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Philosophy of Technology Integration in Education Essay

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“Educational technology, especially computers and computer-related peripherals, have grown tremendously and have permeated all areas of our lives” (Valdez, 2005, ¶ 3). Computers are a prevalent part of most people’s professional and social lives. They serve an essential role in a myriad of industries including but not limited to, finances, health care, and retail. On the personal front, social networking sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace have gained a popularity that few could have predicted a decade ago. With technology, particularly computers, present in nearly every aspect of the average person’s life, why wouldn’t it be as prevalent in the education? Similarly, as it is a large part of the typical student’s life, it …show more content…

Many enjoy using computers. There is something about interacting with the computer that is more amusing than looking up information in textbooks or completing worksheets. The variety is also a motivator. Participating in the same routine tasks over and over again is tiresome for anyone. Rather than listening passively to a teacher’s voice, the student has a chance to really do something. As much effort as good teachers do put into making their instruction dynamic and interesting, students often interpret it as boring. While there is merit to purposeful written work, a change in the usual, such as engaging in an educational computer game which serves the same purpose, can spark the learner’s interest (Heemskerk et al., 2009)
It is important for teachers to do their best to teach all types of learners. Not everyone learns best from a textbook, listening, or engaging in hands-on activities. Some students learn better when they utilize computers, to both learn new information and demonstrate their own knowledge. Technology can help differentiate the educational process for students with such varied learning needs. Additionally there exist programs and web sites especially for helping students with special needs or limited English proficiency that offer support not otherwise available (Valdez, 2005 ).
In addition to the advantages in student motivation and accommodation, technology provides many benefits in skill

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