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Essays on no child left behind arguments for and against
Importance of technology in teaching and learning
Technology importance in education
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Technology Infusion
The current trends in improving educational achievement address specific concerns that focus on increasing student’s achievement. Teachers, administrators, parents and community stakeholders want the educational environment conducive for learning. The use of technology will assist students in the workplace and increase their high order thinking skills needed to effectively function in our global society. Harvey –Woodall (2009) suggests that educators of the 21st century must become knowledgeable of different facets of technology available for the classroom to enhance instruction. It is important to note that the use of technology in the classroom can foster learning and improve student’s critical and reflective thinking skills. Teachers and administrators should select materials and technology that are developmentally appropriate and designed to engage the interest in learning. An effective leader has a vision of learning and allows students to set individual goals and plans to reach these goals; the use of technology can increase students’ success.
Since the educational reform of No Child Left Behind, educators have struggled to meet the learning standards set by their state and federal government. High academic
standards in all core curriculum areas and accountability through assessment are an important aspect in the educational arena. A possible solution in meeting the learning standards is students’ active engagement in the classroom. This engagement encourages learners to appreciate their learning abilities. Educators can fully support student’s learning by using technology and provide a full integration of technology in the classroom.
Technology, as a tool to support stud...
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The United States of America has placed low on the educational ladder throughout the years. The cause of such a low ranking is due to such heavy emphasis on standardized testing and not individual student achievement. Although the United States uses standardized testing as a crutch, it is not an effective measure of a student’s ability, a teacher’s competency, or a school’s proficiency.
Though standardized testing has played a part in America's education system it took several tries before it played such a large role in education like it does today. The No child left Behind Act of 2002 was the foot hold standardized testing needed in order to be implemented into schools at a national level with such force. During the 1990’s the U.S felt as though it was falling behind on the Programme for International Assessment. “After No Child Left Behind (NCLB) passed in 2002, the US slipped from 18th in the world in math on the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) to 31st place in 2009, with a similar drop in science and no change in reading”(walker 1).
For as long as any American can remember, education has been a top priority of the majority of the population. The more schooling a child receives, the brighter their future becomes. Everyone wants their child to be successful in and out of the classroom, and the government has been working to make sure of this in schools nationwide. Over the years, a series of programs have been implemented to better the education of elementary and secondary students, including the No Child Left Behind Act, establishing guidelines and requirements that public schools are expected to follow and accomplish in order to provide a quality education to all of their students. But are these plans, policies, and promises working? Are the goals and objections being reached by each school as expected? Although some may argue that the No Child Left Behind Act has some positive aspects, overall, it is not working because some teachers have studied the outline of standardized tests, reworking their curriculums to teach students what they need to know in order to reach the required standards and students’ learning abilities, socioeconomic status’, and native languages are generalized into a single curriculum.
In 2002, President George W. Bush passed the “No Child Left Behind Act” which tied in schools’ public funding to standardized tests and enforced the tests in elementary and high schools every year by state education departments. This law also began to put more emphasize on standardized tests which has diminished our level of education and the law “made standardized test scores the primary measure of school quality” (Diane Ravitch 28). Bush hoped this law motivated more students to do well on these exams and teachers to help them prepare better, but it ended up hurting many schools in the process. These exams like the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) should not play such a prominent role in schooling and the government should not make tests the main focal point.
For decades, education in America has been focusing on the basics of education which include the bare minimum competencies of reading, literacy, writing, mathematics, and science for students in elementary and secondary schools. In 2001, the No Child Left Behind Act reaffirmed the need for basics and pushed for all students to be evaluated based on a set of minimum standards. These standards instituted the need to be tested in a manner so that students from all ethnic and economic backgrounds have the same opportunities. Furthermore, these standards have not included the need to adapt to the continuous change in order to meet the needs of today’s economy and industry. When the focus should be adapting to higher standards of education, public education system still remains the same. Meanwhile, private schools and vocational training gives students a better chance at obtaining a job in today’s world.
In the 1980’s a report called “A Nation At Risk” stated that American children had fallen behind in such subjects as math and science. Thus came the advent of education’s increased focus on literacy and numeracy, accountability and academic standards. These high standards, according to Dumas (2000), are the most significant trend in schools today.
The No Child Left Behind Act was set into place with the goal to improve student performance in school, and close the achievement gap between students; as Stecher, Vernez, and Steinburg state, “When congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB), it established an ambitious goal for the nation’s states, districts, and schools: All children will be proficient in reading and mathematics by the 2013-2014 school year” (1). While the No Child Left Behind Act was implemented with good intentions, the act itself is one of the main reasons the United States is falling behind in educational rankings. One of the most common complaints of parents surrounding the No Child Left Behind Act is the weakest link factor: the weakest student sets the pace in the classroom. The weakest student...
Do you ever think about how much technology has changed the way we work, learn, play, and even think? Technology is a major beneficiary to society; especially in the classroom where we get the opportunity to learn and grow. In recent years, schools have begun implementing tablets and other devices in the classroom to better student’s education. The use of technology in the classroom provides more of a personalized learning experience and gives students a widespread availability to engage in learning. Technology is necessary in today’s modern globe, it is basically “the pen and paper of our time and the lens through which we experience much of our world” (Warlick, 2013). Technology is not just considered the “internet”, it is so much greater than that. Overall, it enhances the quality of education and engages students deeper than ever before. With all the significant gains, why would people argue that technology hinders students more than it helps? Critics may try to repute the use of technology in the classroom but I believe what really matters “is the way we use it, the context that we use it in, and the learners who we use it for” (Chong, 2012).
Teachers always want to teach students in the most effective ways possible. Over time, schools have adopted technologies, believing that they help the students and the teachers. Slowly but surely, changes in classrooms have been seen, with the blackboard turning to a whiteboard and the overhead projector turning into a computer projector. This goes for public and private schools, along with colleges and universities. Sometimes, the technology is provided for students and teachers, and other times they are ...
It’s still in relative infancy and progress will continue to move forward making better systems. Teachers will still retain control over learning. The school of 10 years ago looks very different from schools today. Also, students are being inundated with technology at a very young age. The transition has already begun. Education of the future will be delivered with current information delivered through traditional teaching methods and fantastic technological tools. With technology by the teachers’ side, the learning environment is an overjoyed place. Using technology in the classroom helps improve student engagement. It keeps students interested in what’s happening, and as a result students learn more. Today’s students have grown up with technology. Students expect to use technology when they get to school, so schools who embrace that expectation have a better chance of connecting with their students. Students are excited about being able to use technology and therefore are more apt to learn. When mobile technology is readily available in the classroom, students are able to access the most up-to-date information quicker and easier than ever before. The traditional passive learning mold is broken. With technology in the classroom the teacher becomes the encourager, adviser, and
Image a school with laptops available to each student to complete their class notes, teachers who are able to help their students through the screens of their computer, children who are excited to learn about numbers with the help of cute, animated characters. With the endless advancement of today’s technology, schools across the world have begun integrating various technology into their curriculum. These devices have the potential to greatly impact students in their learning. When a school opts to use technology in a school setting, the most important factors they should take into consideration are the benefits of using technological devices, the effectiveness of technology used
In less than a decade, computer use progressed from programming classes for a few of the better students, to literacy classes for all students, to the integration of computers and technology into the curriculum. Now, there is a goal for educators to use technology as a tool in efforts to teach more effectively by using a variety of strategies to meet different needs in a diverse classroom. This will take training and commitment to keep up in an area that changes quickly, but the benefits to teachers and students are greater that the effort it will take to stay informed; computers increase productivity of students and make learning a fun experience. They help students become better problem-solvers instead of just rote learners.
Technology properly used in the classroom has many advantages to a student’s learning. Technology can help students become more involved in their own learning process, which is not seen in the traditional classroom. It allows them to master basic skills at their own rate rather than being left behind. Teachers and students alike can connect to real life situations by using technology in the classroom; this can also help to prepare students for real world situations. Technology can be used to motivate students as well as to offer more challenging opportunities. It can also be used as a visualization tool to keep students interested in the subject that is being taught. When technology is used effectively, students have the opportunity to develop skills that they may not get without the use of technology (Cleaver, 2011). Assessing and monitoring students is easier on the teacher because of the ability to use technology in the classroom. When technology is used correctly it offers limitless resources to a classroom atmosphere.
Active involvement in class discussions and incorporating technology are techniques that could be used when trying to engage student’s interests. Interactive based learning provides an opportunity to become actively involved in the discussion instead of just listening to an instructor throw huge amounts of information their way. Using technology is a way for students to become active in their learning. Tools such as interactive white boards enable children to engage in classroom games, view websites, and review problems step by step. As technology is advancing students rely on teachers integrating technology into their lessons more frequently. In traditional lectures the teacher gives a large quantity of material, but if the student is not paying attention, does learning occur? By incorporating learner response devices where students can electronic...
Technology has many different effects on education, one of them being enhancing the students learning. Technology may enhance the students learning and may assist most students in achieving their academic standards. When technology and appropriate teaching methods are combined, technology may increase the academic achievement. Positive effects have been found in all major subject areas, from preschool to higher education, both regular and special needs students. Educational technology has been found to have a positive effect on a student’s attitude toward learning and on self-concepts. The introduction of technology into the learning environment has allowed the learning to be more student-centered, to encourage group learning, and helps to stimulate an increase in the student-teacher interaction. Technology has shown a shift from a focus on a student’s memorization to their problem solving. Through technology’s use, learning opportunities have become unrestricted by time or place, allowing lifelong learning. Student use of technology through communications can also help to enhance access to a career and continued education. Students are more likely to use a computer to get help because they can to it themselves. Technology is helping students to become independent.