Philosophy of Technology in Education

In today’s rapidly advancing world, technology has found its way into many aspects of

our lives. They can be found in the workplace, at home, and in the classroom. They provide us

with many tools and access to wonderful information with just a click of a button. They reduce

time and stress in obtaining useful information on a vast array of topics. While this may be a

huge benefit to our students, it can also create issues that can be harmful to many. Hackers,

cyber-bullying, and those attempting to prey on innocent children have created a lack on trust in

this resource.

One of the many pros in incorporating technology into the classroom is that we are able

to show our students so much more than we can explain. We can virtually take them on field

trips, show them videos of what we are learning, and provide them with resourceful programs.

Students are able to take the information learned and apply it to real life situations allowing them

to become self-directed learners. This type of instruction allows for those who are visual

learners to select the learning project that best suites their learning needs. Instructors have the

capability of creating various learning settings that meets the needs of all students allowing them

to grasp the concepts they need in a way they understand.

By customizing learning activities, instructors are able to provide multiple learning

avenues for any given subject or idea. This allows for the instructor to use their knowledge and

creativity to create excitement in learning about different topics. Collective collaboration

between teachers and students not only fosters growth in the student but also in the instructors

allowing for continued learning and satisfaction for both. This creates the ability to work well

with others in various situations maximizing everyone’s knowledge and strengths.

 With technology becoming more prevalent in many career fields, it necessary for students

to learn basic technology skills. They must learn to apply or share information with future

employers and colleagues. Technology enhances both verbal and written communication skills

necessary to share or implement ideas. This tool provides students with guidance in learning

how to access and retrieve important information that does no limit them to only one source of

information. The more that technology is used in the classroom, them more students will build

confidence in using technology to create and use different software programs. This necessary for

their future education and professional experiences.

One of the cons observed in using technology in the classroom is that it can often times

be abused in a negative fashion. The tool put in front students can create a distraction for a

learner’s desire to use the technology for personal purposes. This can put a burden on teachers to

continually have to stop their instruction to monitor students and reprimand those who are

abusing the technology. With the number of students in a classroom it can it can be difficult to

ensure that all students are staying on task and using tools such as Chromebook in an appropriate

manner. This can create a resentment for teachers who feel that they now have to babysit their

students to make sure that they know and understand how to use the internet in a safe and

responsible way. Unfortunately, many parents believe that their children are old enough to

understand how to use technology appropriately but may not always the case.

Another con is that not all children are at the same level in the areas of technology. With

different socio-economic differences many students may not have access to the different forms

of technology. This can include a lack of parental support is using these tools. This puts a

burden on instructors to teach basic technology skills putting students at different levels in their

learning. It can result in teachers falling behind in lesson plans in order to catch students up or
limiting the amount of technology that they can use as learning tools. This can create a stressful

situation for all students in addition to the teacher.

Technology has now overtaken all aspects of our lives and has created issues with

students’ ability to communicate, use proper grammar, and use cognitive skills. The overuse of

technology has created a dependence on tools that previously required us to learn basic

educational skills such as spelling. The loss of creatively is also a downfall as technology

basically gives ideas on how to complete different projects. Ultimately this has caused a lack of

understanding learning material if students are constantly relying on a computer to help them

understand everything. This dependence on technology in the classroom has taken away from

building positive student-teacher relationships. Instructors are providing instructional material

without knowing if they students are grasping the information thus leading to failing grades

I personally feel that technology can be a great resource in the classroom when used

appropriately and when it is being monitored. Technology has made things a lot easier with

being able to show students more things and helping us visually show them things we normally

could not show such as science experiments or using an I-Wall for medical students. It has

helped many teachers with grading assignments especially when they can create quizzes that will

automatically be graded by the program when students have completed the quiz. It has also been

a great resource for non-traditional student who wish to complete their studies online without

having to physically go into a classroom. This can save students the expense of having to travel

to the educational institution in order to further their education.