Technology in Today’s classroom

Technology in Today’s classroom

Technology is available and accessible almost everywhere you go.  It has changed the way we function and live our lives. Of course it has also had a great impact on our classrooms.  Technology has now caught up with educational theory (Martin, 2013). Students studying education at university now will walk into classrooms with students who have been immersed in technology since birth. The use of technology in our educational system is inevitable. Technology ultimately boasts many benefits when use in the classroom and can enrich the learning experiences of students (Hicks, 2011).

Today’s educators were not exposed to technology when they were in schools.  I remember having a teacher who had difficulty operating a USB, something all the students in the classroom knew how to do. Despite the advantages that technology offers, many teachers are still resistant to technology use in the classroom (Hicks, 2011). The change in technology being a necessity in the classroom has been hard for some teachers to accept, with some refusing to implement technology in their classrooms. There are many reasons that teachers avoid using technology. The most prevalent reason is that they fear they will look stupid in front of their tech0savvy students because of their inability to effectively utilize technology in the classroom (O’Hanlon, 2009) Teacher resistance to technology can also be caused by a lack of professional development regarding the use of technology as well as technical support for troubleshooting problems (Stein, Ginns, and McDonalds, 2007, pg 189, Hicks, 2011). Teachers who are trained to use technology will more likely implement this tool in their classrooms.

The use of technology is very beneficial for learning and also organising. Students don’t have to carry around heavy textbooks when they can just have an electronic copy on their laptop. The integration of technology in the classroom allows teachers to benefit of connecting with students digitally by providing rich learning experiences with which students can relate. Students can email teachers when they are at home and receive a quick response. For teachers, technology is also beneficial, allowing them to save time from planning and recording tasks. The prevalence of technology in everyday life has shifted students toward a more visual learning style. Students, in turn, may not respond as well to traditional teaching methods that focus mainly on lecture and textbook reading. The integration of technology into the classroom setting allows teachers the benefit of connecting with students digitally by providing rich learning experiences with which students can relate. Thus, technology in the classroom is a must-have attention keeper and ultimately meets the needs of digital natives (Hicks, 2011).

If we are to harness the potential of new technology we need to understand how interaction with teachers and fellow students is changing, and the pace at which this change is occurring (Martin, 2013). Technology in and out of the classroom increased exponentially. Students in schools have been exposed to technology since their birth. It is imperative for teachers to embrace technology so they are able to integrate it into their classrooms. It is in the best interests of both students and teachers to incorporate technology in the classroom as often as possible to take advantage of the benefits it provides.

References

Stephanie Diamond Hicks (2011) Technology in Today's Classroom: Are You a Tech-Savvy Teacher?, The
Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84:5, 188-191

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/higher-education/opinion/technology-changes-face-of-classroom/story-e6frgcko-1226616136824#

O’Hanlon, C. 2009. Resistance is futile. T.H.E. Journal 36 (3): 32–36.

Prensky, M. 2001. Digital natives, digital immigrants, part II: Do they really think differently? On the Horizon 9 (6): 1–9.