Technology has quickly become a mainstay in the field of education. It provides limitless opportunities for maximizing learning potential in the classroom while helping students prepare for a career in this technology-driven world.
As a teacher, technology can make your life easier; it allows you to:
- Facilitate multiple intelligences
- Actively engage a wide variety of learners
- Reach students in a meaningful manner
- Deconstruct difficult concepts
- Demonstrate a connection between the classroom and the real world
- Enhance students’ communication, organizational, and research skills
- Evaluate student performance
- Maintain student grades
- Get children excited about learning
The key to effectively using technology lies in understanding the various programs and devices and sifting through them to find the most valuable and beneficial. I’ve researched and broken down the eight tech tools every new teacher should learn and use in their classroom. All of these tools are focused on education, add value to the classroom, and engage students at every level.
Educational Technology, according to me is the study of the process of analyzing, designing, developing, implementing, and evaluating the instructional environment, learning materials, learners, and the learning process in order to improve teaching and learning. Educational technology is important in education because it enables today’s teachers to incorporate new technologies and tools into the classroom. Teachers can upgrade and improve their classroom’s learner-centeredness. It allows teachers to engage their students in the novel, creative, and equitable ways. Teachers can also expand their network and connect with other teachers and educators on a national and global scale.
Another essential definition of educational technology focuses on the theory and practice of utilizing new technology to develop and implement innovative educational approaches to learning and student achievement. Behind all the high-tech tools, the digital bells and whistles, are the teachers who possess the skill — and the inspiration — to use these new technologies to expand the educational universe of their students.
“We need technology in every classroom and in every student and teacher’s hand,” says education technology pioneer David Warlick, “because it is the pen and paper of our time, and it is the lens through which we experience much of our world.”
Thankyou 🙂
Thank you for sharing your personal definition of educational technology Gunpreesh. I agree that educational technology enhances good teaching. As you mentioned it falls upon the teacher to inspire their students, technology cannot do this for them. After re-reading your post it occurred to me that your bullet points are tasks that all good instructors engage in, regardless of the technologies they employ. After reading the blog post “The Hundred Worst Ed-Tech Debacles of the Decade” by Audrey Watters I cannot help but think many educational technologies, while novel, are mostly trying to duplicate functions that teachers can do better in person. However as you pointed out educational technology has greatly improved accessibility and distance education.
Hi Gunpreesh,
I really appreciate your post and your awareness of the digital divide. I further agree with your Warlick quote that we need technology in the hands of ALL students and teachers – not just those who can afford it. If we want equitable opportunities for all students, then we need equitable access to ed-tech tools and teacher training. Like Matt, after reading about the countless, EXPENSIVE ed-tech debacles in the last decade, I believe that teachers and school divisions need to be mindful of worthwhile tech implementation in the classroom. That way, our students can benefit from access to higher quality technology and learning.
Hii, thank you for sharing informative post!! i do agree with you, educational technology really made our classrooms more interesting and innovative in terms of teaching and learning as it increases the coordination, and cooperation among students and they are learning fast as compared to early traditional times!!
Interesting post Gunpreesh! Technology has helped both students and teachers but I agree with this statement…
“Teachers can also expand their network and connect with other teachers and educators on a national and global scale.”
This made me think that technology not only makes classes interactive or creative but it can help in building a network among teachers.