Today, there is a much greater need for technology use in the classroom. Technology use is rapidly growing and is becoming a great source to use in the classroom. Technology includes using the latest and greatest tools and expands and opens up students to a wide variety of collaboration. In an article Applying Technology to School it states, “Traditional methods of teaching no longer capture student’s attention (Cdd, 2011). In today’s classrooms it seems to get harder and harder to grab student’s attention. As an educator the rule of thumb is to get students involved and discussing, you must first relate the topic or subject the students are interested in. Educators call this the anticipatory set or attention getter. Often times as an educator myself, I find myself using the technology resources available to get my students interested and involved. Once technology has been brought into the picture students seem to show a little more interest, especially if they are involved in using the technology.
The article also states, “Technology is a necessity in today's world and we must be ready for it" (Cdd, 2011). Technology has not only become popular and user friendly for adults it has also captivated our younger generation of students. Many of my students now know much more about a computer and newer technology then when I did at their age. The only time I used a computer in elementary school was when I went to the computer lab to play certain educational programs. A home computer was not provided for me until I reached middle school. My parents felt that by that time the computer was becoming very popular and that I myself could even help them become familiar with it. Technology is definitely a necessity in today’s world and continues to grow to be a part of others lives. It has not only become a necessity but a helpful tool to help with differentiated instruction.
In the article “Using the Technology of today, in the Classroom Today” it states, “The emergence of social networking technologies and the evolution of digital games have helped shape the new ways in which people are communicating, collaborating, operating, and forming social constructs" (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff & Hass, 2009). These social networking sites are not just a place for students to communicate with friends about the latest gossip; they have become a great impact on their learning and diversification. As students continue to use sites and collaborate with others they are learning without even knowing. The use of technology has students collaborating and expanding their thinking and minds. They are using what they know, sharing with others and are spreading their wisdom across the world with the use of today’s latest technologies. The article also describes adopting and integrating technology into the curriculum difficult but with the continued use it shows its advantages and results (Klopfer, Osterweil, Groff & Hass, pg. 2). Harold O’Neil says that nearly 90% of teachers report that they perceive classroom web access as valuable or essential for their teaching (O’Neil, 2003). As a classroom teacher I get a variety of lessons and information to help me further my classrooms understanding of new topics and ideas.
Integrating technology in the classroom is effective and very useful. There are often times when our pencil and paper resources become boring and useless. Students like the opportunity to expand their minds and use their latest technology skills to impress you with what they know and what they can do.
References:
References:
Technology in School: Applying Technology to school. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. Path: http://techclas.blogspot.com/2011/02/applying-technology-to-school-in-1996.html.
O'Neil, Harold. "A Learners View." Technology Applications in Education. N.p., 2003. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. Path: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104944386
O'Neil, Harold. "A Learners View." Technology Applications in Education. N.p., 2003. Web. 15 Jan. 2012. Path: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=104944386
Using Technology of Today in the Classroom of Today. Ed. Eric Klopfer, Scot Osterweil, Jennifer Groff, and Jason Hass. N.p., 2009. Web. 18 Jan. 2012. <http://education.mit.edu/papers/GamesSimsSocNets_EdArcade.pdf>.
One of our goals of being teachers is to see students’ success in life. The idea of having them in the classroom everyday learning new concepts and mastering reading, writing, math and science skills is one of the core concepts in education. But also we have to focus our efforts toward the development in the 21st Century students’ outcomes. It is very necessary to integrate, in the lesson plans, critical thinking and problem solving strategies. Students must get involved with projects that have to deal with creativity and innovation. Students need to know how to find information by using media and technology. Besides, in my opinion, one of the most important activities is to reinforce communication and collaboration skills. By this, we are really preparing them to face the challenges the global world has for them.
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