Technology Helps Students and Teachers

Teachers and students have a unique position in the time we live in to take advantage of technology. We live in a time where smart phones are in what seems to be every student's backpack, a laptop or computer in their homes, and a growing demand of people to expand technology into every aspect of daily life. By connecting students with the many available resources on the Internet through these many devices, students will have access interact with many people, understand new and different ways to understand a topic, and have to a wide range resources to stimulate thought-provoking discussions.

Leading people to see the benefits of technology has not been an easy path. The concern of some may be how it may negatively impact education as humans are “social beings.” This social engagement has allowed for people to evolve and learn through interacting with others because we are “biologically hard-wired for interacting with others” (Virtka, 2013). To add to the concerns is that anti-social behavior through the technology outside of class is concerning to some as it can be a factor to cyber-bullying, obesity, and generally low-self esteem. The use of technology in a non-education setting, for example, is common and should be limited according to Larry Rosen, a psychology professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills. He said “For every minute of tech use there should be an equivalent five minutes of time spent doing something else” like interacting with other people and creative activities (Hampton, 2014).

Technology can be viewed and used as a way to connect people. One way the use of technology in the classroom can help is through guest speakers. Through video chat from many different software like Skype, speakers can be invited into classrooms without the traditional troubles of scheduling conflicts and travel expenses. These speakers can be local politicians giving the class information about their local government, educators from other areas or states with unique perspectives, or they can be experienced in any field or topic allowing for a different view of the world to be expressed to students. Just like a speaker who would come to a class in-person, these can also be an interactive discussion. With this discussion the class can watch the speaker as he or she “demonstrates a scientific experiment or a musical technique, or leads a guided virtual tour of a museum exhibit” ("Teaching: Prepare and Connect," n.d.). The different types of technology together working with the Internet provide access to different types of education for students.

Technology also can help students learn through creativity. There are many different types of technology available and ways to implement them in the classroom, but one sometimes overlooked is the blog. A blog would allow for students to be creative by writing. It would be a learning tool for themselves to help better understand, and it would be an option to improve writing skills through creative writing topics (Huffaker, 2004). This common technology can benefit many who may be concerned and embarrassed about their abilities in writing or need to improve their skills.

There are many ways for technology to benefit in education. The best ways to integrate technology into the classroom are those that help stimulate the mind and some form of social interaction. The Internet, smart phones, and laptops provide the ease of knowledge at the tip of our fingers, and with the correct implementation of these tools, learning can be fun and improved.

References

Hampton, M. (2014, August 22). Technology: Is it making kids anti-social? Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://universe.byu.edu/2014/08/22/technology-is-it-making-kids-anti-social/

Huffaker, D. (2004, January 1). The educated blogger: Using Weblogs to promote literacy in the classroom | Huffaker | First Monday. Retrieved February 3, 2015, from http://firstmonday.org/ojs/index.php/fm/article/view/1156/1076

U.S. Department of Education, Office of Educational Technology, Teaching: Prepare and Connect. (n.d.). Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://tech.ed.gov/netp/teaching-prepare-and-connect/

Vrticka, P. (2013, September 16). Evolution of the 'Social Brain' in Humans: What Are the Benefits and Costs of Belonging to a Social Species? Retrieved February 2, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pascal-vrticka/human-social-development_b_3921942.html