My Philosophy for Technology in the Classroom

Technology is in everything we do, society now seems to almost demand that you be somehow connected or at least aware of the newest technological breakthroughs. Department stores offer discounts if you allow them to contact you via your email, cell phones have developed into mini computers, GPS units not only tell you how to get from point A to point B but they can also tell you what restaurants and hotels can be found along the way. While it is possible to try and avoid it, it has become so ingrained to everything we do that it is nearly impossible to ignore it.

So then we have the question, how much technology should be in our children’s classrooms? How much is too much? Does it help or hinder in their ability to learn?

While I am not sure there is a set answer to these questions, I do believe that one’s own philosophy should be an informed one and not simply based on rumor and hype.  I’ve read three different articles by three different authors; each has their own outlook and rationale for their views. Through these varied articles I found enough research, well thought out opinions, and intelligent speculation to comfortably put together my own philosophy.

I believe that there is a fine line between relying too heavily on technology and not using it enough. Technology by itself will never be a magic bullet that can cure our society’s educational issues; there are too many factors that need to be weighed on a class by class and possibly even on a student by student basis. Issues such as:

a.       Exposure; Does the majority of the class already have a good working knowledge of technology?

b.      Material; Does the approved curriculum allow for the use of technology to aid in teaching? Is there enough time to add in instruction for the use of the technology in question?

c.       Availability; Does the classroom, the students, the school, have the computers, or other technology available on a regular basis?

d.      Interest; Do the children show an increased or decreased interest when the technology is introduced?

The article, Achievement for All Children An Apple Perspective, had a great deal of very interesting research and data gathered about the ‘Millennials’, this is the name given to the generation that are currently students. It spoke to the high level of technology use in this generation and showed a great deal of insight into how technology could be needed just to capture this generation’s attention.  In this article it pointed out that in one district, a great deal of their high school students were not reaching graduation and a very small percentage of those that did graduate went on to higher education. When technology was introduced, all the students reached graduation and of those students a rather high percentage went on to higher education.

It would be very easy to take this one example and put it on a pedestal and claim that every district could have the same results by introducing a higher level of technology in their classrooms. By jumping to that conclusion though we would be overlooking a very key part of this equation; what about the teachers? It wasn’t the technology that allowed these children to reach graduation, it was the teachers that implemented the technology in such a way to gain the students attention and keep it. It was the teachers that inspired these students to look to the future and to take on the challenge of higher education in order to broaden their horizons.

Technology only works in the classroom when it captures the students’ attention and helps them to understand the subject being learned, the level of ‘shock and awe’ has to fade and become interest otherwise all we are doing is distracting our students’ from learning. As long as we have well educated teachers in classrooms that are not over loaded, who are empowered with the ability to use technology in the way they see fit, then I believe that technology is both desirable and needed in the classroom.