Add to the enjoyment of learning.
Match the curriculum to the learners' needs and interests.
Store data for future use.
Allow collaboration to take place among family, school and community members.
Improve reserach reportings.
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| Some Ideas on Ed Reform Involving Computer Usage in the Classroom | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Technology has been influenced by educational reform movements and changes within cognitive science, learning theories, and societal demands. According to the research, technology can help students develop all kinds of skills, which include basics to higher-order thinking skills. Teachers and employees of school systems need to learn how to effectively use the technology that they have in thier schools and classrooms. By implementing research and best practices appropriately with technology software to the curriculum, an educator can create individualized learning for each student. The student will also be able to meet with others that are not physically in the school building. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Research into practice regarding technology reform has had to wait on the research to "catch up" with the technology. Those responsible for research have attempted to integrate technology into educational practice. These researchers have tried to apply theories and techniques to uses of microcomputers, cyberspace, and long-distance learning capabilities of modern mechanisms. Kamil and Intrator (1997) state that it is important to watch these research trends. The reason this close monitoring is necessary is because, again, our software and hardware development can go beyond the input from educational research. In other word, life cycle of hardware and software is shorter than the timeline for educational research studies. Teachers need to keep up with research and be trained to effectively use software. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| When educators learn how to use the tools of technology, these educators can use technology to: | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Allow learning to be more interactive. Add to the enjoyment of learning. Match the curriculum to the learners' needs and interests. Store data for future use. Allow collaboration to take place among family, school and community members. Improve reserach reportings. |
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| Ultimately technology may transform the educational content and motivate students toward lifelong learning. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Minimally for technology to play a positive role, the following factors must be given consideration (Means, 1994). (For more elaboration on this point see Valdez and McNabb, 1997). | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1 The success of technology is more dependent on human factors than on hardware or software. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2. The success of technology means seeing it as a resource that requires finding out where it can have the highest payoff and then teaming the application with the learning goal. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 3. The success of technology depends on having types of applications that are workable for the learning outcomes of the activity. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 4. Computers are motivational tools that help students to complete subject-related assignments in areas for which they might not neccessarily have large amounts of enthusiasm. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Recent events have led us to understand that schools and communities are connected and that we cannot think of education as being away from society. The quick development of new products, processes, and exchanges means that more teacher training is needed to keep up with these advances. Students need Internet access so that they can compete in today and tomorrow's world. Schools need these types of technologies and supporting instructional assistance for teachers so that our students will learn more about the world in which they live. More research needs to address exactly how implementations of certain technologies enhance student achievement. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| According to Honey (2001), regarding students of all ages and for successful technology integration to take place, the following six factors must be present in the educational environment. These factors are leadership, solid educational objectives, professional development, adequate technology resources, time and evaluation. In other words, teachers need to appropriately plan for lessons by stating clear objectives and be facilitative leaders of student learning. Teachers need the professional development necessary to be able to understand the technology that they have before them. There also needs to be available in the educational environment appropriate and, hopefully, newer technology resources, time to plan and use the technology and teacher evaluation of the effectiveness of the technology use. In this way, teachers can know if what they are teaching is effective and teachers can have adequate time to plan and the proper tools to do so. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| During my debate over pre-school use of the computer, I was sure to bring these six points forward as a way for the teacher to foster acceptable computer usage in the classroom. I do not think that computers are bad for younger children and that their presence in the classroom causes a problem for students. Teachers need to evaluate software that works, such a phonics and alphabet software, so that they will be able to use the technology as a tool. Teachers can monitor computer usage and use games as incentives for student achievement. In this way, games are not totally banned from students? entertainment, since they are so fun for students. Teachers can also make sure that students are using the academic software when needed. Preschoolers can also successfully learn colors and shapes using computer programs, and learn how to use the computer at the same time. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| The literature that I have read so far against pre-school computer use has not addressed the fact that computer usage needs to be appropriately monitored by the teacher. The literature also does not consider the correct usage of the computer as a tool by the teacher, much in the same that a pencil and paper, or crayons and paper, are tools for preschool students. If used correctly, as an educational tool, the computer is quite a positive addition to the classroom. If used as a form of entertainment, students? learning to share the game time available on the computer can be a valuable social experience for them, as well. I hope to successfully argue all of the positive effects that I have found about preschool use of the computer as a tool for learning and recreation. | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Link to congressional stuidies and business support for Internet usage in the classroom | |||||||||||||||||||||
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