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“The
motherboard and the memory chip will never replace the passion and inspiration
of a real-life teacher” (Bill Goodwyn). The world of education is constantly
going through changes. In today’s world, numerous schools across the nation are
adapting to new and advance technology in order to keep up with the rest of
society. An article from the Huffington Post reflects on the idea that
technology will never be able to replace a great teacher. Goodwyn makes it
clear: “teachers teach, technology does not teach.” In class, we have been
discussing how technology when used properly enhances the classroom. I disagree
with Goodwyn. My experiences with technology as a student and in my field
placement I have witnessed the wonders technology has in
the classroom.
Recently,
President Barack Obama along with Secretary of Education Arne Duncan mandated
to replace traditional textbooks with digital, interactive textbooks within the
next five years. Some schools and teachers are embracing this challenge; some
teachers are hesitant to push forward with this drastic change because it
completely challenges the way they operate in their classrooms. Teaching with
traditional textbooks, writing on a chalkboard, or using an overhead projection
is just what many teachers are familiar with and not necessarily a bad thing.
Goodwyn
continues to argue technology damages a key foundation in education: the
relationship between a teacher and a student. Realistically, technology
improves the relationship between a student and an educator. Students growing
up in the 21st century naturally adapt to technology. Utilizing
technology efficiently in the classroom is the key. Presenting lessons using a
smart board is just more convenient than dragging out an overheard and
maneuvering back and fourth to adjust it properly. Teachers can write out
lessons, notes, tests and anything else of the nature by simply using a
computer. Technology does not hinder education. It seeks to improve it by
making tasks easier for the student and the teacher. Schools in Indianapolis,
Florida, and North Carolina employed digital tools and witnessed an improvement
in performance on exams. Students and teachers work together to facilitate
these changes in the digital age, thus allowing the student-teacher
relationship to grow.
Overall, technology when used properly in the classroom can make learning more
exciting. Staring at a blackboard and taking notes all day becomes mundane.
Teachers could create a PowerPoint presentation for their lessons and use
pictures and cartoons to keep their students actively learning. Educational
videos, music, cartoons, and games are devices teachers could employ in their
lesson. All it takes is a little bit of time to explore all the possibilities
of the Internet. Teachers just need to set ground rules when their students are
accessing the Internet.
As previously
stated, “teachers teach, technology does not”. However, teachers are still
teaching even when using technology. They are teaching to their maximum
potential. Teachers are making the sacrifice by moving away from traditional
methods of teaching by incorporating technology into their classrooms. Students
are more likely to learn more and stay engaged when they are able to use the
Internet. Using technology helps students prepare for the future because
technology is everywhere we go. Another reasons to incorporate technology in
the classroom is because children with disabilities can make use of assistive
technology. Assistive technology allows those students to work at their own
pace, communicate better, and just make their life easier in general. Do not
disregard technology; embrace it!
Link to the article:
Fieldwork Experience
I am currently doing field placement at the same high school I went to, Harry S Truman High School. I am working with two teachers who are both teaching 11th grade American History. However, one class is an honors class and the other class is a co-teach class which not honors. Mrs. B teaches the honors class, and Mr. F teaches a co-teach class
with another teacher. Technology is embedded in the daily routine.
1. Which
specific product technologies are used in the classroom?
Textbooks
are used just about everyday in the classroom and usually a worksheet
accompanies it. All online reading or activities are done in class, so everyone
has access to the Internet. If the classwork is not finished, students complete
it for homework. They could also ask to go to the library to work on the
assignment if a computer or Internet access is not available at home. Both
classes usually go to the computer lab maybe 1-2x a month. Both teachers
lecture however, the Mrs. B prefers using an overhead projector rather than the
smart board. Mr. F creates PowerPoint presentations to give notes and lectures.
In addition, he sometimes uses other teachers’ work (PowerPoint) published
online to give notes. Both teachers show videos either using a VHS, DVD, or
using YouTube from the Internet. Visuals such as physical maps on the walls or
looking at maps on the Internet are frequently used. Students sometimes create
their own political cartoons, and create their own visuals like maps. They even
did a poster project for one of the units. The teacher often plays music from
different time periods on the CD player. There are multiple whiteboards around the
room, one smart board and projector, and blackboards. Both teachers write their
daily agenda on the whiteboards and blackboards around the room. Mrs. B also
writes down important dates and events that are going on in school. She also
displays student grades, so the students can monitor their progress and see if
they are missing any assignments. Mr. F uses the blackboard as a checklist for
the items they are supposed to have for their notebook check. When students
return from an absence, they look at the blackboard to see what they missed. Basic
items, like pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils, paper, chalk are available
in the classroom.
2. How do they enhance learning for all students?
The use
of technology enhances learning for everyone because it accommodates different
learning styles. Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligence theory is applicable
here. Gardner suggests there are eight different intelligences so as the
teacher one needs to understand that eight intelligences create eight different
ways to teach. Therefore, there are eight different approaches to teaching
content. By incorporating technology, the teacher is appealing to the different
intelligences, some more than others are. The teacher is appealing to different
learning styles. As a result, students learn and process information in
different ways and they learn best when they can apply their best kind of intelligence
to the task. Some students really enjoy using visuals to learn because they are
visual learners. The students like both the overhead transparencies because
they can go up to the overhead are write on them. The PowerPoint presentations
are useful because it is organized and the teachers can include visuals and
music to supplement the text and engage the learner. In addition, technology is helpful because the
students can create their own work and present it to the class. It is an
alternative to telling the students to go buy materials to create a project
where they can do the same thing using a computer and the Internet. In
conclusion, technology enhances learning because it is geared to appeal to
multiple intelligences, which leads to accommodating different learning styles.
At the same time, technology is becoming much more accessible and easier to
use, so students prefer using technology in their schoolwork. According to
Bray, Brown and Green, “The integration of variety of technologies into the
classroom can provide learners with unique opportunities to help meet their
diverse needs” (Bray, Brown, Green 76).
3. Which specific product technologies do you plan to use when you
teach? Why?
As a
student, I use technology everyday. I cannot go a day without using my laptop
or my smartphone. I remember in high school, I would always ask my teachers if
I could type my assignments or create PowerPoint presentations. I hate writing
and taking notes when I could easily do the same thing and faster on a
computer. Since, I became so comfortable using technology in high school it
carried over in college. In my classroom, I may not have access to
sophisticated forms of technology. I may even have to use an overhead projector
but nonetheless that is a form of technology. It would take less time then
writing notes on a blackboard. That is not interactive and engaging. I like
creating visuals on the computer so I would use Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and
Excel. These are usually available in most high schools. If a smart board were
available, I would use that. In addition, if clickers were available I would
use them when reviewing for a test. That way students become involved and
competition increases motivation generally. Now that I am learning about
creating Wikis, web quests, and blogs these are all forms of technology I would
employ in the classroom. My goal is to keep my students engaged, motivated, and
willing to try new things. There is nothing wrong with using a textbook and
worksheets but eventually students get bored and true learning is sacrificed.
Appealing to them with technology is great because these students are growing
up in world that is dominated by technology. It helps them prepare for the
future. I want my students to feel ready for life beyond high school and
technology is a way to help prepare them.
Technology has to be meaningful and student centered in
order to enhance learning. Bray, Brown and Green suggest using virtual
expeditions. This is such a neat idea and it is very interactive. This gives
students a chance to experience what it would be like living in different areas
around the world, especially when some may never get the chance to travel there.
According to Bray, Brown, and Green this is “for the benefit of both those
students who are having difficulties with reading and those students who need
to supplement the information available to them in the class text” (Bray,
Brown, and Green 74). This authentic learning experience would fit in well in a
social studies classroom. Another thing I would do is a pen pal system. Bray,
Brown, and Green call it “key-pals”. In social studies, culture is a constant
theme that comes up and it is important the students fully understand the
importance of culture. It is true the more we know about something the less
ignorant we are about the world around us. Learning about other cultures and
about different kinds of people, help break down racial and ethnic barriers.
Prejudices and stereotypes are eliminated. Bray, Brown, and Green say this idea
is great for ELL students because they “benefit not only from exposure to their
own native culture but also from exposure to other cultures” (Bray, Brown, and
Green 74).
Conclusion
I would
use technology in my classroom because it benefits all of the students not just
those who are considered exceptional, diverse or gifted.
“Technology
can be an empowering tool. For it to be empowering, however, teachers must be deliberate
and thoughtful in how it is integrated and utilized in the classroom. This is
not only true for students with a variety of impairments but is also true for
ELL and gifted and talented students” (Bray, Brown, and Green 76).
Bill
Goodwyn should revaluate his position on classroom technology. The positives definitely
outweigh the negatives.
