Teachers and Technology in the Classroom

Technology, as defined by Wikipedia “Technology is the sum of techniques, skills, methods, and processes used in the production of goods or services or the accomplishment of objectives, such as scientific investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques, processes, and the like, or it can be embedded in machines to allow for operation without detailed knowledge of their workings”. In today’s world technology is closely associated with the use of computers, Softwares, and the like.

It would be almost impossible for most of us today to live without the help of technology. From simple technology to more advanced ones, it has taken the world to another level of consciousness and ability to speed up the process of daily work. It has made our life easier and more fast-paced. One simple great example is our use of the rice cooker, it seems so simple but this technology has made our morning workload easier, lighter, and faster.

The teachers should not be a stranger when it comes to the usage of technology. They should not be exempted from the exploration of the wonders of technology and its advantages. They must be one of those in the frontline in the utilization of technology. Since they are in the field of Education, it is their primary concern to teach students the usage of technology in response to our ever-changing and fast-paced modern society. Students and teachers need to keep abreast of the developments of technology because of the reality that these techniques are what they are going to apply once they are out in the real world.

Using technology inside the classroom has its compelling advantages over traditional classroom set up. Site webanywhere.co.uk suggests the top 6 benefits of using technology as follows: first, technology improves engagement. With the integration of technology into lessons, it creates more opportunities for the students to be more engaging since they will be encouraged to participate more during school activities. They will participate more because the lessons will be more fun and enjoyable. A good example is taking students to virtual field trips and using other online resources to spark the interest of the students. Second, it improves knowledge retention, since it is more engaging, it demands more participation so the lessons are experienced more by each student. Third, it encourages individual learning or independent learning. For example, students can learn at their speed. Most of the lessons are recorded so if they find many difficulties, they may pause for a while or skip the lesson and just return to it once they finished the consultation with their teacher.

Fourth, it encourages collaboration since communication, and the exchange of data is easily done through forums on the internet. Fifth, the student can learn useful life skills through technology. We all knew that jobs today would require us a working knowledge of how to use the internet and other technologies. Even our social life would require us to use the present technology. Whether students become businessmen or employees, technology would play a big part in their success in life. So it is very practical for them to learn it first-hand from school. Lastly, it benefits the teachers. Gone are the days when teachers need to stay up all night to computer grades. Teachers can now use software systems to compute grades and keep track of the student’s progress in their lessons and assignments. It saves them time and energy so that they can have a well-balanced life between work and family.

The future of education seems brighter as we enter a new era wherein online technology needs to be a constant partner with education. The constant demand for communication as the key to better learning becomes the new norm in a modernized classroom. We can achieve faster communication and data exchange through modern technology and this would greatly benefit the educational institutions. Economist.com described data as more valuable than oil today hence everyone must be updated to stay relevant in a modernized world. – Karie | Helpline PH