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Monday, August 23, 2010

Technology Integration

What do you think are the benefits and challenges in integrating technology in teaching?

6 comments:

Annie Tillmann said...

What do you think are the benefits and challenges in integrating technology in teaching?

I think using technology is extremely beneficial in the classroom because it offers teachers the ability to cater to students with different learning styles in an abundance of different ways. With a little technology, one can incorporate more visuals and more auditory cues into presentations, and it can easily become more hands when technology is used for projects by the students. The challenge I foresee in having technology readily available in the classroom is that is could cause a lot of distractions. I observed a tech class at BJHS last semester and the students were really abusing the freedom of being able to use a computer. They were surfing the internet and using e-mail as an instant messenger to communicate with each other about unrelated things. I think it’s definitely easier to keep control and monitor the usage of the technology in a regular classroom than in a tech class and can be useful in any teaching situation.

Samantha Calhoun said...

Using technology is beneficial in the classroom because not only does it make items more accessible to students, students are now growing up using technology in the very early stages of their lives. Students are generally comfortable with technology, so that could be a way to reach out to a student who does not usually enjoy class. A challenge could be that students may play games or otherwise abuse use of a computer in class, rather than using the technology in the way the teacher asked.

medwards said...

I think technology can be extremely beneficial in the classroom because it can allow students to explore their curiosities and discover new knowledge in ways that would not be feasible otherwise. It can also engage students in lessons and keep their attention better than regular textbook lessons can. Using technology in the classroom also prepares students to enter an increasingly tech-savy world and teaches them to be technologically proficient. However, using technology also presents challenges. For example, students seem to get overly excited when offered the opportunity to use technology and can become easily distracted. It is also difficult for schools to keep up with the newest technology, as it is often very expensive.

liz exo said...

Technology is very beneficial to education: it can give students another way to learn information, and visual learners may benefit a lot from this way of learning. On the other hand, technology may be a challenge because not all students always have access to technology at home.

eschmidt said...

I believe that technology is becoming one of the greatest tools in education. Every year new technologies are added to the repertoire of available resources for educators. Looking back, I can remember the excitement that came along with learning about computers that were very new to our generation. Now, most students have been exposed to technology from a very young age. Based on this reality, the possibility for the use of technology in the classroom is endless. Many students thrive on unconventional ways of learning new information. As Liz stated above, "visual learners may benefit a lot form this way of learning." This use of computers and smartboards can provide these types of students access to a way of processing information that is more suitable to their learning style. With this in mind, many students now have the tools they need to be successful in school.
However, new technology also comes along with a variety of challenges. Many of our future students may not have access to the types of technology that are being used in class. If a student does not have a computer or internet connection, they may feel embarrassed, left out, and therefore fall further behind in class because they cannot obtain necessary information. In addition, the use of technology can be interrupted as a result of glitches or computer problems. As a result, lesson plans may need to be restructured immediately based on problems that arise. As future educators, we must keep these challenges and situations in mind as we enter the workforce and prepare our careers as educators.

Samantha Calhoun said...

Response to medwards: You make an excellent point about the cost of keeping up with technology. SmartBoards seem to be the future of teaching, but I had never seen one until my shadowing at Bloomington Junior High School. It's unrealistic to think that every school has the funds to stay in the fast lane of the quickly changing world of technology.