3. Education and Technology
Description:
Technology is becoming more and more of an important staple in today's modern society and thus it is no surprise that technology is starting to become incorporated into today's classrooms. Changes in technology have led to some dramatic changes in certain schools and districts and in some cases has entirely transformed the entire educational experience for those students. However in other schools, technology has not entered the classrooms and the educational experience for those students looks the same as it did thirty years ago (Armstrong, Henson & Savage, 2009). Today's technology is being applied in American schools to achieve many different purposes for our students yet teachers and educations are still finding many challenges that face them when it comes to incorporating technology into their classrooms. It is important to understand that the debate of technology (mainly the positive and negative effects of technology on students, the high expense of technology and the digital gap between students who have it and those who do not, etc) must continued to be discussed and debated by educators and non educators alike as we move further and further into the 21st Century. Because while technology is continuously growing and evolving, it is never going away and it is important to try and understand all sides of the box when incorporating it into the clasroom..
Illustration: A good video about the importance of using technology in education but also about asking the right questions and using technology correctly and in a way that benefits our students and future leaders of the world the best.
Practical Example:
A practical example of technology in education was LAUSD's one billion dollar effort to give iPads to nearly fifty campus at the beginning of the 2013-2014 school year. The school wanted to incorporate technology into their classrooms and aid learners from impoverished backgrounds in enhancing their education through the use of learning applications and strategies like their counterparts in more affluent districts. On their own personal iPads that could only be used in the classroom, students could go at their own pace and learn in a way that was individually suited to their own needs through already loaded applications. Yet by the end of September, LAUSD took back the iPads from a few of their local high schools after reports surfaced that the students disabled the parental controls on their iPads and used it for non school related activities, such as browsing the web, watching movies, listening to music, etc. It brings up the widely voiced concern that while technology can be helpful in its own right, it can also hinder and block education as well in the classroom. It's a fine line, the incorporation of technology in the classroom and one I think will continue to be discussed for many years to come
Integral Components:
Today's new technology is being applied in schools to achieve many purposes such as 1) developing learner's research capabilities, 2) supporting expanded course offerings, 3) providing high-quality instructional services to underperforming schools, 4) allowing learners to stimulate real-life experiences and 5) matching instructional practices to characteristics of learners with special needs (Armstrong, Henson & Savage, 2009). When technology works the way teachers and students intend it to, the results for the students can make a tremendous impact and move them in a positive direction with their learning. Yet technology in the classroom presents many educators with ongoing challenges such as the high costs associated with buying the technology and the additional cost of the support equipment needed and the training of teachers and staff to be able to use the technology, etc. Also the within the classroom their is the fear of distraction that technology brings and the misuse of technology by students as depicted in the two articles linked above. A big challenge as well that many educators face throughout the nation is the differences in students that have access to computers and the internet at home/school versus students that do not and the inequality that occurs and follows them throughout life as a result of the differences in their education.
How education and technology relates to me and my future classroom:
In my future classroom I expect to see technology in it just because technology seems to be everywhere these days and that will only increase as the years go by. That said, I do not believe technology is the only instructional method and it should be used to incorporate and enhance learning alongside other learning materials such as textbooks or worksheets, etc. For example I might use my laptop in the classroom and hook it up to a projector at the front of the room to show my students a YouTube video on the history of democracy around the world but I would also give my students discussion questions on a piece of paper they have to fill out and answer. Technology is only as good as the teacher that is teaching it and I believe it will be one of the many ways I will instruct, assist and help my future students in a classroom setting.
Scripture:
"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope" - Jeremiah 29:11. It is hard to find a Scripture versus regarding technology in the Bible because today's technology did not exist back then. However I think this quote fits as well because our Lord has a plan for all of us and that includes technology in a way that can assist us and our children positively and give us hope for the future.