Technology in the Classroom

In today's era of technology, it is essential that computers are incorporated into the classroom. Computers enable users to quickly gather information through all kinds of mediums(articles, podcasts, etc), a useful ability that should be adapted into classrooms. In addition, computers offer an alternative source of knowledge outside a teacher's expertise. Although computers bring large advantages to classrooms, not all schools have access to this resource. Every educational institution have priorities that are affected by economic resources, and technology is one of them. Perhaps the most critical aspect of the incorporation of technology in classroom is its economic cost because it directly affects budget, a priority some officials hold higher than education itself.

The most prevalent way I plan to use technology in my classroom is as a teaching aid. Instead of catering only to auditory learners through spoken lecture, I plan to use PowerPoint Presentations to accompany my lecture. This form of lecture will allow me to accommodate visual and auditory learners. I hope to learn how to include all or most learning styles in my methods of teaching, especially with the aid of technology.

According to the podcast, a digital native is "a person who has grown up knowing technology", a definition I am comfortable agreeing with.  In the past, I have experienced differences in how my past teachers(digital immigrants) and I(digital native) use technology, or do not use it. Just two years ago, my history teacher gave all her students a forewarning on the first day of class. She informed us that she would not be using PowerPoint or any technological aids in the classroom, just her voice and notes sufficient for lecture. This made learning in her class difficult for students who were not primarily auditory learners. When I become a teacher, I do feel that there will be differences with my students on how to use technology. Technology comes with its innate duty to change and progress, and not growing up with new technologies makes it difficult to put them in use.