Innovative Educational Application of Technology - Essay Example

Running Headers: INNOVATIVE EDUCATIONAL APPLICATION OF TECHNOLOGY Name: Course: Institution: Instructor: Date: Introduction Innovative employment of technology is rising student’s realization and engagement, enhancing teacher competence, and teaching critical thinking and trouble solving skills. Technology and improvement in a class room can assist a student gain the skills required to contend in an international market position. Technology assists tutors to comprehend the necessities of their children finer which as a consequence make variations in the way tutors teach and how students learn, (Koehler, & Mishra, 2009). This article reviews on changing how and what students learn in schools with computer based technologies. Nowadays schools face ever rising demands in their efforts to ensure that students are well prepared to enter the work force and steer a complex globe. Research has proved that, learning can be supported by computer technology and this technology helps in developing the higher order skills of critical thinking, scientific enquiry and analysis, (Scott, 2004). Some computer application in learning have been proved to be more successful that others and there are other factors which control how well even the most capable applications are implemented, (Schacter, 1999). This article will explain several ways computer technology can be used to advance what and students learn. Computer based applications illustrates various ways in which technology enhances how students learn by supporting various fundamental features of learning which include: participation in groups, active engagement, frequent interactions, and linkages to real world perspectives. Technology also helps students learn through assisting them to understand key concepts in various subjects. Research have shown that, employment of technology as an efficient learning instrument mostly takes place when embedded in a wider education reform association that consists improvements in tutor training, student assessment, curriculum, and a schools capacity for modifications. However, research is required to discover he uses that most efficiently maintain education and the conditions necessary for triumphant implementations, (Scott, 2004). Debate on identification and implementation of the most desirable reforms in areas of teacher training, curricula, administration, student assessment and safety is in progress. The responsibility of technology in the reform movement hasn’t been defined. Innovations in media technology, such as television, radio and film had secluded marginal outcomes on what students learn in schools. Although computer technology is a powerful and insidious force in the society nowadays with many advocates of its learning benefits, it is also costly and potentially disrupting and injudicious in some of its uses and at last might only yield marginal results. However, several billion dollars in private and public funds have been devoted to furnishing school institutions with computers and internet connections. As eve rising resources are devoted to bringing technology in to the classroom, policy makers, parents and tutors are required to be capable of determining how the technology could be used efficiently to advance students learning, (Wilson, 2004). Effective use of technology as a learning tool Studies carried out on the efficiency of technology have mixed results making it difficult to simplify the general effect of technology in the improvement of learning. Some approaches reveal that technology helps to improve student’s mathematical understanding. Certain computer based applications which persuade students to reason intensely have amplified understanding while others that make recurring skill performance more interesting for students have resulted to decrease their performance. Other research studies show that positive results on student’s achievements came about as a result of computer tutoring applications. These variations come as a result of variations in hardware and software used in schools and how they use these technologies. Successful use of technology is also accompanied by simultaneous reforms for example, assessment, curriculum and professional development. Lastly, structured longitudinal studies that document the secluded results of technology are costly and complex to execute therefore only a few have been accomplished, (Koehler, & Mishra, 2009). Scientists have realized that, resources and structure of traditional classroom often provide poor support for learning whereas technology if applied efficiently can provide teaching methods that are much better coordinated to how students learn. Various fundamental of learning include: learning through active engagement-research have proved that, children learnt better by actively getting knowledge from a mixture of experience, structured interactions and interpretations with core students and tutors. Use of technology to engage children in learning is not restricted to science and mathematics but can engage them more enthusiastically in making presentations that reflect their knowledge and understanding of several other subjects. Learning through participation in groups- social contexts assists students in executing more complex skills than they could have carried out alone. Performing roles in groups helps them to imitate and make thinking visible. Computer technologies can also support addictive and a social actions and taps very petite of the social basis of education. Learning through frequent interactions- compute technology support and encourage rapid interaction compared to traditional classrooms. Students who take part in computer linked learning networks show amplified inspiration, a deeper understanding of idea and an augmented enthusiasm to undertake difficult questions. The TPACK model Teaching is a multipart practice that needs incorporation of various kinds of professional knowledge. The TPACK model endeavors to incarcerate some of the major traits of understanding for the teachers in order to let them incorporate the technology to their training as well as captivating in hand the composite, various sided and placed personality of teacher knowledge. The TPACK framework is founded on the PCK model of Lee Shulman (1986) Pedagogical Content Knowledge. TPACk comprises all teacher knowledge with the incorporation of content, pedagogy and technology. Content knowledge is the knowledge a tutor has regarding the subject issue he teaches, pedagogical knowledge is the knowledge the tutor has about the methods to teach the students, how to plan the class and how to manage the lessons, while technological knowledge is the inclusion of technology by the tutor in her lessons and the adaptation of new technologies. Technological knowledge: Some approaches reveal that use of technology by teachers helps to improve student’s mathematical understanding, (Parrish, 2004). Certain computer based applications which persuade students to reason intensely have amplified understanding while others that make recurring skill performance more interesting for students have resulted to decrease their performance. Technology also helps in improving students skills of critical thinking, scientific inquiry and analysis. Currently, with the support of computers, children can assess the brook and see the outcomes of their data get-together while still in the field. The computers store up and graph the data instantly letting students to see how the graph unfurl in actual time unswervingly connected to their observations. The immediacy of the process assists students to comprehend what the graphs time axis indicates a challenge for most students who only are familiar with how to plot points. Additionally, the students are also able to enhance their critical thinking skills by analyzing their initial outcomes and running follow up experiments then same day, (Parrish, 2004). Technology alone cannot be effective as a learning tool and it needs to be embedded in a broader education reform that includes improvements in teacher training. Tutors need to be well informed about the subject’s matters he/she teaches, (National Research Council, 1996). This will help him explain adequately and it will help boost students understanding of the subject. In this case he will be applying his Content knowledge to help the students understand the subject better, (Silvin-kachala, et al, 1999). The tutor also has to apply pedagogical knowledge in the class room. This includes the methods he will use to teach, how he will plan the class and how he will manage the lessons. Students understanding will be boosted if the teacher knows how to incorporate all these actions. As a result, this will enhance student’s interactions and class participation through asking of questions which measures the students understanding, (Jensen, 2010). How to refine and develop this application based on the analysis Just because technology can result to enhancement in learning does not denote that it will do so just because technology is infused in to the class room. Computer founded technology is only an constituent in what should be a synchronized approach to enhancing curriculum, assessment, teacher development ,pedagogy and other features of school organization, (National Research Council, 1996). It is pleasing to have patent and largely generalizable measures of efficiency prior to committing to repeated investment in technology. Such data may take the outline as for a certain percentage of institution budget reallocated to technology, there will be improvement in students learning by a certain percentage, (Roschelle, et al, 2010). Many tutors, policy makers and parents are increasingly moving forward to introduce computers technology in schools. The challenge is to make certain that this computer technology is used proficiently to boost how and what students study. In order to make technology effective as a learning tool, it needs to be embedded in a broader education reform that includes improvements in teacher training. Tutors need to be well informed about the subject’s matters he/she teaches. This will help him explain adequately and it will help boost students understanding of the subject, (Jensen, 2010). How you would refine and develop the review or evaluation methodology based on the analysis Currently, much is known about how students study than it was known a century back. Technology applications chosen for future research should employ the cognitive features of learning as a useful, interactive, shared and contextualized process, (Scott, 2004). Given social demands for persons to know more than before, it is essential to search technology taken up in tandem with curriculum developments that make multipart subjects issue reachable to a higher percentage of students. Thriving execution of technology necessitates a context of synchronized interventions to advance curricular, teacher development, assessment and a variety of other pieces of the education jigsaw enigma. Explorations of technology realizations must center of schools that are determined to improve their learning, (Koehler, & Mishra, 2009). To ensure that improvements that comprise technology flourish, institutions require to expand their capacity for modifications with suitable resources and processes that facilitate all the concerned parties to administer the challenging evolution. Therefore, efficient use of technology ought to be explored in schools that are well equipped for modifications. Conclusion Using technology to advance education is not a simpler issue. There are numerous types of technology and various ways that an endeavored use can be unsuccessful, (Wilson, 2004). In order to maximize the efficiency of computer technology as a instrument of enhancing learning in schools, didactic policy makers ought to integrate technology selectively in learning reforms as a element of general program for development and maintain to study its advancement and outcomes to advance efforts over time. Research can assist in aiming at the preliminary applications of technology that are most likely to advance learning within general programs of experimental reform, (Scott, 2004). References Elizabeth Jensen. (2010), After 10 Years, Federal Money for Technology in Education. Retrieved From The New York Times, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/technology/25center.html?_r=1 (Accessed September 11, 2010). Koehler, M., J. & Mishra, P. (2009). What is Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education, 9(1), pp. 60-70. M.Roschelle, et al, Means: Changing How And What Students Learn In Schools With Computer Based Technologies. Retrieved From http://halshs.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/19/06/10/PDF/A103_Roschelle_etal_01_Packard.pdf (Accessed September 11, 2010). National Research Council. (1996), National Science Education Standards. Washington: National Academy press. Schaffer, Scott. (2004), Performance Support For Performance Analysis. TechTrends 48(2). Silvin-kachala,Jand Bialo, ER. (1999), Research Report On The Effectiveness Of Technology in Schools. 6th ed. Washington: Software And Information Technology Association Schacter, J. (1999). The Impact Of Technology On Student Achievement: What The Most Current Research Has To Say. Santa Monica, Milken Exchange On Education And Technology. Parrish, Patrick E. (2004), The Trouble With Learning Objects. Educational Technology Research and Development 52(1) Wilson, Brent G. (2004), Designing E-learning Environments For Flexible Activity And Instruction. Educational Technology Research and Development 52(4) Read More