Whitney Tyson

EDU-225
10/12/2014
Professor Larson
Integrating Instructional Technology
s technology continuously a!"ances# integrating it into classroo$ instruction is an i$%ortant
%art of e!ucation &ecause of the &enefits it %ro"i!es in stu!ent learning' The !ays of the &lac(&oar!s
are su&tly &eing re%lace! &y )*+T&oar!s an! co$%uters an! ta&lets are su&stituting for te,t&oo(s'
The only thing a teacher can !o is a!a%t an! incor%orate instructional technology in stu!ent aca!e$ics'
There are "arious electronics an! -e& tools !esigne! to facilitate instruction# ho-e"er# there are se"eral
%ros an! cons to using these technologies "ersus the tra!itional $etho!s' Using la%to%s#
)*+T&oar!s# an! "i!eo ca$eras create a e!ucational o%%ortunites for stu!ents an! for teachers -ho
-ant to intergrate instructional technology'
.La%to%s/co$%uters/
La%to%s are at the to% of the chain for instructional technologies -ithin schools &ecause la%to%s
are consi!ere! to &e the 0ac( of all tra!es in the electonic (ing!o$' La%to%s ha"e the a&ility to !o
al$ost anything inclu!ing fin!ing infor$ation# u%loa!ing an! !o-loa!ing soft-are# ca%ture i$ages#
share infor$ation# %lay ga$es# co$$unicate# ta(e "i!eos# stu!y courses online# an! so $uch $ore'
The %ossi&ilites -ith la%to%s are en!less' +ecor!ing lessons in a $a0or %lus in using technology in the
classroo$ &ecause stu!ents ha"e the o%%ortunity to access the$ in school or at ho$e' Using "i!eo
recor!ings ren!ers useful in ta%ing the !ays instructions for su&stitutes -hen the teacher is out for the
!ay' La%to%s also %ro"i!e !i"erse $etho!s of co$$unicating instruction such as sites li(e# T-itter#
Wee&ly# an! 1ace&oo(' )ocial $e!ia is &eco$ing a large %art of stu!ent acti"ity therefore integrating it
into classroo$s can &e a useful tool to enhance instructional technology in any curriculu$'
.)*+T&oar!s/
)*+T&oar!s are a -on!erful tool that unifies stu!ents into learning acti"ities' )$art&oar!s
are the ne- age of &lac(&oar!s an! that ena&les stu!ents to interact -ith the -hite screen in front of the
class' Teachers an! stu!ents can use re$ote clic(ers# an! )*+T&oar! $a(ers to highlight# -rite# an!
%oint at assorte! tools on the )*+T&oar!' the touch of a &utton teachers can chage sli!es#
!ocu$ents an! e"en fin! -e&%ages that %er$its stu!ents to "ie- it at the sa$e ti$e' In the article#
2ring your o-n# technology is an i$%ortant as%ect in stu!ent learning' 3'''4)5tu!ents are encourage! to
use la%to%s# ta&lets an! s$art%hones to connect to s$art&oar!s -here teachers can %resent interacti"e
lessons'6 .32ring your o-n6# 2017# %ara' 7/ The teacher can e"en free8e a %age on the )*+T&oar!
an! continue -ith other tas(s on their la%to% -hile stu!ents continue to ta(e notes or finish u% their
acti"ites -ith %ause! screen' This is -hy using a )*+T&oar! has tre$en!ous &enefits in facilitating
classroo$ instruction# rather than ha"ing the teacher -rite e"erything &y han! -ith chal(' 2ecause this
tool is so "ersitile it &enefits any content &eing taught an! -or(s -ith all curriclu$s'
.9oice $%lifier/
Due to the increase in !i"erse stu!ent %o%ulation a single school classroo$ can contain :''
-hich is a :'' %ercent increse fro$'''''' '
With that &eing sai!# ha"ing a s$all "oice a$%lifier ai!s in classroo$ instruction' It $ay not &e the
&iggest lea% in technology &ut &eing hear! &y e"eryone in the roo$ is %ro"i!es a!e;uate e!ucation for
all in"ol"e!# -ithout ha"ing to use a $ega%hone' This insures that stu!ents can %ro%erly hear -hat the
teacher is instruction an! lea"es little roo$ for e,cuses li(e 3I !i!n<t !o the -or( &ecause I can<t hear
you fro$ &ac( here6or 3I !on<t (no- -hat<s going on6' If stu!ents can clearly hear the teacher s%ea(
then they are less li(ely to !ay !rea$' Using a "oice a$%lifier is $ost &eneficial !uring ti$es -hen the
teacher is a!!ressing the classroo$ as a -hole' )uch ti$es inclu!e# !uring recess# instructioning
lessons or rea!ing# an! %laying e!ucational ga$es'
Pros an! =ons of using Technology to 1acilitate Learning
s note!# there are $any &enefits to using technology to enhance learning' Technology -ill
continue to e"lo"e an! one of the cons of using technology is that teachers $ust &e al-ays
(no-lega&le in ho- to use it' nother con is that technolgy can &e out!ate! so it is i$%ortant to (ee%
u% -ith ne-er technologies since younger generation of stu!ents -ill only (no- a&out %resent
electronics' E"en though a!"ance! technology allo-s us to ha"e !ata at our fingerti%s it is %ossi&le that
stu!ents can ta(e a!"antage of it' )o$e technologies ha"e loo% holes an! if teachers are not careful#
stu!ents can fin! -ays to &eat the syste$ an! cheat' Increase use in technology also ten!s to $a(e
stu!ents a little $ore anti-social so it<s i$%ortant that teachers re$e$&er that stu!ents nee! to interact
-ith each other too' lthough technology has so$e !o-nsi!es the %osti"es out-eigh the negati"es'
Technology $a(es learning easier# con"ienent an! fun for stu!ents an! teachers' *ichel states in his
inter"ie- that he is a$a8e! at ho- thrille! teachers are in the effectie"ness that ta&lets ha"e on the
schools curriclu$' s -ell as the ga$es in e!ucation reinforce effecti"e learning across the s%ectru$
for e"ery (i! of e"ery race an! e"ery inco$e le"el .*ichel# 2017/' Technology %ro"i!es a !oor-ay for
en!less %ossi&ilities in co$$unication# an! -e& learning &ecause of this %arents can stay closely
connecte! to their chil!<s aca!e$ic<s an! in $uch -ays %ro"i!e chea%er alternati"es fro$ tra!itional
$etho!s of learning'
Wire! an! Wireless =lassroo$s
Wire! classroo$s use %hysical -ires to connect to the internet -hile -ireless classroo$s !o
not' >enerally -ire! classroo$s ten! to cost $ore since $ore tools are nee!e! for internet access an!
are not efficient for $o&ility access else-here since -ires are nee!e! to &e connecte!' 32y far# the
$ost i$%ortant &enefit of net-or(ing school co$%uters is that a!$inistrators# teachers# an! stu!ents
can access the unli$ite! e!ucational resources a"aila&le on the internet an! co$$unicate -ith other
e!ucators an! stu!ents all o"er the -orl! instantly'6 .)helly# >' >unter# +' >unter# 2012# %' ?1/ *any
schools are $a(ing the change to -ireless &ecause of these "ery reasons' )tu!ents can ha"e access to
the schools la%to%s or their o-n any-here in the &uil!ing as long as they are connecte! to the school<s
net-or(' The &iggest con of using -ire! co$%uters is that stu!ents $ust login to co$%uters -here the
teacher can easily $onitor the$' This !oes not $ean teachers cannot easily $onitor stu!ents on
-ireless la%to%s &ut the $o&ility $a(es it a &it har!er to (ee% trac( of -hat stu!ents !o -hen the
teacher is not aroun!' @ther than this $inor !o-nsi!e# -ireless classroo$s %ose as the &etter
alternati"e for o%ti$u$ stu!ent learning'
=onclusion
1inally# integrating instructional technologies in the classroo$s has $any &eneficial factors in
aca!e$ic learning' With assistance in "oice a$%lifiers teachers can use la%to%s/co$%uters# an!
)*+T&oar!s to enhace instructions in the classroo$' This &etter alternati"e than tra!itional $etho!s
of using a &lac(&oar! an! han!outs &ecause it a!a%ts to the -ays stu!ents learn' )ince technology is
&eco$ing a $a0or %art of $erican life than it<s i$%ortant that -e a!0ust -ith it' If you can<t &eat the$#
0oin the$# an! this $eans fin!ing -ays to use social $e!ia for e!ucational %ur%oses' There $ay &e
so$e cons of using technology such that can lea! to negati"e social ha&its &ut the %osti"es out-eigh
the negati"es' Technology %ro"i!es so $any o%%ortunities that &rea(s the &arriers of !ysociation &y
%ro"i!ing se"eral for$s of co$$unication an! %ro"i!es e;ual o%%ortunity for e"ery stu!ents using
-ireless co$%uters'
+eferences
A2ring Bour @-nA Tech Tools =onnects )tu!ents to )$art&oar!s' .2017/' Curriculum Review#
53.1/# 5'
*ichel# *' .2017/' )chool TechnologyC Pros @ut-eigh =onsD' Tell Me More (NPR)#
)helly# >'# >unter# >' an! >unter# +' .2012/' Teachers Discovering Computers Inteegrating
Technology In Connecte! "orl!' Eth e!' 2ostonC Ficole Pinar!# %'?1'