Education and Technology Essay

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.

In the ITEC 7460 Professional Learning and Technology Innovation course, I completed an Individual Teacher Technology Assessment using Knight’s (2007), Partnership Approach. The purpose of this artifact was to assess the technological need of a teacher and coach that teacher in effectively implementing digital tools. Using a Loti Questionnaire, six-point Likert Scale, and interviews, I assessed Mrs. Smith, an AP Calculus Teacher, to determine her level of technology use, her attitudes towards change, and identified her needs as well as those of her students.

A review of literature was done and then based on the research; a survey was conducted to find out what factors contribute to classroom teachers’ use of computers in instruction. Two previously tested instruments that were used in large scale surveys were used to develop this survey. Validity and reliability were established through the piloting procedures of Tailored Design Method (Franklin, 2007). A modified pilot study or pretest was done by experts in education, research, and technology. According to Lodico, Spaulding, and Voegtle (2010) any survey should be pilot tested with a small group that was similar to the actual participants.

The first set of questions were used to see what technology teachers use and how often they use them. The seven different devices that were surveyed are computers, smart boards, mobile devices, tablets/iPads, digital cameras, clickers, and televisions/projectors. Each device was rated based on use either daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, or never. Using this data we can see which devices are used most and least by teachers. These charts also show us which devises teachers and students are most familiar with in the classroom. The most significant statistic from this first set of questions is that 91% of teachers use computers daily and weekly in the classroom (Fig.

The biggest problem with today’s education is how rapid technology is advancing. So rapid, in fact, that schools are attempting to keep up, but are sadly falling short. Teachers are being required to incorporate new technology into their everyday methods of teaching. The use of IPads or laptops in classrooms can be helpful to both teachers and students(edreform online classes)”. If a teacher is not overly familiar with the new devices, then the students will lose what little time they have to learn. As a teacher is attempting to fix technical problems in one class, the class that has a tech savvy teacher will be advancing far ahead. On the other hand, if a classroom is full of students who are very unfamiliar with the technology will have to be taught how to operate it, which wastes valuable time. In today’s society technology usage is so much more widespread than it was just five years ago. The new toys can allow schools to broaden their curriculum. Since most work can be done on a single device, kids can work at their own pace and potentially reach heights they could never reach with book, pen, and paper. The benefits of this new tech greatly outweigh the downsides. The biggest problem with technology in classrooms is their lack of use. So few schools have jumped on board with these programs, and therefore are holding their kids back. These products are readily available, but “the use of new technology

In Lavin, Korte, Davies). The result of the study further pushes the notion of how important it is for school staff to understand the given technology so they can distribute the information effectively to their students. All the technology in the world will be ineffective if the teachers themselves are not passionate of their work. “Technology has the potential to transform the learning environment from passive to active and more subject to the control of the learner.” (qtd. In Lavin, Korte, Davies).

In general, most K–12 academic settings today utilizes technology for educational and non-academic use (Helms, 2014). Researchers agree that budgeting can share a significant impact on classroom technology integration because many schools do not have the funds to pay for teacher training and all of the cost associated with maintaining technology resources (Blackwell, 2014; Chou et al., 2012; Helms, 2014). The lack of adequate technology training, support and funding can also influence teachers’ attitudes (Kirkwood et al, 2014). A gap appears to exit in empowering teachers with technology skills to implement an interactive learning experience for all learning styles (Helms, 2014).

In the article, “Technology Instruction: Fixing the Disconnect,” the authors state that schools that do not adapt to teaching with these new technologies that surround students outside of the classroom reflect “a decline in school’s relevancy to students’ futures” (Larson, Kuhn, Collins, Balthazor, Ribble & Miller, 2009, p. 55). In order to prepare teachers to meet the needs of today’s students, schools need to provide teachers with support from a technology specialist who also understands “the art of teaching” and how to transform curriculum with technology (p. 56). Teachers need to not only learn how to use the technology but also be willing to rethink how they teach and manage the classroom (p. 57). Allan Collins

This qualitative, narrative case study has two assumptions. First, the interview will accurately generate teachers’ technology attitudes through questioning the nature of the problem using a case study approach. Second, teacher participants will provide truthful responses to the in-depth, open ended interview. The initial limitations of this study will be the limited time frame for data collection. Further, involvement of and response from the participating teachers will be limited to just K-3rd grade teachers in 1 rural Southeast Georgia district instead of administrators, students, parents, pre-school, intermediate, middle and high school.

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.

As we navigate through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming further predominant. iPads are replacing our textbooks, and we can research any desired topic on our smartphones. The impact that technology has had on today’s schools has been utterly momentous. Educators have now seen firsthand the numerous benefits of technology in the classroom. According to a study by IT Trade Association CompTIA, around 75 percent of educators have come to the conclusion that technology has a positive impact on the education process. Educators have also recognized the significance of developing these technological skills in students so they will be prepared to enter the workforce after they graduate (Cox). By incorporating technology in the classroom, teachers are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school. The increase of technology has even changed how teachers teach along with how

Technology affects every aspect of our lives. From romance to business, it has shown its presence everywhere. But technology has had a huge impact on education that cannot be denied, and has done nothing but improve the quality and quantity of education.

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.

Research over the past 40 years has shown conclusively that technology-based methods are usually superior to traditional ones.

The purpose of this study was to examine pre-service teachers’ attitudes toward the use of technology.