The term technology refers to the application of scientific knowledge for practical use and help. It means that there is some improvement from one technical state to another level of technological development and infrastructural improvement. All the changes, modification, initiations and inventions in the technological spheres all lead to the inevitable end of emerging technological growth. For instance, the improvements in the sector of information technology, most specifically, the computers, have led to changes in the way schooling life in general occurs. Computer applications and programmes such as the internet has presented and introduced a totally new dimension to the way the school and the district at large views learning.
As much as the school and district by extension still use the traditional learning of classroom, there has been adjustments and adoption of the new parameters and ideas that technology brings. Thus, I have selected this topic of emerging technologies since it is the direction that the world is taking. My school and the district at large is gradually embracing the changes and benefits of emerging technologies. On the same breadth, there are scholarly articles, public data and academic journals which support the full embrace of the modifications and inventions of information technology as emerging technologies.
It is highly likely that a student would understand more because the images would stick in his or her mind for a longer period. Technology is the new media of self-expression in the sense that other than in the traditional times when a student would write in a notebook alone, presently, students can run school websites, radio stations, digital photographs, power point presentations amongst others. This means that what is in the mind of a student can be easily shared with others, and possible solutions and /or improvements made if need be.
The second article, “Why integrate Technology into the curriculum,” by Edutopia Staff equally explores the need and relevance of emerging technologies to the educational environment. In principle, the article stresses the fact that the global economies and trends are moving towards the digital sphere and world. Implying that any person, who wishes to have a fair competitive edge in the modern world, ought to be conversant and fully aware about the developments of technology. The article further records that it is imperative to note that technology should be introduced at an early life and stage of a person so that when the same person grows up, he will be technologically able.
The last modern article “Technology as a subject in education” also highlights the benefits and relevance of technology in the field of education. This article principally explains the position of technology in the world of today. It shows the lower financial cost of technology as compared the cost of purchasing books, and hard reading materials. It confirms that the cost of purchasing reading materials is higher than the cost of doing it on the internet way. While pursuing technological means, all a student would need would be internet connectivity and the computers. On the other hand, a student would incur the cost of buying books and other stationery. In brief, the schools and district by extension would cover reduced cost of buying the reading materials and stationery. All these articles confirm that the topic of technology is relevant and very beneficial to the school life and the district at large. Through this investigation, I would wish to establish a place of technology not only as a complementary sphere of education, but rather as an avenue that could improve the education sector of the school and district at large.
Methods of data collection
Given the nature and spectre of this investigation, it would be prudent to use specific ways of data collection, namely participant observation whereby I would walk around the school and document the behaviours, surveys and/or interview people such as the teachers and the students and analysing test scores or report public data. This is a qualitative kind of research, because it seeks to establish the level of welfare and wellbeing of the students. The investigation also seeks to establish the case ways in which the students can have their welfare and wellbeing improve due to adoption and embracing of technology. Additionally, technology is an avenue that would prepare the students better for the future given the fact that the world today is moving towards technology.
Observational protocol
Firstly, the used of observation protocol or criteria where I was a participant observer. This is to say that, I settled in class with the participants or the interviewees and gauged their level of understanding of the subject matter when they were being taught using technological improvements or otherwise. It is conventionally easy to gauge or assess whether the student is appreciating or understanding the concepts being taught, from their body language during the two different sets of teaching methods. This was approximately one hour and twenty minutes. I then looked for non-verbal messages such as yawning, sluggishness, reduced participation of the students-little involvement and engagement between the teacher and the student. I believe that the two lesson period of forty minutes were sufficient to establish the course of the participant observer during the case study.
Open-ended questions
Secondly, I would administer interviews to the teachers and the students because they are the concerned parties in this investigation. Students would help in me to understand which method of teaching they prefer and why. The teachers would give their expert opinion on the concentration span and the mastery of content of the students when the teachers use any of the two different learning approaches. The open-ended questions are:
1. Which is the best method of teaching approach?
2. What do you like about technology being incorporated in education?
3. What are the disadvantages of integrating technology in school learning curriculum?
4. Which method of teaching interests you, and why?
5. What do you suggest could be done to improve on the teaching methods? I would settle on individual teachers and individual students so as to get the correct feel of the matter. The interview would take place at the school compound for it would be convenient in terms of budget for the research process.
Test sources and public data
The secondary sources that would be helpful in this investigation would be scholarly articles mentioned above, the internet, government educational sources about the subject and expert articles detailing the importance of the subject matter discussed above. Public data includes records from the ministry of education on the topic and subject matter of critiquing role of technology in education. Relevant academic articles and journals such as The Ten Fundamental Reasons for technology in education” by John Page, Why integrate Technology into the curriculum,” by Edutopia Staff equally and “Technology as a subject in education” by Adams Nichole.
