Tablets are replacing our textbooks, and we can research just about anything that we want to on our smartphones. As educators we have seen firsthand the benefits of technology in the classroom. As we sail through the 21st century, technology in the classroom is becoming more and more predominant. We also recognize the importance of developing these technological skills in students, so they will be prepared to enter the workforce once they complete their schooling. As teachers are learning how to teach with emerging technologies (tablets, iPads, Smart Boards, digital cameras, computers), while students are using advanced technology to shape how they learn and by embracing and integrating technology in the classroom, we are setting our students up for a successful life outside of school. Subjects that students deem challenging or boring can become more interesting with virtual lessons, through a video, or when using a tablet. In the future classroom, students may just need an electronic device to access all their homework and all other learning resources in the Cloud. This means no more lugging heavy textbooks to school and having constant access to your reading materials if you have an Internet connection. People are smitten with new technologies but often fail to consider the appropriate use of traditional technologies that are used so often in the classroom such as Chalkboard / Dry Erase Board / Whiteboard which are inexpensive, easy to use, widely available. Overhead Projectors which can be used under regular lighting, use different colors, prepare materials well before class, face student while writing. When it comes to evaluating technology in the classroom, it could be a simple list that us teachers can use to decipher how the technology is being used in a lesson.
1.
Is the technology being used “Just because it’s
there”?
2.
Is the technology allowing the teacher/students
to do Old things in Old ways?
3.
Is the technology allowing the teacher/students
to do Old things in New ways?
