Technology in the Classroom, Yes or No?

For years now there has been discussion and debate centered around whether or not to use technology in the classroom, and even when bringing technology into the classroom how much to use it. Is the technology that we are using in our classrooms really helping our students? Are we providing the best means for our students learning? Questions like these, and more, have been on the minds of teachers and administrators around the world, and still are.

Some such educators were involved in a debate about using different media in the classroom, the two debators were Richard Clark and Robert Kozma. Clark argued that while using different media, or technology, in the classroom may be a way to get information across, that is all it is. Kozma on the other hand argued that technology could influence learning and, at times, help certain students and situations in the classroom.

I fall on the Kozma side of the debate. I believe that there are appropriate times and places to use technology and that if technology is used correctly then we can help our students become more successful.

I come from a special education background, this is where I started my career in education. In this area of education there are many uses of technology that are not usually thought of. There are students using technology that helps give them a voice, or helps them think through social situations. In these respects, having the technology available is helping make the students more successful.

Now, lets take a step back for a moment. In this discussion, I am not talking about only electronic technology, in special education technology can be as simple as a file folder that students have a means to think through their feelings, or express themselves. This is partly what Kozma refers to as Symbol Systems. Many times, in education, people think that technology and media refer to electronic technology, things like iPads, computers, interactive whiteboards, and more, which is not always the case.

In a study completed by D'Angelo and Wooley, different college courses were evaluated regarding the amount of technology they were using in correlation to the effectiveness of the course. What these two researchers found was that there was a noticeable difference in the effectiveness of more traditional classrooms and those who used more technology, leaning towards those who used more technology. This did not mean that the class was solely taught through technological means, or that all activities dealt with technology, just that where applicable technology was used to supplement learning and help students be more successful.

This debate is one that will be continuing for years to come, especially as more and more advanced technology comes into play. What we have to ask ourselves as educators is: Are we doing what is best for our students? Are we bringing in technology that will make our students more successful? Is this new technology going to bring them up or bog them down? After taking a good long look at our reasoning for wanting to bring in the newest technology, through a serious and unbiased eye, we can truly see if we should use the tool or not.

Is technology the most important thing in our classrooms? No. Not at all. The most important thing in our classrooms is our students, and we need to keep them at the forefront of our minds when having these debates and discussions, as well as when making these decisions, not our ego or our reluctance to change. Students are why we are here, and we need to make sure that we are keeping them in mind, sometimes technology can be helpful to them, and we need to be willing to try new things to guide our students toward success.

Citation

D'Angelo, J. M., & Wooley, S. A. (2007). TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM: FRIEND OR FOE. Education, 127(4), 462-471.