Effective Thinking: Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning - Essay Example

Effective Thinking; Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning There have been intense discussions on the roles and challenges of using technology in education. Hennessy sets to find out the various ways technology can contribute to learning and teaching. In a similar manner, Beynon, states that people have had high expectations regarding the impact of computer technology on education. The expectations are yet to be realized and have proved wrong to expect progress from the use of the innovative technology only. It has, therefore, created the need to emphasize on cultural issues to complement the use of technology. E-learning, aided by technology, seeks to prepare learners and equip them with skills conversant with 21st century through continuous learning activities. Kong and his peers embarked on researching the issues and changes needed to achieve the goals of eLearning. With a similar goal, all three articles seek to unmask the opportunities and challenges of technology-assisted learning. The rapid change of technology creates both opportunities and challenges for education in school. Some of the opportunities are the increased access multimedia content and availability of online classes. At the same time, schools have to deal with the challenge of catching up with the digital innovations and changes taking play now and then. According to Kong et al., “technology plays a crucial role in supporting schools on realizing the desirable learning goals and learning process (71)”. But is this statement really valid? There is a universal perception that implementation of technology in schools improves learning, teaching, and student achievement. People, however, fail to recognize it comes with complexities and challenges. As stated by Beynon, “how computing technology is conceived may seem to have less practical relevance.” In order to evaluate the worth and benefit of technology, there is need to evaluate some variables embedded in it. The variables are such as access, student background, curriculum content, and teacher preparation. It is necessary to have a computing perspective that integrates human integration with systems in a holistic manner (Beynon 94). In rethinking computing technology, there is no doubt that the current state of technology is inadequate to engage important issues that affect human learning. Educators need to have a comprehensive strategy for a technology-rich future and create an intimate relationship to human cognition if it is to assist learners. It is, however, unfortunate that the current technology strategies are ill-equipped and cannot engage human learning properly. According to Beynon, “how computing technology is conceived have less practical relevance than how this technology is developed and applied (94).” The 21st school education must, however, be supported by digital forms both to the inside and outside of the classroom environment. Learners require social learning networks and portable computing devices that will facilitate retrieval and sharing of information. As Kong et al. states, there are three phases that characterize the learning process of the current century. Both formal and informal learning must emphasize on skills development. In spite of introducing technology, learners must embrace collaborative learning approaches (72). The last phase is to measure progress to attain evidence that supports improvement. All these phases can, however, be useless if they fail to incorporate both formal and informal approaches. In the same way as Hennessy puts it, teacher’s intervention is needed to address issues arising. According to Hennessy, “introducing technology can add a layer of obliqueness (16)”. I agree with the statement because technology can hinder understanding and analysis of data presented by the technological tools. One prominent theme that emerges from these articles is that incorporating technology to the K-12 does not improve learning in a significant way. What matters is how teachers, as well as, students use technology to improve their skills and knowledge. Kong et al., however, states that researchers need to do comprehensive research to document the effectiveness of e-learning and other technology tools. Besides, “the research issue should relate to collecting evidence of improvement and building awareness of supporting pedagogical decision-making of teachers (Kong et al 74).” Of importance are supportive policy initiatives that will favor integration of technology in curriculum delivery. As recommended by Kong et al., there are four government policy supports that are required for the promotion of digital classrooms (75). The government needs to set up curriculum goals related to real life. There also needs to have a policy that avails free wireless internet connectivity and personally-owned computing devices. Teachers should also not be left behind, and their development should be factored in policy changes. Above all, teachers facilitate the learning process and have to provide timely feedback. As a result, Kong et al., emphasizes that “this drives the need to empower teachers with the capability to act as learning facilitators in digital classrooms (75)”. From these recommendations, it is apparent that successful integration of technology requires changes in curricula, teacher training, and assessment practices. The new century presents several requirements to the education sector including shifting from a print-based culture to a digital culture. According to Hennessey, “teachers configure technology to suit students, school, classroom setting, and preferred pedagogical approaches (32).” Computer-based technologies and other technologies are central to learning in this century. The literacy acquired from the digital learning goes a long way in facilitating the growth of the economy. Although technology is central to education, most teachers are devoid of computers and internet connection. Lack of the two components hampers technology integration, but teachers can overcome the problem by entering into a partnership with local organizations and businesses (Hennessey 29-31). Besides, academics can provide teacher development programs to put the instructors at par with the modern e-learning environment. The policy can also engage academics to investigate sustainable and scalable models that enhance the teachers’ potentials to promote the learner’s skills (Kong et al. 75). From my point of view, assessing the understanding of students is possible without technology, but using electronic feedback can accelerate the process. As a result, the teacher can gather data and respond quickly to areas the students need help. Hennessy compliments this view by stating that “the teacher plays a critical role in selecting and evaluating appropriate learning resources and framing them to exploit technology in pursuing learning goal (15)”. Teachers use the technology tools for their planning activities. The integration of technological resources with complementary learning and teaching activities is necessary because it supports the empirical concepts of learning. Some of the tools are sophisticated because they incorporate a rich interactivity that goes beyond the click and view functionality. They tailor learning in a way that is well-suited for individual responses (Hennessy 17-23). As discussed above, it is apparent that technology intends to usher in important structural changes that are integral to attaining significant learning productivity. Technology connects the classroom with vital digital learning tools that support learning and teaching. Capitalizing on online learning and open educational resources can enhance educational productivity. For the challenges facing technology in learning, they can be sorted through relevant policy changes and continued research. Works Cited Beynon, Meurig. “Computing Technology for Learning - in Need of a Radical New Conception." Educational Technology & Society, 10.1 (2007): 94-106. Web. 14 June 2015. Hennessy, Sara. "Integrating Technology into Teaching and Learning of School Science: A Situated Perspective on Pedagogical Issues in Research." Studies in Science Education (2006): 1-48. Web. 14 June 2015 Kong, S. C., Chan, T.-W., Griffin, P., Hoppe, U., Huang, R., Kinshuk, Looi, C. K., Milrad, M., Norris, C., Nussbaum, M., Sharples, M., So, W. M. W., Soloway, E., & Yu, S.. E-learning in School Education in the Coming 10 Years for Developing 21st Century Skills: Critical Research Issues and Policy Implications. Educational Technology & Society(2014):17 (1), 70–78. Read More