I strongly believe that technology can make a big difference in a classroom. Students are exposed to all different kinds of technology in their everyday lives, whether it is their cell phones, computers or television, so bringing that into the classroom can make the material they are learning more relatable. With the variety of technology available today, any lesson can go from boring to something memorable and exciting. Let's face it, if students do not find the lesson interesting, after a while they will simply zone out.
Recently, I came upon an article, "Technology can change education," that confirmed my belief. The article begins with the sad truth that many companies can not find qualified workers here in America and therefore they need to go overseas to find trained workers. This is new to me, because I thought the companies have moved overseas because labor is cheaper, which still holds true, but we simply do not meet the expectations of those companies. The quality of education is slowly declining, and we must find a way to help our future generations succeed. Incorporating technology into the lessons, might be the way to go, after all, we want to prepare our students for the 21st century jobs.
The author of the article, Robert Bennett, describes a program he saw at Malcom X Shabazz High School in Newark, NJ, that he believes is the way out of this crisis. The classroom contained no textbooks or blackboards but a smart-board, students sat in round tables and talked a lot. This was a physics class, and the teacher put up the problem on the smart-board, went over it and explained what they needed to know in order to find the solution, and gave them four minutes to work on it. As the students worked on the problem in groups, the teacher walked around and helped them with the steps to solve the problem. Once time was up, each student entered his or her answer into a key pad. As the teacher touched the smart-board, a pie chart came up, showing what percentage of students chose which answer. The teacher was able to see the names of the students and their answers, so she called on some of them to go up and show how they arrived with that answer. The rest of the students were able to comment and give feedback to the student. When all students agreed on an answer, the teacher gave them another problem to work on and this time when she checked the pie chart, everyone got the correct answer!
The school was suppose to close down three years ago, but instead it was transformed, and in my opinion successfully. Students now consider school to be fun, and they spend their days doing puzzles together. They are out performing students in suburban schools and are headed for college, which is not seen often in inner city schools.
This is just one example of many, that shows how technology can affect education. In today's society, and with the demand in the job market, it is essential to integrate technology into everyday classrooms. It can truly make a difference, and help students succeed, and be better prepared for the future.
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/765570717/Technology-can-change-education.html?pg=1
I find your post extremely interesting. For a school that was about to shut down a year ago, they have made a huge transformation in the right direction. Besides technologies being supportive (which should be our main reason for using them), unfortunately it is true that our students can become more engaged when a technology is incorporated into the classroom. I believe this class scenario, in many ways, has used technology appropriately. First, the teacher has created an advanced formative assessment that will help her instantly know if her teaching strategies are working. This is truly important in any classroom, and in this case since the data is collected instantly the teacher doesn't need to wait to the next day to reemphasize information or alter lessons to reteach students/ fix misconceptions. Also, the classroom setup provides opportunities for peer reflection, along with 100% student participation. The way the students participate relieves any anxiety from super shy students. Finally, the interactive technology and hands-on situation that is created allows students to remain engaged and motivated throughout the entire lesson. This lesson truly accomplished using technology in a supportive way and using technology to keep students engaged.
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