Technology in the classroom or not?
As the 21st century set sails, the dominance of technology in the classrooms continues to be more and more. According to Becker (2000), the services of computers is extremely valuable and is a well-functioning instructional tool. While schools are in session teachers have convenient access, are adequately prepared, have some freedom in the curriculum, and hold personal beliefs aligned with a constructivist pedagogy with technology. Students textbooks are being replaced by tablets/laptop notebooks and research is at ones fingertips through smartphones. As social media is a comfortable place for many, technology has completely transformed the way we live or lives (Cox, 2009).
As a matter of fact, administrators and educators has seen more than anyone else how having technology in the classroom is beneficial for students and most importantly they recognize how important it is and continues to be for students to develop in this arena in order to be prepare for postsecondary and the workforce in the near future. Technology has brought about a significant impact in schools based on the way teachers teach and the way students learner. Teachers are learning how to teach with emerging technologies (tablets, iPads, Smart Boards, digital cameras, computers), while students are using advanced technology to shape how they learn. By embracing and integrating technology in the classroom, we are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school. Here are a few benefits of using it (Cox, 2009).
Makes Learning More Fun
According to Chang (2016), survey shows that 83% of teachers thinks incorporating technology has made learning more fun whereas only 63% students believes that it helps them with their learning gains. Some students believe through virtual learning that it livens up an assignment where if the assignment was given in an traditional settings where they think it can become boring.
Prepares Students for the Future
With a thriving technology workforce engaging and adopting technology in the work adopting and implementing technology in students life early on will help them success in a technology driven world. Technology is not meant to be used for fancy tools but it is enhanced in the classroom setting to give students the future readiness skills they will be able to apply in a working world.
Helps Students Learn at Their Own Pace
With the many variety of apps for individualized instruction, has really made self-pace learning ease to access for students who has difficulty keeping up with their same age peers. With the use of integrated technology in students classroom setting this allows students to learn according to their abilities and needs. Additionally, by teachers incorporating technology learner for students who learns at a slower rate this gives the teachers time to work one-on-one with students who may require additional attention.
Connects with Students
When students are not in school everything they do evolves around technology and it has become a common place in the school environment so teachers have used this as a foundation to creatively innovate it into education setting as a connected tool from preschool to higher education to further enhance their learning and to incorporate feedback because it has a huge impact on their growth and development. This is true in that technology changes by the minute, so it is important that we as educators continue to incorporate that learning as part of their everyday learning environment as well (Cox, 2009).
Final Thoughts
Whether educators like it or not technology is the latest learning trend for students learning. As there are countless of reason why technology should be integrated into students learning environment the most important thing to remember is that students know technology better than most adults and it is the easiest way they learn, because it is such an integral part of their life so it is only right for educational leaders, teachers and every aspect of education to integrate it into an everyday life style for this new technology oriented generation.
References
Chang, R. (2016). Teachers Say Tech Makes Learning More Fun, Students Say it Helps Them Learn Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2016/12/01/teachers-say-tech-makes-learning-more-fun-students-say-it-helps-them-learn.aspx
Cox, J. (2009).Benefits of Technology in Classroom. Retrieved on http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom
Ertmer, P.A. Teacher Pedagogical Beliefs: The Final Frontier in Our Quest for Technology Integration? Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02504683
Nagel, D. (2018). Teaching with Technology in 2018. Retrieved from https://thejournal.com/articles/2018/07/11/teaching-with-technology-in-2018.aspx
Based on this information that I gathered by Erika Bennett. Technology is really important and it is an innovative tool that teachers, administrators and students can access digitally,such as iPad, projector,nearpod, google classroom and so forth. Where it is beneficial and also blended instruction such as virtual class and traditional class which is a combination of teaching, but at the same time students have a chance to learn in this innovative learning method.
I think it is definitely important for students and educators to learn and become proficient with the technology options that are available within their school. Do you have a lot of loss or breakage with things such as the ipads? What plans are in place if a student were to break something like this?