"How teacher are using technology at home and in their classrooms," was very interesting to read and gave valuable insight on how technologically involved society has become. After reading the article I thought of a quote from John Dewey that perfectly describes how I feel about the importance of staying up to date with advancements in technology and how important it is for our future students: "If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow." So, if we are in a generation where technology is all around us and can be used to connect with and educate our students better, then as educators we must do that! Technology provides teachers with the unlimited access to valuable resources and tools to better ourselves and differentiate our lessons so that we can better educate our students. I was not surprised to read that 80-84% of AP and NWP teachers use various digital tools, on a weekly basis, for class preparation and professional networking. From networking to lesson planning, the internet provides teachers with connections and suggestions to grow as educators and teach in ways that students will respond! One report stated that 41% of AP and NWP teachers say technology has had a "major impact" on them by requiring more work on their part to be an effective teacher. This figure was rather shocking to me because I feel that technology has helped make teaching more manageable then ever. Online there are countless teaching organizations and websites that offer assistance and ideas to bring into the classroom that can be accessed right at your finger tips. I can understand how maybe it has changed the way teaching is done within the classrooms but teaching itself has always been a career that requires a lot of work and planning, and I feel that technology has only helped teachers keep up with the demands of our field. Overall, the article has shown that we all need to continue to better our technological skills, stay up to date with the latest advancements, and learn the best ways to utilize the resources we have so we can be the best teacher we can be - and that is what our students deserve.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
Pew Survey Results: Teachers' Technology Use
"How teacher are using technology at home and in their classrooms," was very interesting to read and gave valuable insight on how technologically involved society has become. After reading the article I thought of a quote from John Dewey that perfectly describes how I feel about the importance of staying up to date with advancements in technology and how important it is for our future students: "If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow." So, if we are in a generation where technology is all around us and can be used to connect with and educate our students better, then as educators we must do that! Technology provides teachers with the unlimited access to valuable resources and tools to better ourselves and differentiate our lessons so that we can better educate our students. I was not surprised to read that 80-84% of AP and NWP teachers use various digital tools, on a weekly basis, for class preparation and professional networking. From networking to lesson planning, the internet provides teachers with connections and suggestions to grow as educators and teach in ways that students will respond! One report stated that 41% of AP and NWP teachers say technology has had a "major impact" on them by requiring more work on their part to be an effective teacher. This figure was rather shocking to me because I feel that technology has helped make teaching more manageable then ever. Online there are countless teaching organizations and websites that offer assistance and ideas to bring into the classroom that can be accessed right at your finger tips. I can understand how maybe it has changed the way teaching is done within the classrooms but teaching itself has always been a career that requires a lot of work and planning, and I feel that technology has only helped teachers keep up with the demands of our field. Overall, the article has shown that we all need to continue to better our technological skills, stay up to date with the latest advancements, and learn the best ways to utilize the resources we have so we can be the best teacher we can be - and that is what our students deserve.
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Mariastella,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that technology is essential nowadays within education. Students young and old are using technology (laptops, tablets, phones, ect.) by the second. Therefore, as teachers, we must do the same. It is an educator's goal to convey knowledge and relate to their students. Without technology then there is no way for teachers to effectively relate to their students. As technology advances so must educators.
Mariastella, I also found the statistic about teachers' impressions that technology impacted their work load by requiring "more work." Perhaps they felt that they had to learn how to use the new technologies first (which required time)? Speaking for myself, technology has clearly streamlined most aspects of my job. Granted, there are occasional glitches that do cause headaches--and compel me to think that "this would be easier to do on paper!"
ReplyDeleteI think what you need to keep in mind is how technology can enhance student learning, and not take away from it. Remember, technology should be a means to an end.