To accurately understand and appropriately apply technology in the classroom we must first understand what educational technology is. Any technology used to enhance the ability to learn and the ability to effectively teach to any person is what I consider educational technology. Educational technology is an interesting new way for teachers and students of any nature to improve their educational goals of teaching and learning.
Teachers can effectively use technology to help their students ability to learn increase. Even the best teachers can not force a child to learn, they can only provide the appropriate and necessary tools for children who want to be students to learn. These appropriate and necessary tools must include certain aspects of technology for students in today’s time and society to succeed. Teachers can use these tools most importantly to collaborate with other teachers to creatively solve the poblems they may encounter in the classroom. I am a strong supporter of collaboration and sharing between peers, mentors, teachers, and community members. This collaboration helps even the best teachers solve problems or just get new ideas to spice up their usual lesson plan routine.
More importantly students can use technology to foster deeper learning and improve their education experience. I have witnessed the impact that technology has on a different type of student. In a special education school for children called RISE, technology was effectively utilized to promote social growth for students. Some of the young four year old children were unable to communicate effectively with classmates and teachers because of various learning disabilities and even sometimes just being shy. So to help classmates connect and learn about each other the teacher would send a voice recorder home with some students each weekend. The students would then record the events of their weekend including any progress they made in physical or emotional therapy and any special activities they did. If the child was unable to communicate with speech their parents would record what they did for the class to hear. Then, in a group setting, everyone in the class would sit in a circle and share what they did over the weekend, including the students who would not normally be able or willing to share in this group setting. This innovative technique utilizes some common technology, a voice recorder, to improve the social and behavioral mood of special needs children so they are more open and receptive to learning.
This is the epitome of what technology is supposed to do in the classroom, help and improve the learning experience. Though sometimes technology can not help, but hinder the learning experience. There are downsides to using too much technology in a classroom setting, but overall I believe that technology, when utilized in appropriate uses and times can be more helpful than hurtful. The main time when technology would be a hindrance is in the initial introduction of new technology to students who are then in awe of the technology and distracted by the technology and loose sight of the use and importance of the assignments or uses. The only other time when technology would not improve a classroom is when the technology fails to work. An example of this is would be the tape recorders not recording or not playing back when it was needed. These setbacks or negatives of technology are greatly overshadowed by the important and useful advantages it offers teachers and most importantly students.
Good job!
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