Ughhh, Technology! Another Thing I Have to Teach!
Or is it? The students of the 21st century are quite savvy when it comes to new technology. It is so ingrained in what and who they are that technology, even brand new examples, comes so easily to them. Technology has also become a vital aspect of any job description, whether from simple forms such as email to more complex forms like wikis and social networking. It is for these reasons that more teachers should be integrating technology in to their programming.
Here are some other reasons why:
Here are some other reasons why:
- future jobs descriptions will require employees to be familiar with collaborative technology due to the ever expanding global economy
- many rich technology tools allow users to collaborate in an online capacity, and with the global economy causing the workforce to expand internationally, future jobs will require employees to collaborate over long distances; therefore, students will have to learn what that looks like, feels like, and means in order to remain competitive with students from other countries
- today's society is very earth conscientious, causing paper and hard copies to be a thing of the past; most files are stored and documented digitally online, thus employees of the 21st century will have to know what that looks like as well as how to do it; it falls on the education sector to expose and teach these skills, in order to best prepare our children for the future workforce
- tasks happen at a fast pace thanks to handheld technology that can be carried and used anywhere there is an Internet connection; performance in the 21st century is judged by speed of completion couple with multitasking; therefore, future employees will be required to work under these conditions and maintain in touch with the inner and outer workings of many programs and their capabilities, in order, again, to keep up with their peers, internationally
- facets of everyday life (i.e., banking, newspapers, shopping, advertising, health, fitness) are becoming more and more prevalent online; students are bombarded with messages and information, so much so that the facts can be lost in all the clutter, making it vital that teachers use and integrate both informational as well as computer technology in to their classrooms, so that all students can be productive members of society
Pros and Cons of Technology Usage in the Classroom
Read the following Prezi presentation, which outlines some of the benefits and drawbacks to integrating technology in to the classroom.