Tell me how you honestly feel. Does technology actually make instruction easier or harder? Some would say that it makes things so much easier, but then there are others who would argue that technology makes things so much harder. Me personally, I am on the fence. There are so many reasons why technology is great for education. We can keep online grade books, communicate with parents through Remind and class dojo, we can look at student data and progress monitoring, students can complete assignments right from the comfort of home on Schoology, parents can see student progress through home access, and so many other wonderful perks. All of these things make life for teachers so much easier, but if you are unfamiliar or new to the teaching with technology scene, then all of these things mentioned above can make life as a teacher sooooooooooo much harder.
This is how a few of my classmates felt about this question:
When technology is working and all systems are a go, TECHNOLOGY IS AMAZING!! Laptop batteries are dead, system is down, Smart board is glitching, no Internet connection, power goes out and now you are stuck trying to figure out what in the world you are going to do for your lesson. Now TECHNOLOGY SUCKS!! Now something that you thought five minutes ago was absolutely amazing, has become the bane of your existence.
It is so important as educators to make sure we incorporate technology, but do not become so reliant on technology that we cannot teach a class without it. There will be days when technology is not going to work and you will have to pull something out of your teaching bag of tricks to get through an ELA lesson because your whole plan was to introduce the unit with a Smart lesson. There will be a day when you have to use chart paper to write down the multiplication algorithm because the bulb in your projector is blown and the district has to approve a replacement bulb. Those days will come if they have not already, but guess what?! Those days are okay. It is perfectly normal to have a lesson without a little technology and it will run just as smooth.
Technology in the Classroom: The Good and the Bad
Sometimes, I am so amazed by students that cannot complete a long division math problem if they do not have a calculator, or students that have no idea how to use a dictionary because they learned how to use technology and this technology has become a crutch. Use technology to help elevate a lesson not dominate a lesson is my belief.
Technology is an amazing tool and it can be so beneficial for students and teachers. So do your research on what works for you and your classroom and make it something to pull out of your toolbox now and then! Don't get discouraged my educator friends keep blogging, keep assigning things in Schoology, and keep taking virtual field trips. Technology is here to stay so don't push it away!
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