Week One Course Inroduction: What is education technology?

The first week of class we learned what educational technology is. It is the use of technological tools such as computers, power point and the internet to promote learning. With the technology available today, learning is now possible for almost everyone around the world and if nothing else, has made it much easier to share one's knowledge internationally. Different social networks such as Facebook and blogs have made it much easier to communicate with people in other countries and have changed the way companies interact with their clients.

The advantage of educational technology is that now, teachers are able to teach using many different examples that can cater to individual needs of each student. Ideas and situations can be made more real with the use of these technological tools that can help students visualize things easier. People no longer have to show up to a classroom in order to take a class. Nowadays, people from anywhere can "attend" classes at any university by taking online classes. This is much more convenient and gives people more opportunities to experience things that they may not have had the chance to experience before.

One of the biggest disadvantages is that techonology is expensive. It changes and develops at such a fast rate there is a contant need to have the "latest" item and it may not be possible obtain these things if you work in a company or school that doesn't have the money to do so. Also, technology does not fix all learning problems. The use of technological tools in the classroom may not help kids focus better, and with everything that is available now, students can easily get distracted by going on Facebook when they are supposed to be listening to the teacher.

Technology is important for me since I am an education major. I will need to learn how to use certain tools such as smart boards and most likely Mac computers, since those seem to be common in classrooms today. I will also need to know how to use technology in an efficient way so that my students are getting the most out of their learning experiences. Technology makes it much easier to communicate with others around the world would allow me to organize communication between my class and another class from anywhere in the world, ehcouraging students to interact with each other and learn about other cultues (modern day pen pals!).

I chose this article because it is an example of one disadvantage to technology in the classroom. While having lap tops in class can be nice and effective for looking up information and taking notes, students are oftentimes distracted by Facebook, email and online games. While this article is based in the college classroom, I believe that it could still apply to any age level.

Disadvantage of Technology in Education