History of Resistance
Technology is not a modern, 21st century word. Technology has been in our society, and our classrooms for that matter, for quite some time. According to Seattler (1990) integration of televisions into the classroom started in the 1950’s and has evolved to bigger and better things since then.
When first introduced, televisions were given put in classrooms with the expectation that when turned on, teaching practices would be transformed and problems in instruction and student performance would be solved. This movement was met by resistance, as described by Cuban (1986); teachers were not willing to integrate this technology into their teaching practices. Not only were teachers untrained on how to use this new technology, they were also afraid of being obsolete and eventually replaced. Obviously teachers were not replaced by televisions, but there was a real scare for some, especially when school districts were investing in the creation of educational shows and resources. According to Reiser (2002), this trend of investing and incorporating audio and visual tools continued for some time, eventually becoming common place in most classrooms. Simon (1969) put it best when describing the use of technology, saying that it should not be to replace the teacher, rather introduce a new way of interfacing the outside world with that of the classroom environment.
Fast forward a few decades, computers and the internet enter the classroom. Unfortunately, even a decade or so after this integration, technology is still not being used to it full potential. Schank & Cleary (1995) predicted this would happen, making the point that the integration of technology without training educators in how to use it effective...
... middle of paper ...
...students’ behavioral intention to use e-learning. Educational Technology &
Society, 12(3).
Reiser, R.A. (2002). A history of instructional design and technology. Upper Saddle River, NJ:
Merrill Prentice Hall.
Saettler, Paul. (1990). "The Evolution of American Educational Technology." Denver, CO:
Libraries Unlimited.
Schank, R. C., & Cleary, C. (1995). Engines for education. Hillsdale, New Jersey:
Lawerence Erlbaum Associates.
Scheffler, F., & Logan, J. (1999). Computer technology in schools: What teachers should
know and be able to do. Journal of Research on Computing in Education.
.
Simon, H. (1969). The science of the artificial. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Wilfong, J. D. (2006). Computer anxiety and anger: The impact of computer use, computer
experience, and self-efficacy beliefs. Computers in Human Behavior Volume: 22, Issue:
6.
Technology is everywhere; in the home, office, restaurant and the classroom. As teachers, we need to begin to embrace this technology and apply it to our students’ lives. But this begins with the teacher’s attitude and according to Johnson,
Andrew Zucker examines computer use in the United States in both elementary and secondary education. It addresses issues such as teacher training, technology availability at home and in schools, and current technology projects that were ongoing at this time. The article ends by discussing computer usage in schools in a larger context, which provides a different perspective on educational technology.
Within the past few decades, technology has immensely increased in use and availability. As a result, millions of people worldwide have taken advantages of benefits technology has supplied. In addition to these contemporary people, schools are realizing the possibility technology provides in the classroom and are implementing the use of them in their curriculum. New technologies in the classroom, however, provoke some concerns amongst those planning to utilize their potential benefits; schools must consider the prospectively detrimental implications and effects technology holds to the user whether it be that they forge a skewed and impractical view of reality or that they promote an inability to think independently.
In the last decade, increasingly powerful technologies have begun to make their way into classrooms across the nation. Many classrooms are now equipped with personal computers that run educational software to help teach students facts and concepts in a more engaging way than a traditional lecture. Advances in telecommunications technologies have led to almost universal access to the Internet, allowing students and teachers to communicate with people from around the world and gain access to a wealth of educational materials. New ways of obtaining and presenting information have given students powerful new methods for understanding the world around them. However, while use of technology in the classroom has been shown to be highly beneficial for students, it is important to note that without a well-planned technology support system, this expensive educational technology often goes under- or mis-utilized..
Technology plays a very important role in today’s society. Everyone has a smart phone and we crave the latest and greatest televisions, computers, cell phones and tablets. Some of these include iPhones, iPads, MacBooks, Samsung Smart TVs, Samsung Smart watches and the new Google Glass. More and more schools are using technology in their teaching methods including our own one-to-one program at Oxon Hill High School where each student received a Samsung Google Chromebook. Technology should be used in school’s curriculum and instruction because of improved communication, innovations to come and convenience to both the students and the teachers.
“Technology has provided the opportunity to create an entirely new learning environment; it has significantly increased the range and sophistication of possible classroom activities” (Hawkins 1997). The vast majority of youths today, grow up with computers and encounter some form of digital learning (Kolikant, 2009). The idea that has had the most impact is that the technology today will be outpaced by the next generation. Most of the technology seen today will never be used by an infant when he reaches school age.
devices in almost every classroom. Technology enhances learning, boosts confidence, and eliminates geographical limitations. Technology enriches learning by being able to come in different forms and do different things. "For lessons traditionally done with a paper and pencil, we now were able to do them in color, with animation, and with more depth and complexity"(McCollum). Teachers are now able to help stu...
In a skillful evaluation of the fundamental changes occurring in Western culture given the rising trend in new technologies, Neil Postman cautions against embracing technology’s efficiencies while declining to question how it modifies society and people’s way of thinking. In the first chapter of Technopoly, Postman posits that television is an obvious example of technology that benefits a number of people, especially those with fulfilling careers in television, and at the same time threatens the careers of schoolteachers. His emphasis is that such technologies do not necessarily work to the benefit or detriment of anyone; rather, they alter society’s inherent make-up, including beliefs, values and culture. Nevertheless, the benefits of television in the learning process have been documented in research, and with the inclusion of teachers and other forms of learning in this process, it can be argued that technology can achieve a dual purpose, depending on people’s adaptability and use of the new system.
In his book “The Flickering Mind,” Todd Oppenheimer suggests that technology should not be included in schools. In a review of Oppenhiemer’s book, Blaisdell (2003) summarizes Oppenhiemer’s conclusion: “Putting computers in classrooms has been almost entirely wasteful, and the rush to keep schools up-to-date with the latest technology has been largely pointless” (Blaisdell, 2003). Oppenheimer’s book, according to a blurb following the review title, says that, “ . . . Technology - from TV to the laptop - delivers less than hoped for by schools.” (Blaisdell, 2003).
... there. No other thing in history has had such a great influence on children, teens and adults. The generation now, compared to the one 50 years ago, has changed just from the technology presented to us. It is hard to imagine what the future will hold with such technological advances on equal to that of the TV.
Technology is becoming more and more dominant in our society.Everyday upgrades are being made and new innovations are being discovered. Technology is all around us whether we want it to be or not: it is the vehicles we drive, it can be found in our homes, and can even be found in the grocery store.Every place we look there is some type of technology.I believe technology has had a major impact on our school systems and is still impacting it today.There are those who do not agree, though, that technology has impacted our schools.Eric Gormly writes, “In fact, many theorists point out the overall impact of technology on education has been quite small, manifesting little discernible change in the classroom.” [1]Yes, there are some schools that are not as advanced as others, but many of them do have a significant amount of technology in them.I find it fascinating that so much technology has been incorporated into our classrooms, but I believe that, even with all of the positive aspects that are associated with technology, there are some negative and even dangerous aspects that should be taken into account.I will be sharing some of the equipment that has been used in the schools, how both the students and the teachers use the equipment, and also the positive and negative effects that technology has had on our schools.
Andy Carvin states “ internet access in schools isn’t worth a hill of beans if teachers aren’t prepared to take full advantage of technology” (2000). Schools spend a lot of money on computer hardware and software as well as other technologies without realizing that many of their employees are unprepared to include them in their teaching and use them to their advantages. Educators often use technology as a classroom management tool rather than an educational one, allowing computer time as a reward for good behavior (Clark & Gorski, 2001). The problem with this is that students learn to use the computer for games and such because it is their reward instead of using it on their own time for educational purposes. This is teaching them the wrong idea. Margaret Honey, director of the Center for Children and Technology in NYC said it best, “The bottom line is, you don’t just put technology into schools or into homes and expect miracles to happen. The technology is only as good as the program that surrounds it” (Meyer, 2002, p.2).
Modern technology has made it so much easier to obtain educational information for classroom or homework assignments. It offers educational games that stimulate the brain and help children who have difficulties focusing on traditional teaching and learning procedures. College students are even taking advantage of online courses that many colleges are offering as an alternative to physically attending classes. Advances in technology and computers will continue to play an important role in education for many generations to come.
The concept of ICT is vaster than this. Although it is believed that radio and television play a less important role in education nowadays, some teachers and educators still consider them as an effective means of teaching. However, ICT is a totally new phenomenon; at the very beginning.
Whether technological integration has positive or negative impacts on teaching and learning has been paid increasing attention and a numerous research has done to explore the issue. Regarding the issue, the question of if training teachers in the use of technology in classrooms contributes to students’ outcomes is still an endless argument. This essay will explain two reasons why such training brings about positive academic achievements for learners and a number of training guidelines that can be followed.