The advancements in technology have impacted every imaginable field. The field of education has changed a lot in recent years because of the technology that is now available, however, it is bound to change even more.
Here is an insightful article by Edutopia about technology in education:
Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many
There's a place for tech in every classroom.
By Edutopia Staff
Technology is ubiquitous, touching almost every part of our lives, our communities, our homes. Yet most schools lag far behind when it comes to integrating technology into classroom learning. Many are just beginning to explore the true potential tech offers for teaching and learning. Properly used, technology will help students acquire the skills they need to survive in a complex, highly technological knowledge-based economy.
Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.
Many people believe that technology-enabled project learning is the ne plus ultra of classroom instruction. Learning through projects while equipped with technology tools allows students to be intellectually challenged while providing them with a realistic snapshot of what the modern office looks like. Through projects, students acquire and refine their analysis and problem-solving skills as they work individually and in teams to find, process, and synthesize information they've found online.
The myriad resources of the online world also provide each classroom with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials. The Web connects students to experts in the real world and provides numerous opportunities for expressing understanding through images, sound, and text.
New tech tools for visualizing and modeling, especially in the sciences, offer students ways to experiment and observe phenomenon and to view results in graphic ways that aid in understanding. And, as an added benefit, with technology tools and a project-learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioral problems in the classroom.
Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun. Return to our Technology Integration page to learn more.
This article originally published on 3/16/2008
What is your favorite technology to use in the classroom? What does technology help you with? Where do you see education going with the advancements in technology?
My favorite technology to use in the classroom is definitely my SMARTboard. The interactiveness of the board keeps everyone interested, and allows me to teach in ways not possible before. One example is with teaching congruent vs. similar shapes. I can draw a shape with the "marker," then clone it to show a congruent shape. The board lets me turn and rotate the shape to further demonstrate congruency. Then, I can clone another copy, and shrink or enlarge it by simply dragging my finger to show similar. Very powerful, and it allows me to not have to sit behind my computer while I teach this way!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite pieces of technology is Edmodo.com. I am passionate about reducing paper waste, so Edmodo allows me to distribute handouts, collect assignments, and assign tests with a few clicks of a button. Because my kids are turning things in online, they are not generating paper waste, nor am I grading literal stacks of paper. Plus, because everything is in one place, my students are less likely to lose something--if they misplaced it on a flash drive, they can go right back to the source. Lastly, my students can have a place to talk to each other online. Sometimes their conversations are silly (as lots of 11-14 years olds are won to do), but other times they ask for homework help, post notes for absent students, and share things that they find interesting. I feel that by doing this, they are bonding on a different level than simply being classmates.
ReplyDelete--Lauren
I used Edmodo with my Spanish class last year and I loved it. My students thought it was a little lame but I wasn't using all of it's features like you.
DeleteThank you for your comments and technology suggestions.
DeleteGeoff, this is an interesting question:
ReplyDelete"Where do you see education going with the advancements in technology?"
I say it is interesting because it could be answered one of two ways. Where do we see education going with the advancements in technology? Or where should we see education going with the advancements in technology? The first version is what we think will happen given the realities of things like corporate involvement in education and the current things being pushed by the educational reform movement.
However, the second is a much more powerful question, as it asks us to explore how advances in technology can be used through a pedagogical lens. Something that doesn't get much play at the moment unfortunately.