Technology & Education

Should technology be used in education? Yes, who would not say yes. Having the latest technology in your class is like having the latest fashion trends. According to the text, with most recent meta-analysis suggested that students who used technology in the classroom has the modest positive gains in learning versus students who did not learn using technology. The usage of technology reaches out to student in English, math, science, social studies and even students with special needs. How cool is that to have lessons that teaches all of the mentioned subjects and have students fully understand the material.

With the usage of technology in the classroom students practice basic skills better and faster, engage students, higher level of comprehensions, they are motivated, and also reach higher levels of esteem. I would like to speak upon the issue of engaging students, how many times have we heard our children come home and say that teacher was boring. So if the lessons are based with technology they would be fully engage because they incorporating with the lesson of the day. So say goodbye to the old form of teacher and say HELLO TO THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY.

Social Networking, Yay or Nay.

As we all are familiar with social networking. It may have it's pros and cons. I am a fan of social networks, I am on numerous different ones. So many I cannot keep count. But do we want to incorporate these social network into our classrooms? I say yes, many students may love to be on facebook or myspace and getting their homework done while communicating with other classmates. A question that arise is, how safe are the social networking for students? Social networking is safe for students the reason being is as a teacher you can be able to have limitations on what exactly a student may see or do. Like the social network we use in our Computers in Education class. We are limited to as to what we can do on the site. For example, we cannot go and change any of the assignments, rubric, announcements etc. All we can do is provide comments and everyone can read it and make comments if needed. Just like in the text it stated, "social networking is growing very rapidly in popularity." We demand them and we get them for free of cost.

How can teachers use social networking in the classroom?
Teachers can use social networking in the classroom for a lot of different reasons. Some may include studying geography with Google earth, use of video streaming bring the field trips into the classrooms, or even the newest one twitter. On twitter the teacher can provides links for lesson plans or any important information with 140 characters or less. All of these and more can be ways for teachers to use social networking in classrooms. The teacher will have to be aware of sexual assault, invasion of privacy and cyber-bullying from occurring. To make students aware on how to use social networks for what they are intended to do. Parents, teachers, and schools should host student awareness discussions mentioned in the text to fully educate students on social networking.

Technology in Our Classrooms

From when I was a little boy growing up computers was always my specialty. To look back at that specific time in my life when computers expand my mind just from books was like walking into a candy store; but this candy store had different gateways. As that was my first computer name. Learning all the cool tricks a computer can do made me love technology even more.

Enhancing our children's methods of learning today with the use of technology will be very beneficial to their futures. Today's generation is technologically driven, so what better way is there to incorporate teaching with technology. Now, a lot of children are aware on how to functionally use a computer. It wouldn't a challenge for them to grasp the concept of a lesson through the use of technology.