Technology in the Classroom

The use of technology has impacted the classroom at all levels, from preschool through graduate school computers, along with countless other forms of technology, enhance and define learning in schools today. Drucker (2006) believes, “In a very short time span, technology has become seamlessly integrated into our consciousness so quickly and deeply that we cannot fully absorb the full range of changes that have been wrought.” When looking at the numbers it is difficult to believe otherwise: In a 1999 survey by the U.S. Department of Education, it was reported, “99% of teachers responding reported that computers were available in their schools. That same year, 95% of all schools reported that they had access to the Internet, a significant increase over the 35% who reported access in 1994.” (Drucker, 2006) With almost three times the number of teachers reporting access to the internet and nearly all teachers reporting having access to computers the computer age is here.
Unfortunately, the computer age may be here, but the time of division in schools has not changed. The digital divide that separates the haves and have-not’s continues to become more prevalent. 99% of teachers may have access to technology, but that does not mean that they all have access to current, up-to-date, reliable technology. According to Swenson et al. (2005),
Many teachers and students do not have adequate access to hardware and software in their schools and classrooms. Frequently, the available technology is essentially obsolete since the processor speed or memory capacity is inadequate for current and supported software and insufficient for multimodal composing. In other cases, the technology is broken and the school lacks the funds or sufficient instructional technology support to repair it.


Educators must be sensitive to their student’s situations; not all students have access to computers at home, consequently when planning homework assignments as well as in school assignments teachers must take this into consideration. This is especially critical if the technology is not available at school for the students to complete the assignment. School districts, policy makers, businesses and the communities at large need to make it a priority to see that the schools have up-to-date technology—including high-speed Internet access—for all students, locating the computers in the classroom is more efficient than use of computer labs as well according Swenson et al (2005). As important as the new technologies are to educational success, access to them is not equally available. “Even in kindergarten and first grade classrooms, minority children from families of lower socioeconomic status (SES) are less likely to attend schools that provide computer access in their classrooms than children in the highest SES groups.” (Drucker, 2006) The availability to computers to our students for whatever reason makes the issue of culture even more important. This brings to the forefront the need to improve teacher education issues of race, class, and culture. If educators are not aware of the diversity in their classroom then, “the emergence of the new technologies will only contribute to the ever-widening digital divide.” (Drucker, 2006)
Research has shown major changes occurring in high school curriculum because of technology. For these changes to continue and to for them to be educational sound, schools must deal with training their teachers and student access to technology. Teachers must be equipped with the tools necessary to effectively integrate technology in their classes. This brings about the issue of teacher training. (Alexiou-Ray, 2003). Teachers are less likely to use technology if they are uncomfortable with the technology or if they do not have time to learn how to use the technology. Technology in the classroom will not have the same results for everyone. According to Alexiou-Ray (2003), “Teachers must have the tools to engage students effectively, using technology.” Schools must provide in-service training along with the physical tools for the teacher to properly engage the student in the use of the technology. The National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) for future teachers states that preparation for technology integration should occur at the college level. (Alexiou-Ray, 2003)
As a result, technology has also hit the college campus with an even greater force. Universities are no longer wondering whether to become part of the e-learning world, but are exploring new ways to achieve academic excellence through the use of technology. Munro (2006) states, “Before getting locked into the frenzied pace of integrating cutting-edge technology into classrooms, it is incumbent upon the academic community to deepen and broaden understanding and response to learners’ experiences – our premier academic stakeholders – during this transitional period.” It is important to remember as the changes occur on the college campuses to keep open lines of communication with the students who are using the technology. Technology has been credited with improving the efficiency of knowledge management. “Discussion boards and emailing expanded communication channels between learners enabling them to conveniently and unrestrictedly converse. This was cited as a key advantage for studying, exchanging course notes when learners were absent from classes, discussing course-related issues, and most significantly for managing team-based assignments.” (Munro, 2006) Technology challenges learners to exercise the full extent of their knowledge to produce sound projects; while on the other hand it will inspire teachers to use technology to enhance the education environment.
Elementary and secondary schools have shown marked improvement when technology was integrated in their math, science, language arts and social studies programs. In spite of the proof that the use of technology improves student success it was found in, “a National Center for Education Statistics study (U.S. Department of Education, 2000) found that only 33% of teachers (overall) and 44% of new teachers (three or fewer years in the classroom) feel well prepared to use computers and the Internet for a variety of potential applications in their teaching.” (Liang, et al, 2006). This is partially due to a lack of training at the college level. Pre-service and in-service training programs have been struggling to keep pace with the rapid changes.
In 1997, a task force of National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) on technology in teacher education found that college faculty members were not making extensive use of technology in their own research and teaching. As a result, colleges and universities were (and probably still are) making the same mistake made by K-12 schools. They treated “technology” as a special addition to the teacher education curriculum—requiring specially prepared faculty and specially equipped classrooms—not as a topic that needs to be incorporated across the entire teacher education program. (Liang, et al, 2006)

As technology becomes more and more prevalent it becomes more and more critical that teachers are trained properly in the use of technology so that it can be used to enhance learning in the classroom.
Another area where technology has shown to be helpful is improving students ability to be successful with standardized tests. History and social studies tends to be memorizing facts and dates, however with the use of technology it has been found that students can analyze and interpret historical data through using digital primary sources. Friedman (2005) writes, “Digital primary historical sources allow students to analyze documents of the past and draw their own conclusions, tasks which the National Center for History in the Schools (2005) deems essential for historical understanding.” When students analyze and draw conclusions they are building higher order thinking skills.
The internet adds an even different layer to the picture of technology. The internet will be changing the face of the classroom for the future. The internet opens a world of opportunity for students to communicate with not only their classmates, but also classmates across the globe, anytime, from anywhere, their ‘classroom’ is limitless. According to Hendricks (2004) the internet is more than a highway, “It is a destination, a place where we can create new social designs, where we can dissolve and reconstruct the classroom.” Students are on the internet more and more frequently communicating through email and online chat rooms. Hendricks (2004) proclaims,
“Technology makes possible a reconfiguring of school; a refocusing of everyday life, and the use of the tools and techniques of computer and image technologies expands the field of politics and culture. To a meaningful extent, technology is revolutionary. The battles of the future may well be fought not only in the streets, factories, or other sites of past struggle, but on the Internet as well.

Education has come a long way from the little red schoolhouse where everyone was in one room, to the schools of today. The look of the university is changing as rapidly as the preschool through twelfth grade. “The demand that colleges and universities typically make is to be "in residence" - to be part of the spatially defined community. Therefore, these communities enforce strict compliance with academic timetables, classroom schedules, and calendars.” (Hendricks, 2005) This demand from colleges has changed with the use of internet. The Internet has changed the make-up of schools by creating quick, inexpensive means for campus-to-campus exchange of text, images and data. Classrooms need a computer workstation integrated with the old blackboards and slide projectors, instead of taking notes on paper, students use their laptop computers. (Hendricks, 2005)
Constructivism and constructionism require active learning on the part of the learner. They require the teacher to take a more passive role, while allowing the student to become more actively involved in their learning. Technology is one way to help enhance this type of learning. Technology also helps to develop cognitive skills because they are more hands on. Technology would tend to hinder learning based on the social learning theory because with this theory social interaction is a major part. Behaviorism is concerned only with the physical world around the learner.
Technology has impacted the education world in numerous ways. The physical classroom has changed. The education of the teacher has changed. The way teacher’s present lessons have changed. Technology is still a rapidly changing world and the education world is still behind. The classroom of the future will undergo many more changes, with much more technology to be added to its repertoire.

References
Alexiou-Ray, J.A., Wilson, E, Wright, V.H., & Peirano, A. (2003). Changing instructional practice: The impact of technology integration on students, parents and school personnel. Electronic Journal for the Integration of Technology in Education 2 9/24/06 http://ejite.isu.edu/Volume2No2/AlexRay.htm

Drucker, M. (2006). Commentary: Crossing the Digital Divide: How Race, Class, and Culture Matter. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 6 9/23/06 http://www.citejournal.org/vol6/iss1/languagearts/article2.cfm

Friedman, A. (2005). State Standards and Digital Primary Sources: A Divergence. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education. 6 9/23/06 http://www.citejournal.org/vol6/iss3/socialstudies/article1.cfm

Hendricks, J.A. (2004). The Netgeneration: The Internet as classroom and community. Current Issues in Education 7 9/24/06 http://cie.asu.edu/volume7/number1/index.html

Hendricks, J.A. (2005). The Little Red Cyber-Schoolhouse Current Issues in Education 8 http://cie.asu.edu/volume8/number1/index.html

Liang, G, Walls, R.T., Hicks, V.L., Clayton, L.B., & Yang, L. (2006). Will Tomorrow’s Physical Educators Be Prepared to Teach in the Digital Age? Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 6 9/23/06 http://www.citejournal.org/vol6/iss1/currentpractice/article1.cfm

Munro, C.R. (2006). Transitioning from Traditional Classroom Training to Laptop-Facilitated Learning: Responding to the Orientations and Preferences of the Net Generation. College Quarterly. 9 9/23/06 http://www.senecac.on.ca/quarterly/2006-vol09-num01-winter/munro.html

Swenson, J.R., Young, R., McGrail, E., &Whitin, P. (2005). Beliefs about technology and the preparation of English teachers: Beginning the conversation. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education 5 9/23/06 http://www.citejournal.org/vol5/iss3/languagearts/article1.cfm