Technology Is An Intrinsic Part Of The Lives Of Learners

As we employ new technological tools, our views about technology itself change. Advances are being made in areas such as solar energy, radio, television microwave, medical imaging, satellite communication, and laser surgery and our children need to be able to keep up with these and other technological advances now and in the future. After all, technological knowledge is needed in pretty much all modern occupations.

Since children today have become digital natives; they will never truly know a world that is not touched with technology. This means that the educational paradigm has to shift in order to keep up with the needs of our young learners (Jo, 2016). In the last thirty years, technological advances

This article was about using technology online for quizzes and homework to improve grades. It was detailed with scientific facts and content, which made it difficult to digest; however, it was informative and relevant to the area of

Technology use in the classroom is extremely beneficial for students for a vast number of reasons. Although schools are currently utilizing various forms of technology in education, these technologies are not necessarily supported by the community due to insufficient information detailing the benefits they provide in a child’s development. However, by embracing the digital world and ensuring that the technologies being implemented are engaging and fulfil individual educational requirements, students become more efficient learners and are empowered to develop positive and meaningful interpretations of the world. It is essential for educators to provide digital technologies in the classroom as it can greatly assist students with special needs, equips students to become lifelong learners and provides students with the necessary skills in order to be adequately prepared for the workforce, becoming confident and productive contributors to society.

Blended learning is one of the fastest growing movements in education (Yapici & Akbayin, 2012). Through blended learning the ability to personalize instruction is made available while the positive social aspects of face-to-face learning are not completely lost (Corry & Carlson-Bancroft). However, most of the research on blended learning is based on models implemented at higher education institutions and even this data is limited or mixed (Barbour & Siko, 2012; Bissell, 2012; Corry & Carlson-Bancroft, 2014; Flumerfelt & Green, 2013; Headden, 2013; Wang et al., 2015). The outcry from researchers is for more data on the effectiveness of blended learning, best practices in implementation of the blended model, the proper mix of online vs. face-to-face instruction, the best tools to utilize when using a blended model, how to properly prepare teachers for the online instructional element of blended learning, and how to scale blended learning up to the institutional level, particularly in systems outside of higher education (Barbour & Siko, 2012; Bissell, 2012; Corry & Carlson-Bancroft, 2014, Florian & Zimmerman, 2015; Mirriahi et al., 2015; Picciano, 2011; Tsai, 2012; Wang et al., 2015). Shifting to a blended learning model is not an easy process and needs to be done well to ensure effectiveness and sustainability (Flumerfelt & Green, 2013). At this point research data in very limited on the process of effectively redesigning a public high school from the traditional model of

Evidently, technology represents an inevitable and increasingly integral part in modern society (Aduwa-Ogiegbaen and Iyamu, 2005; Stafford, 2010; Watt, 2010). The abundance and accessibility of available technology within our homes is enabling children to develop technological skills and understanding from an early age (Medcalfe, 2013; Tucker, 2014; Simpson, 2013). Prensky (2001) postulates that this exposure and immersion with technology is instrumental in shaping children to become ‘digital natives’ enabling them to interact with technology on an

General Background: Technology is continuously advancing, and appears to be changing annually! With the increase in technology comes, not only, new gadgets and gizmos, but new possibilities. Today’s generation of children are being born into a “technology fish bowl”. Many people believe that technology is simply used for recreational purposes, but that is not entirely true. In fact, technology is beginning to appear in several school districts around the country. “As the use of electronic teaching and learning tools has increased, technology in education has become a key focus for educators at all levels.” (Flair, I) Technology is the future… Educators need to understand that they are instructing the citizens of our future. With that being said, techniques and tools of “tomorrow” need to be applied inside the classroom today with our future generations. Implementing technology can be a difficult road, can have both positive and negative possibilities, and can change the layout of a curriculum. “Using electronic and digital tools is seen as a way to enhance learning and provide a beneficial experience for all students.” (Flair, I) Technology for educational purposes is something that is strongly encouraged, requested, and expected in today’s education system.

Continual advancements in technology have resulted in recognition by many of the importance of ensuring that learners have the technological skills and knowledge to enable them to participate and be competitive in an increasingly digitalised society. In fact, transformative learning with technology is considered to be such a fundamental principle of effectuating effective pedagogy that the International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) has made it a central focus for teachers to use their knowledge of ‘technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning…in both face-to-face and virtual environments’ (International Society of Technology in Education, 2014, as cited in Maloy, Verock-O’Loughlin, Edwards & Woolf, 2015, p. 357). However, despite this, the value of technology in learning remains a prevailing topic of debate amongst parents, educators and even students.

In recent years, federal and local governments have been pouring overwhelming amounts of taxpayer money into buying computers and other digital tools for K-12 education. The rationale is computers are more important than ever, and they are gaining in popularity daily, so it is necessary to prepare our students to use them in their daily lives. But the tools that are being invested in are not being used effectively, and they are showing very minor benefits relative to the massive economical investment that the public has placed in it.

In 2013, 92% of teachers, according to the American Life Project, in the United States said that the Internet has had a 'major impact' on the way they teach in regards to access of resources, content, and making the classroom available outside of school to promote 24/7 stimulation (Burns). Just to think, this statistic never existed fifty years ago, and barely even fifteen years ago. I know it is safe to say that children have recently obtained the access to a fruitful and universal education with many benefits made possible merely because of the presence of technology. While many people in various discourse communities (parents, teachers, and others of general interest) support the applications of technology taking place in the

The digital world we live in is constantly changing and updating to include the most efficient technology for everyday use. Children in today’s society have grown up using the latest smartphones, tablets, computers and televisions. It is no surprise that technology has made it’s way into schools and incorporated into classroom instruction. Robinson, McKenna and Conradi state that “technology in schools is here to stay...students must now be able to navigate hypermedia and to compose using not only word processing software but desktop publishing systems capable of integrating multimedia. The times, they are a-changin” (Robinson, McKenna & Conradi, 2012, p. 223).

“Currently we live in an era driven by information, global competition and new technologies that are changing the way we think, live and work.” (Pillay, Boulton-Lewis & Wilss 2004, p.17). This conveys the notion that technology has manipulated the minds of today’s generation in every way possible, could be during schooling and non-schooling life. Hence in order for one’s teaching style to go successful one should teach in accordance to the characteristics of the generation they’re teaching as today’s generation requires a digital pedagogy. Furthermore this essay scrutinizes how the characteristics of the 21st century and the digital world will influence the type of teacher one hopes to become. As well as it examines on the construction of skill development towards students from the trending of digital fluency.

As the 21st century has confronted us with the technological revolution and “change [has become] the hallmark of our time ”, we have had to adapt in almost all areas of life. It is only logical that the education sector has also experienced innumerable adjustments. The combination of trying to maintain the classical face-to-face concept of teaching yet integrating a technological aspect has come to coin the term ‘blended learning’. There are many discussions and disputes as this phenomenon has come about as to what blended learning actually involves and what is its fixed definition as outlined by Driscoll’s four blended learning concepts. For the purpose of this essay I will be referring to the mix and combination of face-to-face tutorial with any form of web-based or instructional technology (from collaborative learning, audio, video, interactive whiteboards to online platforms). I will be analysing the effects of blended learning in the pedagogical process in terms of time-efficiency, increased outreach for language learning opportunities, motivation and autonomous learning, learner and personality types and crucially, in language learning increased accessibility of “Ethnographic methods such as the use of ‘authentic’ material and contact with native speakers ”.

It is a well-accepted idea that technology is crucial to the modern world learning. Everyone understands that it play a key role in the modern classroom and the benefits it has brought. From the lowest level of learning to advanced institute if research, it is impossible to segregate the use of technology in the learning and learning itself. Both have become one and the same thing which brought with it numerous advantages. However, the full impact it has had on the classroom remain quite unclear. Also, there are also emerging issues that are developing each new day as students, and their lecturers try to make the learning environment to be more engaging and produce better results. In Arts and Design, there have been a lot of integrations of modern technology. It is no longer a field where students were limited to manual methods while executing various projects. However, there are some questions and emerging issues that are pertinent to students practices that remain unearthed or barely understood. A critical inquiry and reflection thus become vital in this new era. This requires the development of in-depth research that will focus on identifying these underlying issues.

For members of the twenty-first century society, computers, mobile devices and the internet play a central role in everyday life. This is no different for school children, who have unprecedented access to information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the classroom to aid their learning. The integration of ICTs in the classroom does not stop with children- there is no argument that as a citizen of the digital age and a university student the use of computers and the internet have revolutionised my life and education. Being networked virtually every minute of the day means that I not only have more information and entertainment content at my fingertips than I could ever hope to absorb, but my learning is more effective than ever.