Blog1: How the Technological World Meets Your Child's Education

     Technology has made the world better in many ways especially when brought into the classroom.  When integrating technology successfully into the classroom, teachers must be informed of the needs of the children while still keeping up with the learning objectives. It is also very important how technology is used to help the student learn with the right technology.  When integrating technology into the classroom, it is important not to confuse it with using the internet for the project, researching information for your lesson, or using Microsoft Office products to help your assignment in any way. When using technology, it’s important that that it doesn’t cause distraction to the assignment and the students keep their mind on the subject. When technology was first introduced to the classroom were based on the work of behaviorists such as B.F. Skinner, whose work considered computers were able to provide drill and practice on previous learned skills. David Ausubel added on by helping us understand that how a learner receives and stores information affects its usefulness of the information. Ausubel’s theory would be known as the directed method, and it would lay the groundwork for a more efficient method of creating directed instruction.

Another theory that is important in technology is Constructivist instruction. Constructivism is a theory of learning that describes how our mind creates knowledge. This theory is based on the works of Jean Piaget. Piaget’s theory has two major parts: one component that predicts what children can and cannot understand at different ages, and a theory of development that describes how children develop cognitive abilities. These are two keys that are important for teaching and learning in the classroom.  The first rule is that learning is an active process where experience plays the key for storing the information and how information is presented. The second rule is that learning should be authentic as possible. The technology connected to Piaget would be CD-ROMs and Videodisks.  Another technological use for Constructionist learning by computer programing language LOGO developed to rely on computer for realization.  Vygotsky constructive theory is often called social constructivism. Vygotsky claims meditation is the central point of our psychology. Through meditation a human’s cognation engages in relationships with the material and social environments that are fundamentally different from non-meditated relationships. In Vytosky’s view to use technology to connect students is appropriate. When integrating technology there isn’t a right or wrong answer, but the teacher must make the final decision on what’s best suited for their classroom. There are three questions to ask yourself if technology is worth it. The first is the lesson content worthwhile? The second question Does the lesson activities engages students? The third question How technology enhances the lesson in ways that would not be possible without it?

Reflection in my classroom

The article is an excellent source to show me how to not only use technology to enhance the children’s learning experience, but also not overuse that it would harm the children learning.  When integrating technology in my classroom I will use it to enhance their learning experience other than using the textbook.  An example later on this year we will watch Martin Luther King's “I have a Dream” speech so they can not only hear the speech, but have a visualization of it. When teaching your children, I will use the constructivist instruction theory more because it shows more results in the class.  When teaching, I will make sure when I integrate technology that the lesson content is worthwhile, the lesson activities engages students, and technology enhances the lesson in ways that would not be possible without it.