• silverwhisper said on Mar 17, 2008....

  i'd love to hear from some teachers on this--i'm sure that there are material issues that as neither teacher nor student i wouldn't be able to anticipate this.
  
  ed

• Zayda said on Mar 17, 2008....

  There's a problem with the way we talk about technology in the classroom. Too often, people talk about the technology as if the technology itself inherently or automatically improves things. It doesn't.
  
  
  Yes, technology can have benefits, but only if it's used in conjunction with sound pedagogical practices.
  
  
  If a teacher's pedagogical practices are ineffective then putting technology in a classroom isn't going to make someone a better teacher or make the learning environment improve.
  
  
  If, however, the technology is used to supplement already effective practices, then yes the technology has benefit.
  
  
  For instance, drill and practice of grammar exercises, with or without technology is not a sound pedagogical practice for effectively teaching writing. So, if you have a Composition teacher who focuses on grammar drills, his/her students aren't going to become effective writers. If technology is given to that teacher that allows him/her to automate or computerize the grammar drills, the technology is not making the classroom a more effective learning environment because a bad pedagogical practice has simply been made computerized.
  
  
  If those computer are used to help students create multiple drafts, to teach them revision techniques, to help them peer critique each others' writing, then the technology is being used in conjunction with sound pedagogical practices and will be of benefit.
  
  
  So, it's not simply an issue of saying is technology a benefit in a classroom? That's too general a question to ask. You have to look at the technology within the context of the classroom and the pedagogical practices of that particular instructor.

• moonriver said on Mar 18, 2008....

  Hi Jenni, glad to add my small piece to this discussion thread.
  
  Basically, I agree with Zayda. Technology is just the medium; the crucial thing is the content (in this case, the basic teaching process and methodology). Even at the level of software, there will be highly-effective teaching software, and there will be lousy software.
  
  Like you, however, I will also disagree with the NCEERA conclusions if they are generalized. If we presume that pre-computerization teaching content has been proven effective, and if the software implementation was built on this specific content, enhancing it, then I can't see any drawback to children (and teachers too) greatly helped in their work by that software.
  
  
  

• girlsclub said on Mar 20, 2008....

  i would be lost with out my computer.

Comment on "Are There Benefits To Technology In The Classroom?"

Currently tagged	teaching software Laptops students (Click to add tags below)
Tag this post	(Separate tags using commas, for example: New York, dating, vegetarian)
Your comment