concept isn't new anymore doesn't mean it's automatically time to turn to tech. It's best for students to practice new skills with their hands.

That's especially true in a subject like math, where writing down math problems and demonstrating their reasoning skills help students think through a problem and retain concepts that can be challenging.

Math worksheets are still a great way for students to practice! In fact, they are the best way for students to practice when the worksheets are appropriate for their learning level. Math workbooks can be an especially effective way for students to practice new math skills both in school and at home.

It's not just math, either. Worksheets in any subject can enhance learning by helping solidify content learned and providing students with the ability to problem solve, which is much more likely to happen, and happen more naturally, when students fill out a worksheet by hand.

Are you worried that you'll have a hard time engaging your students? Let your class fill out worksheets in a new and interesting way. It will make completing worksheets more fun, which is a great way to boost learning!

When it's time to get creative, nothing beats doing things by hand. That's especially true when it comes to doing art.

Students are able to discover how different materials can be used when they do things by hand. Manipulating physical objects is great for developing hand-eye coordination and motor skills. It requires problem-solving, too. Resolving a mistake on a piece of paper is more challenging than deleting it from a digital device.

This concept applies in the art room, but it also applies to other subjects. There is a lot of value in drawing a picture to complement a story or creating manipulatives out of clay that can be counted during math.

Turn to the real world for inspiration, too! Students find just as much, if not more, inspiration in going outside and observing the natural world than taking a virtual tour of a French museum, for example.

Most students don't get enough math practice at home. Some students have trouble completing homework in other subjects, too, especially if their homework requires technology.

It's fairly common for teachers to assign online math games or require papers and projects to be submitted online, but that can cause problems for some students. Not all children have access to the technology that is needed to complete their homework because 38% of low-income households don't have reliable access to the internet. Others may share a single computer with multiple siblings, which makes it difficult for everyone to get their homework done. Even if you're allowed to send tech home with them, like a laptop or a tablet, they may not have an adult at home who can help them if they run into problems using it.

If you notice that your students aren't doing their homework or if you're spending all of your time trying to figure out how to accommodate everyone so they can get it done, it's probably time to go back to basics. Worksheets can get the job done just as well as, if not better than, fancy technology-driven assignments.

Having the technology itself isn't enough. You have to have robust, reliable infrastructure in order to integrate it into your classroom seamlessly. If that's not in place, you'll find that all your tech is more trouble than it's worth.

Have a machine that only seems to boot up half the time? Are you regularly planning two lessons-one with tech and one without, just in case? Do you feel like you have to update an app every single time you try to use it?

Use the TV test to decide if using certain technology is worth it in your classroom. TVs turn on nearly 100% of the time. The other tech you use should be just as reliable. If the tech in your room isn't as reliable as a TV, it might be time to use it in your classroom less often or skip it altogether.

Security is a real concern. In the digital world, data leaks are nothing new, and that's true in the education space too, with apps like Edmodo coming under fire for security issues.

With hackers getting smarter and smarter, data breaches are going to continue to happen. It's important to think carefully about the programs and apps you use in your classroom, what kind of information they capture, and what kinds of potential problems they could cause.

You may not have a choice when it comes to using some tech, as school-wide programs for documenting grades and assignments might be required, but that makes it all the more important to protect your students where you can.

Avoid using apps and internet-enabled technologies that aren't required. If there is an app or a platform that you really want to use in your classroom, take extra time to read through their privacy policy and contact the company directly, if necessary, to ensure the data they collect won't be misused.

It's not about getting rid of technology in your classroom altogether. Instead, it's about being more mindful of how you use technology in your classroom. New things often seem better, but they aren't always. Be willing to resist technology in the ways that matter to your students' learning so you can ensure that what they learn in your class sticks with them for a lifetime.