Technology is used everywhere nowadays, computer literacy is an important skill for students to develop since the early years. Integrating CT into daily activities in elementary schools expose students to the use of electronic devices and prepares students for higher levels of education and in the future to be able to get jobs requiring advanced computer skills, especially in the case of students who do not have computers at home (Chapman & Mählck, 2004).
Computer-based learning (CBL) is a concept of using computers for teaching purposes Including activities like to investigate concepts, computer presentations for the class, computer- based testing, drawing or creating projects; the idea is to integrate computer learning into the curriculum as a whole, rather than isolating computer learning as a separate
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Chapter 4: Grant Proposal for a Computer Technology Lab
This chapter addresses the need for elementary students, in Fernando Ahuatzin Reyes School, to use Computer Technology (CT) in their everyday learning through a computer lab initiative. The elementary school Fernando Ahuatzin Reyes, located on the north border of Mexico, has limited access to technology. Currently, this school has a library with plenty of space in an accessible location for all the students and staff, including any users with mobility difficulties. The library will be accommodated to be a learning resource center and computer lab. The total area of this building is approximately 48 square meters.
The traditional layout is proposed for accommodating the computer lab, as shown in the Figure below, with access option to one device per student, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) projector with a screen, a printer, and software applications. The computers should be able to connect to the current school network and provide each computer with access to the network and Internet services (e-mail server, printer access, Wi-Fi,
Andrew Zucker examines computer use in the United States in both elementary and secondary education. It addresses issues such as teacher training, technology availability at home and in schools, and current technology projects that were ongoing at this time. The article ends by discussing computer usage in schools in a larger context, which provides a different perspective on educational technology.
In the last decade, increasingly powerful technologies have begun to make their way into classrooms across the nation. Many classrooms are now equipped with personal computers that run educational software to help teach students facts and concepts in a more engaging way than a traditional lecture. Advances in telecommunications technologies have led to almost universal access to the Internet, allowing students and teachers to communicate with people from around the world and gain access to a wealth of educational materials. New ways of obtaining and presenting information have given students powerful new methods for understanding the world around them. However, while use of technology in the classroom has been shown to be highly beneficial for students, it is important to note that without a well-planned technology support system, this expensive educational technology often goes under- or mis-utilized..
“Technology has provided the opportunity to create an entirely new learning environment; it has significantly increased the range and sophistication of possible classroom activities” (Hawkins 1997). The vast majority of youths today, grow up with computers and encounter some form of digital learning (Kolikant, 2009). The idea that has had the most impact is that the technology today will be outpaced by the next generation. Most of the technology seen today will never be used by an infant when he reaches school age.
Technology is growing every day. We use technology for everything we do, sometimes without even thinking about it. In our world, these advancements are used for communicating, entertainment, and education as well as others. Since technology is so ingrained into our lives, how much we use and depend on it is often not thought about. Our education system is on the front end of using new technology in classrooms. More and more class room and teachers are weaving it into their lesson plans and making it more available for students to use in the classroom. Technology is changing the way students are educated in America and across the world. In this paper I will discuss several ways that this can be seen and improved.
Not only can adults learn content through technology, they can also learn about technology itself (Merriam ad Brockett 1997) and develop the skills to use it competently. An example of the technology as curriculum approach is the course, "Exploring the Internet." Offered by the Georgia Center for Continuing Education, the 10-hour, noncredit evening course is designed to provide adults with the concepts and skills for using Internet applications such as e-mail and the Web (Cahoon 1998). The benefits of this approach include the opportunity to address each aspect of the technology in a clear, structured manner; little or no distraction from peripheral learning issues or goals beyond those of learning the technology; and efficiency in acquiring a discrete set of technology skills that can be applied in different settings. The major limitation of the approach is the narrow focus on the technology and the skills to use it. When technology skills are acquired in an isolated environment, they may not be easily transferred and applied by the learner in meaningful ways. In addition, if the learner lacks an opportunity for practice, the skills may deteriorate (Ginsburg 1998).
Technology in the classroom can be a good thing for many students. For example, it gives students easy access to information, but it isn’t always the best thing. Technology helps raise the illiteracy rate higher as it is used in school. In 2009, about 97 percent of classrooms had at least one computer in the classroom everyday, although approximately 54 percent could bring their own computers to their class. There was internet access available for almost 93 percent of the computers in the classrooms. Otherwise, 96 percent of the computers were brought in to the students. The average ratio of students to computers was 5.3 to 1. Since 2006 the spending rate for each school in the United States has increased about 1,250 dollars. It’s rate in 2011 was almost 10,250 dollars per pupil. Although technology can help many students and teachers, due to the fact that the use of it gets abused by some students therefore it isn’t the greatest to have at our fingertips.
Today, if you enter an average elementary classroom you might find a computer cart with twenty or thirty lap tops, all with hook-up to the internet. The teacher usually has either a desk top or lap top computer, sometimes both, for keeping track of important information. Technology has, in many ways, positively impacted the educational field. Michigan has made using technology a necessity. With help from the Freedom to Learn Program, improvements in classroom technology, and special programs used to assist educators, teachers become familiar with the new technology.
Schools are still expected to provide books, pencils, and paper; however, they are now also expected to budget in computers, scientific calculators, and DVD players. Computers cost up to one thousand dollars a piece; scientific and graphing calculators cost around one hundred dollars a piece; in addition wiring the schools to accept this new technology can cost thousands. The cost to implement technology into our schools is enormous, tens of thousands per school, and millions per school system. In the 21st century, people are becoming more and more dependent on technology. We rely on computers and cell phones more than books and meeting people face-to-face. The internet is becoming a main source of information and communication. Schools, as the primary educational source, must then teach children at a young age how to use technology as an efficient and effective tool.
Almost everyone attends a school at one time in their life whether the classroom includes technology or not. Research shows that technology isn’t used as often as one might think. The article, “High Access and Low use of technology in High School Classrooms” illustrates the use of technology by stating that only one in ten of elementary and middle school teachers are daily users of computers (Cuban, Kirkpatrick, Peck). Most schools now have classrooms that use technology throughout the entire class time and even at home to do homework. Although some people might agree with the use of technology in class, it is more harmful to the students than useful. It can cause many distractions, it can be difficult to use and can take away from learning time.
Our schools have progressed tremendously in the past century.In fact, in the past three decades, we have seen much progression with the use of computers in the classroom.We have gone from one room school houses with one teacher teaching many grades, to schools that may be two stories high or more with many teachers for each grade.More students are in school in today’s society than there...
Technology is waiting to reach its maximum quota of ways to support human life. Likewise, a computer always waits for me at my desk to hit the power button. Once I do, I am transported to the virtual society of what people would create, display, and provide to the world. A teacher can give instructions and work through these devices. Papers and pencils cannot compare to clicks and buttons. Click, I just submitted my homework. Click, I just emailed my friend a love letter. Click, I just sent a rocket flying to outer space! My school needs to take advantage of the many resources this generation has to offer to find more efficient ways for classrooms to work
For the teacher, computer technology can lead to more efficient time management in record keeping and developing lessons plans as well as the ease of conducting any kind of research and communication without having to leave the classroom.
Being able to incorporate technology into the daily lesson plans offers the teacher an endless possibility of communicating the subject through multiple modalities. Technology within the classroom can be seen through proximas, ELMO’s, DVD’s and websites that are incorporated to teach the students. Educators should be open to learning and incorporating the many opportunities technology brings to the classroom. Although technology has areas of strength and weaknesses, if learned and implemented creatively and efficiently students learning will be impacted greatly.
As time goes by, advances in technology will provide more and more avenues for learning by way of the computer. The Internet has opened the doors of the world and unleashed limitless possibilities in research and education. It may be only a matter of time when the classroom is brought online to all children and attending a school classroom outside the home is a thing of the past. Looking back over the last 20 years, I never would have imagined that computers would come this far and impact our lives so much. Just imagine where they will be 20 years from now.
It is essential to acknowledge that computers alone will not make a difference in the education of each student, as the OLPC program showed. The computer itself does not provide a more personalized learning experience; it is how the computer is used that makes a difference. The article, “Education in Peru: Error Message” in The Economist highlighted that the OPLC program did an excellent job providing a computer for every student, but did not have a plan for their use. It is crucial that the delivery of the computers comes with the implementation of a program that enforces the use of the computers in an educational