Reflection on the Integration of Technology in the Classroom

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The following reflective essay will focus on technology and its importance in addressing the needs of digital learners. The essay will begin by addressing ways reasons for the integration of technology in education, as well as discussing ways in which teachers can use technology to enhance learning and student engagement. Secondly, the essay will examine how teachers can become part of the learning process by empowering students to serve as knowledge brokers. The essay will close by assessing ways in which technology can be used to meet the diverse learning needs of today’s students, specifically those with special educational needs.
Part One: Engaging Students with Technology
Today’s students have very different needs than those of previous generations (Prensky, 2001). Growing up in a digital world has redefined the way students learn, and therefore, how they must be taught. I have experienced firsthand that these digital learners do not wish to sit back and passively consume information. They want to multitask, interacting with multiple streams of information in a range of forms. They wish to collaborate and network with others, sharing information and building on one another’s contributions (Prensky, 2007). With the evolution of the modern student into a ‘digital native’, the role of modern educators has also been redefined. “The role of the traditional, talking-head, ‘sage on the stage,’ or broadcaster (transmitter of information) in front of the classroom has shifted to group facilitator, orchestrator of collaborative knowledge creation, or ‘guide on the side’” (Berk, 2010, p. 9). By shifting teaching to a model that is student-centered and incorporates a range of up-to-date technologies, I know I can better connect with the ...

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... education: Do students with special needs recognise the support given by teachers when using technology. Problems Of Education In The 21st Century, 35, 149-158.
Nemeth, K. N., & Simon, F. S. (2013). Using technology as a teaching tool for dual language learners in preschool through grade 3. Young Children, 68(1), 48-52.
Prensky, M. (2007). Changing paradigms: From ‘being taught’ to ‘learning on your own with guidance.’ Educational Technology, 47(4). Retrieved from: http://www.marcprensky.com/writing/Prensky-ChangingParadigms-01-EdTech.pdf
Prensky, M. (2001). Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.
Rosen, L. D. (2011). Teaching the iGeneration. Educational Leadership, 68(5), 10-15.
Vance, L. K. (2012). Do Students Want Web 2.0? An Investigation into Student Instructional Preferences. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 47(4), 481-493.

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