Vision of Technology Integration

Technology has become a dominant factor in most people's daily routine, whether it be work related, social, or functional tools. The use of technology is inevitable; however, I am cautious in my beliefs of how much it should be incorporated into a classroom setting. Should we introduce technology to children at a young age in preparation for the future? Or is it best to use traditional methods in education? I think that a balance of both technological and traditional methods should take place in the classroom; we should not rely too heavily on either.

Technology is a powerful resource in many aspects of life, but is it something that we depend on too heavily? Many people would not be able to function properly if technological tools were taken away from them, and this is a thought that scares me. Simple skills that we used to perform using our minds have been replaced by tools such as computers and calculators. What if these tools no longer existed? Before we introduce these technological tools to children, I believe that we need to first teach them how to solve problems mentally. The New Hampshire Education Standards state that by the end of grade four, a student should “demonstrate the capacity to use a variety of basic reference tools, such as dictionaries, maps and globes, encyclopedias, newspapers, and magazines.” (“K-12 Career Development Curriculum Framework”, 2006). Technology should act as a secondary building block in education; it should be an expansion of concepts which the student has already been taught, rather than the main focus. Once a concept has been accomplished mentally, it is then appropriate to introduce the student to incorporating technology.

Most students in present day have grown up using technology, it is how they were raised and what they are used to. Incorporating technology in the classroom can help students to become more interested in learning. The inclusion of something that they are familiar with may help by spiking their interest in participation, rather than learning to use skills which are foreign to them. When a student is knowledgable in a subject or concept, they are more apt to want to further that knowledge. Working with familiar tools also helps the student to feel confident in their work. When a child understands and

is knowledgable on a concept, it is likely that they are going to want to declare that knowledge through the work that they put forth.

Technology provides many benefits to a classroom; through technological tools, students are

able to practice cause and effect, communicate and interact with other students across the world, use

research tools, and work collaboratively. Although it is able to accomplish these things without the use of technology, computers make it easier and more time-efficient. Using technology also gives the students a sense of independence, which can either help or hinder their desire to participate.

It is also important to consider the beneficial aspects that technology plays in regards to children with different learning styles and capacities. “Students posses different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways” (Gardner, 1983). Rather than every student receiving information presented in the same way, technology allows each student to gather information based on their own learning style. For example, some students are hands on while others learn through visual aids. Technology has the ability to accommodate to each preferred method by using video, games, reading, and audio.

There are undeniable benefits that technological tools bring within a classroom setting. While I do think that technology has a place within education, I think that it needs to be presented in moderation. We do not want future generations to rely too heavily on technological tools; it is our job to teach and inform students on other methods of accomplishing tasks while still including the incorporation of technology in the classroom.

K-12 Career Development Curriculum Framework. Oct. 2006. Retrieved from

Http://www.education.nh.gov/career/guidance/documents/framework_k12.pdf.

Gardner, Howard. Frames of Mind: The Theory of Multiple Intelligences. New York: Basic, 1983.

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