Integrating Technology and Education
Uploaded by liebermann on Oct 31, 2011
This essay discusses several examples of the way in which technology begun to move into the classroom.
I Introduction
Technology has become an important part of our lives. While we may think of technology mainly in terms of science and the computer industry, it also plays an increasingly large part in education, in various ways.
This paper explores briefly some of the uses of technology in education.
II Discussion
Technology has entered the classroom in various ways; for example, television shows are created specifically for educational purposes and broadcast to the classroom. Alternatively, teachers are encouraged to purchase professionally made programs and use these visual presentations in place of traditional lectures.
Perhaps the greatest change, and the one that most clearly illustrates the “marriage” of education and technology, is the increasing use of the Internet. Sometimes entire classes are conducted via the Net; sometimes exams or lessons are posted there; sometimes technology is used in the classroom to create a project. The uses are varied, and the results have been mixed, but most educators seem to feel that as comfort with the technology rises, the integration of technology into the classroom will become easier and the results superior.
One use of technology in education was a project done with third-grade gymnastics students. Technology is just now coming into use in physical education, and pilot effort explored ways in which writing and movement could be melded. Physical education is rarely thought of as a field that lends itself to technological innovation, but this project proved its value.
The young gymnasts were asked to compose their own routine, and then to verbally describe that routine. “Analogies were drawn between physical movement and the figurative representation in written form, which matched the actual physical form of the routine. The next step … was to construct a poem using the descriptive words and expressions.” (Finkenberg, 2002, PG).
The children then performed the routine, which was videotaped; a voiceover recited their poem as they moved. The concept was unique: the tapes showed the youngsters as they did their gymnastics moves and at the same time allowed the audience to listen to those same youngsters describing what the moves felt like to them, what they meant to them, etc. The entire class was videotaped; copies were made available to those who wanted them.
The program was a rousing success, integrating the two...