The Nature of Teaching

When the author of this paper began teaching seven years ago, there was a huge push for technology integration into schools. Educators were slowly weaning off of overheads and transparencies as a means to deliver content to their students. Now, many of these “old school” tools have been replaced with interactive whiteboards, one-to-one devices and computers. With the adoption of this technological push, educators are now open to a wider range of educational resources and tools used to educate their students.

The use of technology in the classroom is an important tool to utilize as an educator. Technology allows for educators to have instant access to a plethora of resources that would not be available if technology was not used in the classroom. Teachers have the ability to plan lessons, create presentations, and have interactive games for students to use as a learning tool through the use of different digital devices. Modern day technology is rapidly advancing and providing teacher with many different tools to use in the classroom to enhance the students learning experience.

Technology integration- the use of technology tools in a content area or in a classroom

This essay seeks to critically reflect my current understanding of teaching and learning and how it has influenced my developing philosophy. This is an important concept to grasp, for any practicing educator at the beginning of their journey in becoming a qualified teacher in Physical Education (PE). To fully develop this essay it is vital to be able to define and outline a solid concept of philosophy, as this will make it easier to understand the principles that underpin practices within the teaching environment. However, the notion of understanding ones philosophy is not always a straightforward process, there are certain barriers teachers are presented with on a day-to-day basis that can sometimes restrict and prevent an all-inclusive pedagogical atmosphere. Understanding the crucial concept of philosophy will provide the essay with a strong backbone. The definition from The Oxford Dictionary describes philosophy as a “theory or attitude held by a person or organization that acts as a guiding principle for behavior,” (Oxford Dictionary, 2015). Integrating this definition into the practical setting together Lund and Tannehill (2005) argued that inside a professional teaching occupation it is critical that teachers come to terms with what they personally believe about physical education and its goals. Whilst reflecting on both definitions I found it difficult to emphasize and pinpoint exactly what my personal philosophy may include, as it seemed at first I wanted focus on

According to my findings from unit 1, use of technology in lessons must not be a goal unto itself: the purpose is not to teach children how to use computers; they can do this as they get older, just as they can learn to drive a car later in their lives (Wardle, 1999).Successful technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent, accessible and readily available for the task at hand and supporting the curricular goals, and helping the students to effectively reach their goals.

A teacher should play many roles in the classroom. Teachers should build up the competencies in techniques and strategies for knowledge acquisition, a tactics for peaceful and harmonious co-existence with others and actualize their own potentials. Teacher’s attitude towards teaching is the key factor for success of any institution. The world is always in a state of flux. Teachers should modify the methods of teaching according to the changing world and impart the right type of education for the future generations. Apart from mere imparter of knowledge, they have to be an interpreter of knowledge. Two main roles of teachers are (i) to construct knowledge (ii) transforming personality. The teacher should be a friend, philosopher and a guide who help their students in their journey of education. They should adhere greatly to the fundamental values that guide every individual’s life. A teacher

The behavioral approach is the scientific study of the measurable aspects of human behavior. An example if this would be how people act differently when they believe they are being watched. In the “The Role of Scheduling in Observing Teacher-Child Interactions” the authors explain how scheduling appointments to observe teachers in their classrooms was effecting the results they were getting. “When one performs observations at scale, features of the protocol such as the scheduling of observations can potentially influence observed scores.”(Cash and Pianta P.1) The teachers knew they were being observed, so it made them perform better. Same with the students they knew they were being watched by an outside party, so they behaved better.

In the articles “What Is The Future Of Technology In Education?” by Matt Britland and “New Class(room) War: Teacher vs Technology” by Samuel G. Freedman, two different viewpoints are expressed toward technology integration education. The authors show the implications of technology on the attitudes of teachers and students. Britland and Freedman agree that technology and theoretical framework are two inseparable facets but propose different solutions to the actions that should be taken to result in pedagogical expertise.

With the explosion of technological advances in the 21st century comes the increased need for the incorporation of technology in the educational field. The classrooms in America can all benefit from the use of technology to increase the understanding of academic content whether in the general education or special education setting.

When I worked on my undergraduate degree between 2000 and 2004, technology integration was not part of my course load. At that time, technology in the classroom was treated separately as the author describes. The prevailing attitude at the time was, “If you know how to use it and your school has the resources, go for it, but if you don’t know how to use to use and your school doesn’t have the resources, it’s not really necessary.” Currently, however, that is not true. It is a necessary component of education, not something supplemental or extra. The author offers many practical strategies for integrating technology in the English classroom, many of which I would like to research further and possibly implement in my own

I believe the goal of teaching is to foster learning. Learning takes place in various circumstances and contexts. Although every child is capable of learning, a child's desire to learn is a vital to mastering new skills. The classroom setting can encourage or inhibit learning. Accommodating different learning styles creates an atmosphere that is conducive to learning for children. The instructor needs to be a prominent factor in showing interest in the subject, if the instructor does not show interest in the subject and a passion for learning, students are less likely to put forth the effort needed.

The teachers in the video "An Introduction to Technology Integration" seemed really excited about the opportunity for technology integration in their classes. They went as far as saying that it could fundamentally transform a classroom and what you can do in it. One teacher suggested that if you are using the tools you have as well as you can then you are integrating technology. Our students today are creating using digital tools and we have become more like facilitators than a traditional teacher.

Teaching and Learning consists of various different theories that educators may or may not feel applicable to their individual philosophy. There are bits and pieces of a variety of theories that many educators feel are important in the classroom. The purpose of this paper is to explain the personal learning theory and how it is applied in a classroom. After an educator takes the time to research and do further learning by reading a variety of written books, the educator may or maynot change things in the classroom or focus on a different topic that they had not previously focused on in the past.

According to So and Kim (2009), teacher training and a support system with integrating technology in the instructional practice should be structured in a holistic way so that they can see the connection. Through assessment based on a full deliberation of interrelationships between content, pedagogy, and technology, teachers can anticipate constructive sound effects of technology integrated task through student academic performances. Papert, Vygotsky, Dewey and Piaget’s social constructivism (SC) principles

With the integration of technology, students get direct, individualized instruction from the computer. This form of supplemental teaching allows them to engage with the information at times that are most convenient for them and helps them become more self-directed in the learning process. It also gives the teacher more time to accomplish classroom objectives, while freeing them up to help the students who might be struggling with certain lessons.