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Brittany Overcash Instructor: Malcolm Campbell English 1102 4/2/2013 Where Do We Draw the Line with Technology in Classrooms?

As a child, there was nothing better than walking into my classroom and seeing a big television on a rolling stand. No matter what age or grade I was in it was a joy to see sitting at the front of the classroom. That television meant that sometime during class we were going to watch a movie or at least part of one. As time went on, the televisions were in the corner of the ceiling, and then eventually no one used them and used a Smart Board. Technology has not always been incorporated into learning in a school setting, but now, more than ever, technology in classrooms is a big controversy because some educators are pushing for technology to be incorporated. Many people believe that schools should give the skills students will need outside of the school setting, and being that our society has become more technologically based, those are the skills they need. Others believe that technology is making students lazy and not giving them solid knowledge, instead it is a way to find the knowledge. As of right now, I am not sure of my opinion on this debate. I hope to form one by the end of this essay through many scholars opinions and research. Great introduction! You clearly indicate that this is an exploratory essay and introduce your topic. Technology Should Be Incorporated It is really not an opinion that technology has changed modern society in many different ways. It is a pretty well-known fact. All you have to do is look around. Technology is in our

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homes, in our cars, our communities, but for some reason technology is lagging in the classrooms. However, New Tech Network high schools have a view where they want to completely immerse students in technology. They educators in that school system believe technology will help students develop the modern-day skills they will need in our society after they finish school (Rosenburg). These schools believe that the students will become self-learners if they have full access to technology. That includes computers and the internet. The goals of these schools are making students develop the research skills and the analysis skills they will be able to use in life rather than a textbook direction and knowledge. Edutopia is a website that shares all sorts of things about education. The Edutopia staff is full of educated individuals who share evidenced-based learning strategies on a variety of topics. For example, they share ideas on comprehensive assessment, integrated studies, project-based learning, social and emotional learning, teacher development, and technology integration. The view they have on incorporating technology has many good points and is worth taking into consideration. They say: Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and

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transparent and when technology supports curricular goals (Why Integrate Technology). In other words, they are not saying technology should be integrated by teaching students about technology in a separate class for a certain amount of time a week, but using technology to teach some of the curriculum. This requires teachers to be creative and come up with ways they can incorporate technology into the lesson plans where students get the general curriculum with an added bonus of how to use technology that will be needed outside of the school system. Although this means that teachers would have more work to do to incorporate technology, the students education is the top priority and it is the teachers job to ensure that the student gets the best education they can get. Good paragraph on why technology should be incorporated Creativity is also a big reason why people believe technology should be incorporated into classrooms more. Joan Hughes, associate professor of curriculum and instruction and learning technologies, believe that the internet and social media lends themselves to greater creativity (qtd in Golod). Many students are told to be creative on assignments and work they do in class, but creativity can only go so far if one is not exposed to other things, like the internet and all that it holds. Hughes has some of the same views as the Edutopia staff. The Edutopia staff believe that the resources online also provide classrooms with more interesting, diverse, and current learning materials which also ties back into what Joan Hughes believes (Why Integrate Technology). Hughes believes technology also encourages discussion and critical thinking through community ideas instead of textbooks that many people believe should be driven away from (Golod). Textbooks can be outdated and not have relevant facts. If the school does not have funding to get new textbooks that are updated every year students are most likely being taught

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outdated information when technology could be incorporated and scholarly sources can be found on the internet that is new and updated. Edutopia makes another strong point in how technology changes the way a teacher teaches. The staff says: Technology also changes the way teachers teach, offering educators effective ways to reach different types of learners and assess student understanding through multiple means. It also enhances the relationship between teacher and student. When technology is effectively integrated into subject areas, teachers grow into roles of adviser, content expert, and coach. Technology helps make teaching and learning more meaningful and fun (Why Integrate Technology). This is a valid point. Teachers cannot be effective if they continue to teach the way they have been for years and incorporate technology. In other words, teachers have to change their teaching style to be effective, but when the teaching style is changed, the relationship between the students in the classroom and the teacher will be changed for the better along with a fun atmosphere for the students to learn and grow in. Great examples on why technology should be incorporated, but if you wanted, you could add a little bit about what you think so far.

Technology Should Not Be a Main Focus Bruce Taylor, the former director of community programs and director of education at the Washington National Opera tried to convince teachers at an annual education conference that technology is going to have to be incorporated at some point into the curriculum. He pointed out that education software is in its primitive state and to imagine what it would be like in ten years. As much as he thinks teachers are the best thing that a child can communicate and learn

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from, there are technologies on the internet that really are great tools they could be using. He believes that technology should not under any circumstance be the main focus of their classroom, but it should be incorporated more to ensure understanding of a topic in a fun way for the students (Raths). Bill Ferriter, a senior in the Teacher Leaders Network, an accomplished blogger, a Solution Tree author and presenter, and a teacher believes that children are not motivated by technology at all. Throughout his blog post he names many types of technology used in classrooms such as VoiceThread and Kiva, but says that those things do not motivate students. What motivates them is the real-world exposure that these types of technologies enable do. He believes technology should be incorporated, but only to give students opportunities to efficiently and effectively participate in motivation activities built around the individuals and ideas that matter to them (Ferriter). His main argument is that technology is not going to solve an issue of unmotivated students in the classroom therefore should not be totally incorporated into the classroom. Paul Lam and Aiden Tong, professors and researches in the Centre for Learning Enhancement at The Chinese University of Hong Kong conducted a study to find the advantages and disadvantages of technology in classrooms. The conducted a study where technology was used every day for a semester. They came to the conclusion that the uses of digital devices were effective in enhancing motivation active exploration online and also had other benefits, but some students felt as if the technologies were distracting at times and would rather not have them in the classroom. They also conducted a questionnaire on teaching strategies. They had future teachers comment openly on their ideas about technology in the classroom and found that while

Comment [J1]: I dont understand what you mean by this sentence. Do you mean that theres more technology available on the internet?

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older teaching styles are helpful, newer styles need to be developed with the technology we have (Lam). In other words, technology should not be the main focus.

Technology Should Not Be Used At All There are people that believe technology should be a big part of classrooms and there are some that believe it should be incorporated, but not the main focus, but there are people that believe technology should not be used at all in young students lives. The Association of Waldorf Education in North America is the perfect example. The Association of Waldorf Education in North America directs the learning more through music, dance, and writing. They believe these experiences cultivate a love of learning. For example, the Waldorf School of the Peninsula is a school that most likely has funds to provide the students with technology, but chooses not to even allow computers in the classrooms and prefers the students not to use them at home. The reason: meaningful engagement comes first and foremost from teachers and peers, and that computers and technology are more distraction than resource (qtd in Rosenburg). A view other reasons why people think technology should not be in the classroom are Online instructional videos and programs do not compare to the discussions students could have in the classroom with the teacher or the opportunity to as question and hear the opinions of their peers and teachers. Interaction through an active classroom discussion cannot be replaced with a computer screen. Teachers are one of the most important roles of a students life that help them develop and succeed.

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It is imperative that children learn to socialize without technology. They will not learn respect, manners, and self-esteem on a computer (Rosenburg).

These arguments and reasons are obviously more extreme than others, but they are opinions that parents have about their childs education. My Opinion Through my research, the opinion I formed is to provide students with technology in the classroom and continue to innovate as society does. I do not think that technology should be the main focus though. I think there is a balance that needs to be made, and in my classroom I will strive to have a balance. One of the quotes I will continue to remember from the research I did was said by a teacher named Candance Hall. She said You have to take the time to learn the technology, but you have to maintain your role as an expert on the subject matter and tools (qtd in Raths). I think this is the best thing I could have learned out of this research. Ultimately, the students are not the school systems children and I think the parents should choose where they want their child to attend school based on the amount of technology introduced in that school. I think that these magnet schools that are becoming more common are really good for parents to decide what path they want their child to go on. There is a path for more technology and there is a path without technology. If we had more schools around like that where if parents have an opinion and do not want their child apart of technology they can opt them out and find a school without technology based lessons. Where as if they do want technology based lessons they can put their child in a classroom that has technology all around them. The problem is, this is the ideal situation. Everyone is going to have their opinions and reasons why their opinion is better than someone elses. If teachers can find a happy medium to where technology is not the main focus,

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but is incorporated it would be the best option and that is what I will strive to do in my classroom.

Hey! Your essay was overall very well done! There were some mistakes that I highlighted and I also highlighted some comments that I made in your essay. I also made a comment on one sentence because I didnt understand. If you wanted to make your essay better, you can start voicing your opinion a little earlier in the paper. I realize that you kind of waited till the end of your paper for your opinion after you shared all the research you did. This is ok, but it kind of drags the reader with information. If you added a little bit of your thoughts such as This is interesting because and then your opinion for that specific topic, I think your essay would be fantastic! However, good job! I like it so far, but it can be even better!

Jude

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Works Cited Ferriter, Bill. "Are Kids Really Motivated by Technology?" Web log post. SmartBlogs. SmartBlogs, 17 Aug. 2012. Web. 9 Mar. 2013. Golod, Amy. "Educators Work to Better Integrate Technology Into the Classroom." U.S. News and World Report 02 May 2012: n. pag. Web. 09 Mar. 2013. Lam P and Tong A Digital Devices in Classroom Hesitations of Teachers-to-be The Electronic Journal of e-Learning Volume 10 Issue 4, 2012, (pp387-395) Raths, David. "Technology Moving Teachers from Front to Center of the Classroom." The Journal (2012): n. pag. Web. 03 Mar. 2013. Rosenberg, James. "Technology in the Classroom: Friend or Foe?" The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 26 Oct. 2012. Web. 16 Feb. 2013. "Why Integrate Technology into the Curriculum?: The Reasons Are Many." Edutopia. The George Lucas Educational Foundation, n.d. Web. 04 Apr. 2013.