What does technology
help teachers/students do?
Introduction
It has often
been debated on among teachers, students, and policy makers alike, whether the
use of technology in the classroom can become beneficial to learning.
Although possible cons include potential for distraction, social
disconnect, and the unequal availability of technology to all students, the
pros to technology seem to far outweigh the cons. So what does technology
help teachers/students do? Technology can be beneficial in the classroom
in a number of ways, but for sake of convenience I have broken down the pros
into three main sections. Technology first, helps with organization.
With technology, there is also the ability to customize one's learning
experience to suit their needs. Lastly, technology seems to play an
important role in preparing students for the future and giving them life
lessons that they may later use. Because
nearly 97 percent of teacher in the United States have a computer in their
classrooms, (U.S. Department of Education, 2009) these technologies should be
taken advantage of.
This video is
a great introduction to the pros/cons of technology in the classroom:
https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/technology-in-the-classroom
Organization
One of the
main things the technology helps teachers and students accomplish, is keep them
organize. This organization happens in a number of ways, that people
often overlook. Most colleges in the country today have student and
faculty portals for classes, grades, calendars, ect...In my undergraduate
degree, I became familiar with the use of Angel and here at Edinboro D2L.
These school website allowed me to have all of my assignments, grades,
and class attendance all in one place. As a student who was often
unorganized in high school, the practicality and ease of use of classroom websites
helped me become a more organized individual. For students who are
checking grades, having the ability to look at a grade book that shows past, as
well as future grades is a useful tool to ensure you are meeting course
requirements. These course websites were also very useful to the teacher.
Alongside the class roster are pictures of each student in the course,
along with school email addresses. This helps teachers get to know
students better, as well as provides a way to contact students about classroom
occurrences. As we were all students once, we can admit that it can be a
stressful experience if not organized. Students spend an average of 35
hours at school in addition to several hours of homework each week. That is
equivalent to having a full-time job without the paycheck. (Grime, 2010)
Adding extra curricular activities, jobs, friends, and sports
and students may easily become disorganized and overwhelmed. In the
vast number of apps on both Apple and Android app stores, many
have the potential to help students and teachers alike by helping them get
organized.
Customized Experience
Just like each
persons fingerprint is unique, so too is their learning style. Generally
speaking, there are four main learning styles: auditory, visual, kinesthetic,
and tactile. Each student develops a learning style that encompasses each one
of these areas. Most students tend to
favor certain styles, however, and may learn better from learning in this
manner. Technology may help foster
learning, by exposing students to classroom material that matches their
learning style. For example, when
learning about American history, a student who learns best through visual
learning may benefit from online tasks that require them to read and complete
worksheet or quizzes to test their knowledge along the way. If a teacher were to teach a lesson in the
classroom, it would normally be a mix between auditory and visual learning
experience. For students who require
hands on experience, technology may also prove to be beneficial in learning.
(example: Glogster) Because technology can
be accessed from almost anywhere nowadays, this adds to the idea of a
customized educational experience. By
creating a classroom website, students may access important articles,
powerpoints, and project rubrics 24/7.
This allows for students to complete assignments on their own time. It also helps clear up problems regarding
late assignments. When students have
access to assignment due dates at all times, “I didn’t know we had something
due” becomes an invalid excuse. By playing educational games, students also may
learn more quickly. The following article includes links to 8 different studies
that show how iPad applications may expedite learning, especially in younger
students: http://www.securedgenetworks.com/blog/8-Studies-Show-iPads-in-the-Classroom-Improve-Education
Preparation for the Future
It is often
said that one of the main roles of the education system is to prepare students
for their future. No matter where that
future may lay, it seems there will somehow be technology involved. As our technology continues to advance in
this ‘technological revolution’ that seems to have hit the world full force, it
is a fact that students need to be gaining hands on experience with certain
technologies to prepare themselves for the future. What many often overlook is the wonder of the
computer and printer. People often take
these objects for granted, however, only 20 years ago; students were completing
papers on type writers. With the ease of
access and widespread use of Microsoft office across the world, students must
learn to maneuver these programs if they wish to become successful. Powerpoint or some variation of is used
almost every single day in businesses across the United States. Using Excel and Word is an almost every day
occurrence for most Americans. As these
software’s root themselves in the professional sector, they must do the same in
the educational sector.
Pros and cons
blog
Shawn Grimes
blog:
https://www.schoolcounselor.org/magazine/blogs/may-june-2010/organized-students-successful-students\
U.S. Department
of Education, National Center for Education Statistics. (2010). Teachers' Use of Educational Technology in U.S. Public
Schools: 2009 (NCES 2010-040).
