Technology in the Classroom: Making the Best of It!

Technology is transforming the classrooms around the world. Through this article, the authors explore how teachers use technology to enable the learning process in order to make it an easier learning experience for the students. As a teacher, I find this studies very valuable as they provide an insight into how the education world is moving forward with new devices and applications that assist during the learning process.

“Research suggests that collaborative learning promotes critical thinking and helps students retain information longer.” (Johnson & Johnson, 1986) Teachers work around the clock to incorporate new technologies into their teaching and bring the world to the classroom by sharing valuable information through these platforms. Schools have integrated S.T.E.A.M. oriented curriculums in order to bring Technology as a necessity to the children, along with Science, Engineering, Art, and Math.

The article also provides an insight on how technology could become a pitfall if not applied correctly into the curriculum. These methods need to align with the way that students learn or technology could not properly work in the classroom. “Research-based principles of learning indicate that what and how much is learned are influenced by motivation to learn, which is stimulated by tasks of optimal novelty and difficulty, relevant to personal interests, and providing for personal choice and control” (McKnight, O’Malley, Ruzic, Horsley, Franey & Bassett, 2016).

Last, I believe that it is important to highlight the teacher’s position during the learning process when technology is involved. Teachers are the ones who allow the students to have multiple pathways to find the learning style that worls for them when it comes to technology and guide them through the process so they find the right motivation to learn and improve their learning skills.

References:

Johnson, R. T., & Johnson, D. W. (1986). Action research: Cooperative learning in the science classroom. Science and Children, 24, 31–32

McKnight, K.; O’Malley, K.; Ruzic, R.; Horsley, M. K.; Franey, J. J.; Bassett, K. (2016). Teaching in a Digital Age: How Educators Use Technology to Improve Student Learning, Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 48:3, 194-211, DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2016.1175856