The impact that technology has on every aspect of our life is undeniable. We live in an era in which people rely on technology in almost every facet of their daily life, person, and professional, and in so doing, find little time to unplug. Knowing that students will be introduced to such a professional atmosphere as adults, it becomes especially key that teachers integrate technology into their lesson plans, regardless of the basic curriculum they teach, or the content they are in charge of, so that students have a thorough understanding of how technology is applicable in a variety of fields, or content areas. As such, the introduction of technology should alter the way in which teachers teach. While he basic instructional techniques that are used, and the curriculum goals do not change, the way in which they have students investigate and demonstrate learning must be altered to more effectively integrate technology, and advocate for student mastery of basic skills, as they relate to using technology in content areas. At least one study demonstrates at least three-quarters of all high schoolers report using a computer or personal electronic device on a regular basis in the classroom setting. It is essential, however, that teachers teach students how to use technology well, including verifying the reliability of sources, appropriate citation and other similar skills, so that they can avoid the potential pitfalls of increased technological use (Herold, 2015). Given that 43% of students feel unprepared to use technology in secondary school and professional settings, however, it is clear that this kind of alteration in teaching practices is not happening enough of the time (Moeller & Reitzes, 2011).
The use of technology can be key to a student centered learning approach, because it actively engages students, and because it can be customized to meet their needs and interests (Moeller & Reitzes, 2011). For example, when teaching vocabulary, I can set up different styles of activities to reinforce the learning for students who learn in different ways. I can have a listening based matching game for auditory learners, an active game for kinesthetic learners, that involves moving and matching puzzle pieces, and text-based games for visual learners, all reinforcing the same vocabulary terms and learning goals, at different computer centers, with very little additional effort put into diversifying the activity.
This can, in turn, greatly enhance the relationship between the teacher and the student, because students are both more actively engaged, and feel that they are being individually catered to. Students who feel like the teacher is interested in, and actively addressing their individual interests or needs are increasingly motivated to do well, and to learn more. Using technology can also provide the teacher with a greater level of ongoing feedback, so that they know exactly what aspects of a skill a student is mastering, or failing to master (Moeller & Reitzes, 2011). This in turn, allows them to be more responsive to a student’s learning needs, both allowing the student to increase mastery, and the teacher to provide the student with a more detailed leaning experience.
In order to effectively integrate technology into my classroom, it has to come at the center of the learning approach. That is to say, to effectively integrate it into the lessons, it must be used to both help student explore, and to demonstrate mastery of the planned objectives. According to Herold, the ISTE standards say, teachers should be expected to "engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources," while also developing “technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress" (Herold, 2015). This means technology should be incorporated at every level of the learning process in my classroom, and regularly used to deliver and assess key learning objectives in a variety of areas of my content instruction.
References
Herold, B. (2015). Why Ed Tech Is Not Transforming How Teachers Teach. Education Week. Retrieved from http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2015/06/11/why-ed-tech-is-not-transforming-how.html
Moeller, B. & Reitzes, T. (2011). Integrating Technology with Student-Centered Learning. Education Development Center, Inc. (EDC). Quincy, MA: Nellie Mae Education Foundation.
