Computers and Teaching
Introduction:
"The speed with which technology has developed since the invention of the computer has been extraordinary and surprisingly sustained. For educators, the rapid and continuing introduction of new technology into education, has outpaced the ability of teachers and developers to evaluate it properly, " says Levy, (1997:1). And he continues, that as soon as teachers have become acquainted with one kind of software and hardware and have developed some ability to use it for educational purposes, "better" machines appear to displace it.
According to Ahmad et al (1985), computers bring to education what all new technical devices have brought about: skepticism and fear, or "euphoria followed by
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They’d better train students in computes skills in a specific area like IT , or they must consider computers as part of the class as the pencil, pen, chalk and blackboard. (Classe, 1998)
TEACHER TRAINING:
"In our schools, every classroom in America must be connected to the information superhighway with computers and good software and well-trained teachers" (Clinton, B: 1996, in Bush et al: 1997)
Teacher training has been supported by different sources, as mentioned by Cwiklik (1997). Federal funds have been used in programs such as the Technology Innovation Challenge Grant Program, which provides funds for schools developing projects that encourage the good use of technology in education. And the Technology Literacy Challenge Fund set up last year for state education agencies to distribute to school-technology initiatives.
Schools, districts or teachers’ certified agencies also sustain programs to develop teacher training, such as the Community School District One in New York, the New York Public Schools with the "Project Smart", or the Olympia, WA, School district which devised the original "Generation Why." All mentioned by Cwiklik in Wall Street Journal (1997).
Teacher training is also left up to teachers who want to initiate participation by themselves, and enroll in some of the multiple courses offered by colleges all over the USA.
In any case, as Katie Hickox (1997) says, teacher training
As part of the community’s growth, large technology firms moved into the community and while they were willing to assist local schools, they also expected high school graduates to be skilled technology workers (MacDonald, 2006). To meet this need, the school board adopted a goal of providing a technology resource teacher in every school within the next three years. In addition, the school board had a five-year plan to increase and support instruction and instructional leadership in schools and improve student assessment scores on state exams in mathematics. In two years they planned to reduce language
Technology of the past 20 years has become a focal point of teaching and learning. As a teacher, it is my job to facilitate the learning for an individual by creating an environment that not only conducive for learning, but also places the child in a position to discover and learn them for themselves. Technology has given teachers to opportunity to take learning beyond the classroom, and has begun to reshape their role in the learning process.
One of the drawbacks mentioned in the article “Technology: A Catalyst for Teaching and Learning in the Classroom,” is that technology is very expensive, requires ongoing support and constant upgrades, and is not as cost effective as other investments in education (Valdez 21). Some critics think technology is a waste of scarce resources in education (Valdez 22), because overspending in technology can leave inadequate funds for other pressing needs in education. The funds invested in new technologies can instead be invested in other ways such as arts, science laboratories and shops that allow for more hands-on learning (Valdez 21). Well balanced funding for all essential elements in education is an important strategy to follow in the reality of scarce resources in education.
Funding for school technology used is now available in classrooms as part of NCLB, is administered by the Enhancing Education Through Technology Program (EETT) funding for technology used within classrooms, professional teacher training and development of online assessment
Computers in general give people the ability to complete tasks that would have taken days or weeks to complete with the clicks of a few buttons. As technologies continue to grow the amount of adjustments that will be needed to make will be astronomical. However, society is aiming to help people gain the skills needed to push mankind further. In Davidson’s essay, she discusses how computers and technology can be put to many applicable situations. While working with her students, the “Duke students came up with dozens of stunning new ways to learn [and] almost instantly students figured out that they could record lectures on their iPods and listen to them for leisure” (Davidson 52). This advancement took a few weeks at one college campus in the United States when the technology was still being developed. Now, students have adapted to begin working across the globe to further society with new ideas for applying these technologies. These students now work diligently to make technology as effortless as possible so that their programs will be what will be used in the future. Gilbert discusses how when people are judged by a panel of others they tend to feel worse about themselves but, when dealing with computers people are only judged by one computer which tells them
In his article “If Technology Is Making Us Stupid, It’s Not Technology’s Fault,” David Theo Goldberg effectively informs the reader about the effects that computers in the home and school environment could have on the future education of the coming generations. Goldberg achieves this by executing defined organization and adding unique comparisons about the potentially crippling effects technology can have on a society when put into the wrong hands.
Twenty-first century society is constantly presented with exciting advances in hardware and software technology. Use of technology in CCT 109 classrooms should be allowed to capitalize on these advances and challenge the learning status quo. Technology’s adoption encourages rethinking of how information is acquired and processed, how people learn, how they are empowered, what jobs will be in highest demand, and what the nature of learning and useful information is. With the increasing accessibility, affordability, and popularity of laptops and tablets, it is essential for students, professors, and institutions to welcome these devices in the classroom. Technology’s benefits to the professor, student, and society far outweigh any perceived disadvantages.
Computers have first become widely adopted educational technology since the 1980’s in the schools across the United States. Consequently, technology has become part of teacher accreditation and is being integrated ubiquitously into the areas of faculty development, student academics, curriculum design, and resource allocation.
Computers are the foundation of instructional technology but despite their many uses and importance in nearly every workplace many schools have poor funding for technology. Kids who are in schools that don’t have adequate tech funding end up behind their peers, and their lack of computer skills can affect everything from their ability to research for academic projects to their ability to enter STEM related jobs and programs.
Every day the world is changing and things are done differently. Technology has also affected the way students are taught and in which they learn. It has changed the classroom. Technology saves us time and allows us to access material in only minutes. “The Internet and online subscription databases, even as a supplement to the printed works in the library, allow students to see, and force them to consider or reject, points of view that they might never have encountered in decades past” (Gow 4).With all the time technology produces, it also has downsides and it also may have created a less intelligent society.
The use of technology in schools has a great effect on not only students, but teachers as well. Today, we mostly think of technology as computers, but it is much more than that. In fact, one of the first technologies used in the classroom was the chalkboard.
Physical, human, financial, and policy aspects greatly affect the success of technology use in schools.
Education is one of the most important professions in the working world. Technology has done many things for us in today’s society especially for education and schools. Technology in the school system has impacted the students and teachers in many positive ways, including virtual field trips, testing tips, teacher resources, class web sites, and lesson plans. With computer use in our schools, we have access to many different sources and various types of learning.
Across the U.S., technology used in education has been increasing exponentially. Every learning institution ranging from elementary school to college have incorporated technology into their teachings. Online textbooks, quizzes, notes, and classes are all examples of how education has been utilizing technology. While technology has a place in education, not everything in education needs to involve technology.
Being proficient in using technology will be a prerequisite for almost any employment for younger students. It is the school’s job to prepare many of these kids for employment, and that is especially true for the lower socioeconomic areas where students with computers at home are rare. Eisenberg and Johnson describe this basic skills education as the “laundry list” approach to computer education. By ‘list” they mean isolated skills, such as word processing, or searching the Internet. “Students need to be able to use computers and other technology flexibly, creatively and purposefully. All learners should be able to recognize what they need to accomplish, determine whether a computer will help them to do so, and then be able to use the computer as part of the process of accomplishing their task.”1