Technology in the Classroom

Not so very many years ago, children attended school in one-room schoolhouses.  The sun glowed through the windows shining light onto the chalkboard, the central tool used by teachers for lessons.  There was no electricity, let alone computers and other such technology available to students today.  In fact, so many technological tools now exist that some people may not even be aware of several of them.  These tools can prove quite beneficial within the classroom to both teachers and students.  Not only should they be used, but according to standards by which teachers are required to abide, technology must be used.  National and state teachers’ standards necessitate the use of technology and there are even specific standards for the use of technology referred to as the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers and for Students (NETS*S).  These standards mandate how teachers should use technology in the classroom to benefit themselves and their students.

Instructors can make various uses of technology to provide more effective and efficient teaching.  Some examples include spreadsheets, databases, desktop publishing, word processing, powerpoints, web pages, graphic organizers, and blogs, though there are many uses of technology which could be added to this list.  These tools can provide more differentiated education allowing for increased learning across all learning styles.  They can also allow for more efficient assessments and evaluations.  Actually, this is one of the NETS*S, “Design and Develop Digital-Age Learning Experiences and Assessments.”

Because I realize how important the use of technology is for my students in the classroom, I will continue to use and expand these technological practices.  While I already use online sources, word processing, and powerpoints, I have not made use of desktop publishing.  As I am merely a substitute teacher, the necessity of this has not arisen.  However, as a regular teacher, I would certainly use desktop publishing.  There are so many applications of desktop publishing which could be used in the classroom.  I would most certainly use this tool for creating weekly newsletters for students to take home because communication between home and school is vitally important for students and their educations.  Additionally, students could use desktop publishing in the classroom for creating journals, brochures, and other pieces of writing.  Desktop publishing could even be used to develop anthologies of writings within the class.  Of course, because I have never used desktop publishing, I will certainly have to familiarize myself with this type of technology.  To do so, I will research this tool thoroughly online and practice using it before applying it in the classroom.  This should also allow me to discover other ways in which desktop publishing can be helpful in the classroom.

Teachers should strive to maximize their students’ learning, making sure they reach their full potentials.  Technology is absolutely necessary to do this.  So many benefits can come from its proper use.  Any teacher, believing in the importance of their students’ educations, should be more than willing to learn about and apply the use of technology.

Image from http://www.rapides.k12.la.us/vi/mspublisher.htm