Fee TESOL Teacher

New Technology in the ClassroomAs I was throwing around ideas for this independent research article, I had some trouble coming up with a topic. So What I decided to do was talk about a topic that interests me and how it can be applied to the classroom. What I decided upon was the use of new Technology in the classroom. We live in an age of computers, and to discount the use of technology in the classroom is selfish and flat-out lazy. Within this research article, I plan to talk about some of the myths that surround using technology in the classroom and the advantages of technology in the classroom. When I was growing up and going to school, technology in the classroom was not really spoken about. I remember being in 3rd grade and the only bit of technology we had, was a big tube TV and a VCR. That VCR was top-of-the-line then, but it was only used for VHS tapes. I remember thinking to myself when we were watching some documentary on Egypt “I wish I could learn more about this awesome place without visiting. There must be a way!” So years passed and some things came along that made it possible to learn more about a place without going there. So with all this wishing and hoping I had, my dream came true. But there is a darker side to this endless amount of knowledge and it’s that many people are so set in their ways that they refuse to incorporate new technology into their lessons for various reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that many teachers refuse to be trained in its implementation and proper use. According to an article from www.ehow.com, “Technology does not have a place in classrooms where teachers have not been adequately trained in its implementation. While technology is fun and can add interest for students, it is not fully integrated until students are learning from technology and not just with technology” (http://www.ehow.com/about_5435887_disadvantages-technology-classroom.html). This website draws from a lot of other scholarly sites which is why I chose it. Basically, if you don’t know how to use it, then it can only hurt. I feel this is an outdated thought process because nowadays, teachers are required by law to attend certain workshops on technology that will be used in their classrooms. A prime example of this in my mom because she just in this last year got a smart board added into her room. Her school required a 2 day training workshop on its ins and outs. Another reason many think technology shouldn’t be used in the classroom is because of it’s upkeep and maintenance expenses. According to the article “The Disadvantages of Technology in Classroom”, “Once technology is purchased for a school, the cost of upkeep and maintenance can be too great for the building to maintain. Outdated software and hardware components can be incompatible with available programs http://www.ehow.com/about_5435887_disadvantages-technology-classroom.html.” This to me just seems defeatist. There are a lot of schools out there, my high school for example, that always have the proper software and compatibility modes. These days, software is a lot more affordable for schools to purchase and have much better support. I know that you can buy Microsoft Office in bulk and get discounts. Although there are more disadvantages about using new technology in the classroom, practical thinkers can see that they are easily refuted. Once upon a time, a 3rd grader dreamed of learning about Egypt from home. Several years later, his dream came true with the implementation of the internet. According to an article on www.edutopia.org on technology advantages in the classroom “It enhances the curriculum, increases flexibility in presentations, improves lectures, and provides visualization in a variety of formats http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction.” I could not have said it any better myself. When I was in Japan, I had my computer with me in every class and based my lessons around it. In some of the lessons that I did through this course, we learned about incorporating technology in the classroom. 700 words isn’t a lot and I would love to give you more advantages to using new technology in the classroom. Basically, if teachers are educated properly in its use and know how to implement it, the possibilities are endless. I’m going to make it a point in my future classes to use technology correctly and hopefully fulfill some of my students’ dreams in a way that my dreams were fulfilled about Egypt. References: http://www.ehow.com/about_5435887_disadvantages-technology-classroom.html http://www.edutopia.org/technology-integration-introduction http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/apr2007/tc20070410_846623.htm?chan=top+news_top+news+index_technology