Technology in the Classroom—Why?
Technology in the Classroom: Because Students Need Technology to Pursue Meaningful Careers
Teachers are sometimes reluctant to use new technologies, for various reasons.
In teaching students, working with teachers, and teaching teachers, it is my experience that many teachers feel that technology is a wonderful thing, but they do not have time to use it. Or, that it is a crutch for students to lean on. Tools such as calculators and Spell and Grammar Check replace the need for students to learn or think for themselves. And, even worse, when teachers put students on the computer, the students either do not know what to do or they go to games instead.
Many teachers feel that the students know much more than they do when it comes to technology; in fact, one of my graduate students stated that older teachers speak technology “with an accent”. I knew exactly what she meant when she said that; if one does not learn a “foreign” language while young, than it will usually not become fluent. Technology is not only a language to learn; it is someone with whom we must learn to get along, to get to know, and also welcome into our lives. Teachers should keep up with their students, not trail behind. Teachers can explore professional development opportunities in technology if they feel that their skills are not up to what the administration expects.
Many of the technologies that are offered to our students need to be used frequently in our classrooms, if only for the reason that most businesses, private and government-owned, use some form of technology to operate. The classroom computer is a gateway technology, giving way to such career technologies as those used by radiologists, engineers, automotive specialists, and restaurant workers.
In the next article, ways in which technology is used by teachers (for teachers, as opposed to that technology used for instruction) will be explored. Following that article, methods of managing technology in the classroom will be discussed.
