TECHNOLOGY- ENHANCING TEACHING AND LEARNING

Image Via Educacao

Hello ECI830!

Most of us would probably agree to the fact that technology has revolutionized almost every area of life and education sector is no exception, I believe that technology has so much to offer especially in education and for an educator to get closer to our students and deliver the knowledge effectively and efficiently. I think that no digital tool is fundamentally evil and If someone wants to be mischievous and misuse it, they can and they will find ways but the same platform can be used positively in many ways. Technology in the Classroom Makes Learning Fun and interesting. Technology in the classroom is a great way to attract students towards interactive education. In this digital age, our classroom must not necessarily be, how it used to be decades ago. Technology in education has been the biggest game-changer in teaching that we educators will ever see. So, I believe that technology in the classroom enhances learning.

There has always been a heated debate about the effects of using technology in education and this week’s great debate was prodigious and I respect the views of both the sides. I was also quite surprised when I learned that few parents are opting to send their children to schools where there is no technology and for me, it was hard to digest but yet it seemed to be true. I do agree to the fact that it is the teacher who has the responsibility to steer the students towards success no matter with or without technology but without technology are we being fair with our students? are we equipping them with right knowledge so survive in this complex digital world and preparing them for the digital future?

Technology is already sweeping through classrooms and as educators, we are well aware of it. Education today is drastically evolving and so are our students. Today’s children are budding up in a digital world and Social media is integrated as a dominant part of our youngsters. Teaching in this digital era for the students who consider themselves as digitally a step ahead of their teachers poses many challenges for educators. We are sometimes worried that what we produce does not extend beyond the walls of our classroom and thanks to technology that perception has changed. Today we can take teaching and education beyond the walls of the classroom.

The effect that technology has had on schools today has been quite substantial. This incorporation of technology has totally changed the way educators teach and children learn. Emerging technologies such as tablets, iPads, Smart Boards, computers and various educational applications has changed the whole game of teaching and learning and transformed the traditional classroom setup. By adoption and integration of technology in the classroom, we are equipping our students for a fruitful life after school.  There are many advantages of using technology in classroom and school, some of them are stated below.

Technology in the Classroom Makes Learning More Fun:

In a review led by Quizlet, an online learning tool provider finds that most educators say technology makes learning more fun and students say it helps them learn. While another study conducted by CompTIA finds that students want to increase the use of technology in order to make learning “more fun”. Technology has the potential to transform the old perception of a boring classroom setup to a fun and an interactive experience. Whether we agree or disagree It is important to acknowledge that students are already absorbed and engaged in using technology, rather than viewing this as an alarming and disturbing development we have to see this as an amazing opportunity for schools and educators to benefit from integrating technology in the classroom and make teaching and learning more effective.

 Technology in the classroom is a great way to attract students towards interactive education:

In this digital age, our classroom must not necessarily be, how it used to be decades ago. For educators, there are many exciting tools to help our students. Incorporating technology in the classrooms is one of the easy and effective ways to make education fun in the classroom and to take it way beyond the classroom walls. Technology encourages collaboration, today’s children are already collaborated outside school but in a different context, but if we incorporate Technology in school activities we can collaborate students about the school activities in the school and also beyond the school walls. It helps to build a community within the classroom, students engage in knowledge building together around a new topic or an idea. It helps to build creativity in students while they are given a task, it also aids to showcase their work and get instant feedback. This helps students to refine and develop their artistic abilities and provide them confidence.

Technology encourages individual learning:

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Every student is different and their learning styles and pattern are different. Technology offers great prospects for making learning more effective for everyone with diverse needs. Children can learn at their own pace, review tough concepts and be confident with them by referencing. Technology can offer more opportunities for students with difficulties or disabilities. Internet access gives students access to a wide range of resources to conduct research in different ways, which in return increase engagement.

Technology improves engagement:

When technology is integrated into the classroom, students will be more interested in the topics that they are learning. Technology offers several prospects to make learning more exciting and pleasant in terms of teaching the same topic in a new and exciting way. Furthermore, technology can encourage more dynamic participation in the learning process, which can be difficult to achieve through a traditional teaching environment.

There are many such advantages of using technology in the classroom and the list goes on. The impact that technology has had on today’s education has been quite significant and I completely agree that technology in the classroom enhances learning. Having said that technology by itself will not enhance learning, Dani in her blog post stated that Technology for technology sake will not enhance learning and I completely agree with her statement. As an educator in this digital era, it is our responsibility make this notion into a reality.

Finally, to wrap this post I would love to hear your thoughts and concerns about the use of technology in the classroom. Do you embrace technology in your classroom? And what other benefits do you think technology can offer in your classroom? And the ultimate question, do you believe that technology in the classroom enhances learning?

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