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Technology in the classroom: Out with the old : By S.PenBY: Guest | Category: Education | Post Date: 2009-07-14
Not too long ago, a considerable amount of teachers' time was spent on attendance, grading, averaging, submitting grades, writing referrals, filling paper work, documenting infractions, and on looking through cumulative folders for valuable information on students. Today, all of these tasks are accomplished with the stroke of a key. That means educators now have more time to plan and work on content. There are other ways technology can help educators accomplish more and be more effective. Technology has brought new needs. Society now requires that teaching practices change. Teaching can no longer be the focus of education; learning has become the focus of education. According to Hubbard (2008) -The traditional behavior paradigm with its emphasis on methods of teaching is being replaced by the new holistic paradigm which emphasizes the process of learning- (p. 1). Hubbard claims that holistic education -aims at drawing forth the latent capabilities and sensitivities of the soul,- as opposed to traditional education, which aims to -stuff passive young minds full of predigested information- (p. 1). As this paradigm changes, educators must constantly adapt and change. Part of this change includes the use of technology. Technology, for centuries, has consistently delivered much needed help to the developing world. Currently educators have many technological tools available; but many educators are foregoing this opportunity, and the students suffer as a result. Can educators perform without technology? Of course, but just because you can, does not mean you should. For example, just because someone can walk five miles to work, does not mean she should. She could accomplish more by driving or riding to work. Technology, whether a car, tram, bicycle, hammer, screw, or even the most sophisticated computing software, will make educators more productive. Technology offers the opportunity to change the roles that teachers and students have traditionally played. With technology dispensing information, teachers are free to coach and facilitate students' learning. With technology monitoring learning, students can become active learners, working to effectively acquire new skills as they solve problems (National School Board Association, 2004). The lofty goals and aspirations of stakeholders demand highly productive educators. The National School Board Association (2004) says, -If the goal of creating high-performance learning organizations is to be realized, the reinvention of American education has to incorporate (technology).- A shift from the traditional model of education, with strict curriculum and with orderly rows of quiet students and with a teacher at the front of the room talking to uninterested students, to a holistic model of education, with emphasis on learning and research and trial and error, is needed in order to take full advantage of the potential of technology in the classroom. In other words, teachers must change -from sage on the stage to guide on the side- (National School Board Association, 2004). Students can graph by entering data into a spreadsheet. Why should the student continue to graph with coordinate plane paper? When is that task used again? Graphs are created by entering data into a spreadsheet, not by plotting values on coordinate planes. This is just one example of where technology has passed educational practices. And the task of keeping the students on task is compounded by the fact that even teachers do not practice what they preach, because even they create graphs by entering data values into a spreadsheet. Hand held calculators can gather data, and then compute graphs showing values over time for temperature or distance. Why should students waste their time plotting and drawing graphs and tables and collecting data by keeping time with a stopwatch and by measuring the distance, when all of that is accomplished with the touch of a single button? Technology is here to help educators help students become productive members of society. Productive members of society do not spend their time drawing graphs and plotting values on coordinate grids; that would be counterproductive. These members of society have learned to use the technology that draws the graph and plots values on coordinate grids. Plan: In order to use technology to its fullest potential, educators must make changes. These changes are outlined here in this Master Plan to incorporate available resources in the classrooms. Master Plan: Transform the Climate and Culture Step 1: Change the setting of the school from one where information is given to one where information is gathered. Step 2: Change the attitudes of the students. Instead of waiting for knowledge in the form of tedious tasks that aim at memorization of prescribed tasks and information, students should actively pursue knowledge. Conclusion Technology will only accomplish as much as educators will allow it to accomplish. The first step is embracing the change and accepting that a change is needed, a change in the educator's educational paradigm. Many of the tasks students are being asked to do are no longer necessary. Technological advances have made many tedious tasks obsolete. Let's get with the times and allow the students to use the available technology on tests, because that is the way the real world will judge them. References Hubbard, M. (2008). A new teaching paradigm: Introduction. -Holistic Education for the Responsibility of Freedom as Self-empowerment: A scientific rationale-. Retrieved Dec 2, 2008 from Lemke, J. L. (March, 1994). The coming paradigm wars in education: Curriculum vs information access. Computers, Freedom, and Privacy Conference, the John Marshall Law School, Chicago. Retrieved Dec 2, 2008 from Miller, R. (2008). Holistic education column: Articles and chapters. -Holistic Education: A brief introduction-. Retrieved Dec. 2, 2008 from National School Boards Foundation. (2004). Technology's impact on education practices. Retrieved Dec 16, 2008 from Article Source: http://www.saching.com About Author / Additional Info: By Salinas Additional Articles: * The Classic MALL SIGHT Today ! * Sports and Outdoor Activities in Dubai * Various types of heart diseases that can affect a person * What every person needs to know about weight loss and HCG * The 20 Ways to Achieve Your Sports and Fitness Dreams This Year Does this article violate or infringe on your copyright ? It is a violation of our terms for authors to submit content which they did not write and claim it as their own. If this article infringes on your copyrights, then use our Contact us form with the detailed proof of infringement along with the offending article's title, URL and writer name. If you do not hear back from us then contact us again in another 10 days. Thank you. Comments on this article: (0 comments so far) * Additional comments are now closed for this article *
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