Rabeea Khan
Student of University of Karachi
As we move into the 21st century, technology has
become more and more important to our society. Computers are becoming more
affordable and are depended upon by many people to aid them in their daily
lives. Since computers are becoming more affordable to purchase, schools have
been able to purchase more computers for their students. As more and more
computers are purchased, a growing need for technology education emerges. What
is the importance of integrating technology into a student's curriculum? What
benefits do our students receive from technology? There are many ways that
technology can benefit students.
In an article published by Technology and
Learning magazine, interviews were conducted with some leading research experts
on how they felt about technology's impact on education. The interviews were
all conducted by Judy Salpeter, who is the Editor of the magazine. One of
Salpeter's interviews was with Cheryl Lemke, who is the executive director of
the Milken Exchange on Education Technology. The Milken Exchange is
accelerating a national agenda for technology in schools through increasing
public awareness, supporting new designs for teaching and learning, and
reflecting on research and practice. Lemke has identified six ways that
technology can positively impact schools. She has stated that,
"The question is not if technology will impact the
nation's public schools, but rather if that impact will accelerate the
educational progress of children and youth, positively or negatively"
(Salpeter, 1999).
Lemke says that the first way that
technology can benefit students is that it can accelerate, enrich and deepen
basic skills. Under the right conditions, students learn faster with more depth
of understanding using technology (Salpeter, 1999). David Dwyer is vice
president of advanced learning technologies for Computer Curriculum
Corporation. He leads the company's Educational Enterprise Group and develops
next-generation solutions for the learning, management and communication needs
of schools. In an interview with Judy Salpeter (1999), he says that in one
study conducted by the University of Michigan, the study compared the use of
computers for basic skill instruction with paper and pencil approaches and
found increases of 10 to 15 percent in the computer-using group. Another
finding that studies showed was an increase in efficiency. It took students 30
percent less time to learn the same things with help from the computer.
Saul Rock man is a consultant on education and
technology for corporations, state and federal agencies, and educational
organizations. He founded Rock man ET AL in 1990. Rock man ET AL is an
independent research and consulting firm specializing in technology and
learning. In an interview with Judy Salpeter (1999), he said that,
"students who use the technology for real
communication with a real audience are much more capable of talking to adults
because they are getting used to it...technology facilitates cooperative
learning, encourages new roles for learners and the ability to work
independently."
Lemke's second way that technology can
positively impact education is that,
"Technology can be a great tool for motivating and
engaging students. Brain research shows that if students are engaged, they
learn more. If we're able to connect them to real life situations, they're much
more interested...what a powerful motivation technology is and what a broad
range of skills- scientific analysis, communication skills, problem-solving-
are involved." (Salpeter, 1999).
Dwyer agrees. He said that research has
shown, "a remarkable improvement in writing fluency when students were
able to compose at the computer- they were more engaged and wrote more per
minute" (Salpeter, 1999). Dwyer notes that teachers also reported that
students wrote more because it was easier for students to write. He said that,
"word processing didn't automatically make them write better but they
became more engaged in their writing" (Salpeter, 1999). Dwyer also noted
that research has found that as students became more fluent at writing, over
time, their vocabulary became more descriptive in the types and numbers of
different words that they used (Salpeter, 1999).
An important aim in technology education is to
"develop positive attitudes towards their peers and understanding the
value of working with others" (Stables, 1999). Technology activities have
the potential to allow all children to succeed. Children develop respect for
each other because they realize that everyone can engage in technological activities.
This fosters a nurturing learning environment. Children need opportunities to
work on activities that they can succeed at, but still have room to offer them
challenges, where they have the safety for risk taking and failure (Stables,
1999).
Lemke's third positive way is that,
"Technology in
schools can also be a wonderful link to between academics and emerging
practices in professional fields" (Salpeter, 1999).
Lemke notes that for example, math and science
courses are conducted in different ways today than it used to be. She says
that,
"Today practicing
mathematicians and scientists in many cases are not looking for single answers
buy rather a host of answers through the design of models and
simulations...Let's prepare our students for their futures by exposing them to
the latest field practices" (Salpeter, 1999).
Kay Stables (1999) comments that,
"Once primary teachers become involved in a
technology activity, they realize how much they can draw both on their general
teaching skills and also on work from other areas such as science, mathematics,
and art".
Lemke's fourth positive way that technology can
positively impact schools is that it can,
"Dramatically increase the viability of students
in the work force...workers fluent in technology will make the workplace more
effective, increase productivity and help ensure America's competitiveness in a
global economy. The time to begin preparing our children for the realities of
the new American workplace is now" (Salpeter, 1999).
Preparing children for the future use of
technology needs to begin when they're young. It was believed that teaching
children skills at a young age was deemed appropriate. Kay Stables (1999),
believes differently. She says that,
"There is increasing acceptance that general technological
competencies are more appropriate for young children in a rapidly changing
technological society than are specific skills. By developing a more generic
potential from a young age, this next generation may be more comfortable,
confident, and secure in their own capability".
Lemke's
fifth way that technology has a positive impact on education is that technology
can strengthen teaching. She says that technology is,
"a powerful
learning tool to add to a teacher's repertoire. It allows teachers to adjust
and adapt the system to meet diverse student needs by focusing on
student-centered learning" (Salpeter, 1999).
Technology can be a powerful tool for teachers
to use, if they know how to use it. Kay Stables (1999), commented that when
computer technology first came out, many teachers were confused. They weren't
sure if technology meant computers, applied science, or craft work. She says
that very few teachers are trained in technology education and recommends four
key areas to address to help teachers move forward.
1) Developing an understanding of what technology education is.
2) Helping teachers see how the work they
currently do and the experience they have can be adapted to allow technology
activities to grow and be added on.
3) Providing teachers with hands-on experience
with technology activities and giving teachers a broad range of manageable
teaching activities to start from.
4) Providing opportunities for teachers to share
their practices and good ideas with each other to build a repertoire of successful
activities.
Once teachers have found that they have a
competent background in technology education, another concern pops up. How can
a teacher fit what he or she has learned into the curriculum? Al Rogers (1999),
from the Global School Net Foundation, believes that for teachers to
effectively teach students using technology, they have to change their teaching
practices and beliefs. The educational system requires teachers to teach a
prescribed sequence of information. Today Rogers believes that as we enter the
21st century, he says,
“We need teachers who are able and willing to become
side-by-side learners with their students. Teachers who are not afraid to
acknowledge, "I don't know", and then can turn around and say,
"Let's find out together". These teachers need to know how to use
various technologies which can not only answer questions, but create questions
as well. We need teachers who understand that learning in today's world is not
just a matter of mastering a static body of knowledge, but also being able to
discover the rapidly changing ideas about that knowledge itself".
Once teachers are able to accept becoming
side-by-side learners alongside their students, technology will become a
powerful tool to aid their students' learning.
Finally, Lemke's last point was that,
"technology can also be a catalyst for change in schools" (Salpeter,
1999). Lemke goes on to say that,
"The decline in public confidence in America's
public schools is due in part to the incompatibility of an educational model
developed during the industrial age with the educational requirements of
today's information-based society" (Salpeter, 1999).
In an article
"Many students
drop out of school, mentally or physically because they don't see the
connection between real life and schoolwork".
Technology can provide that connection between
real life and schoolwork. Lemke states that,
"Teachers are realizing that there's more
information that they can possibly provide students. Instead they need to put
tools into the hands of kids so they know how to ask questions, evaluate
sources, hypothesize and communicate effectively" (Salpeter, 1999).
I have always believed that technology can have
a positive impact on students if used properly. As a technology coordinator at
my school, I have seen how motivated students are when they come up to the
computer lab to work on their projects. There are hardly any discipline
problems and all of the children are engaged and focused on their work. If only
our teachers had more computers available to them in their classrooms, what an
impact that would have on the students learning. I truly think that teachers
need more technology resources and aids to help them use technology the way it
is meant to be used with their students. Many teachers still use the computer
only for word processing and for their students to play games on it. There are
some teachers however, at my school, who brilliantly use technology to enhance
their teaching and further makes learning exciting for their students.
I recently interviewed Wendy Okamoto, a former
T3-er and the Computer Teacher/Tech Coordinator at Stevenson Middle School in
Oahu. I asked her what the technology program at their school was like. She
said that she was responsible for teaching the 6th grade exploratory wheel and
the 8th grade Introduction to Computer classes. She also said that each teacher
at her school is responsible for developing their own curriculum for their
classes. She said that each teacher at her school is responsible for developing
their own curriculum for their classes based on the National Educational
Technology Standards, which was the foundation for the new Hawaii Educational
Technology Content Standards. Stevenson Middle School is scheduled to be
networked this school year and each teacher has at least one computer that will
be accessible to the Internet.
When I asked her how she felt technology
benefits her students, she replied that in the classroom, technology is used as
an educational tool to enhance learning, increase productivity, and promote
creativity. Examples of projects that they have done in the past include,
letter writing, personalized cookbooks, newsletter, and designing T-shirts.
Students also use technology to communicate and interact with their peers. Last
year, students communicated with a private school on the Windward side via
email and chat rooms. Students also use technology to locate, evaluate and
collect information to publish web pages.
In conclusion, there are many ways that
technology can benefit our students. All it takes is a teacher's desire to
learn how technology can be used to enhance their teaching and be open to new
ideas. As a first year technology coordinator, I am discovering the wealth of
information out there on the Internet- something that as a regular classroom
teacher, I've never had the time to sit down and search the web for ideas. I
think more classroom teachers need to know the kinds of technology that are
available to them. Last year, our school finally put together a school web
page. This was the first time that many teachers learned how a web page was put
together and discovered the many opportunities that can arise from having a
school web page. Therefore I believe that technology has a positive impact on
everyone- students as well as teachers- and creates an exciting and challenging
atmosphere in any school environment.
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