Computer Technology In The Classroom

CONTROVERSY OVER

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Computer Technology in the

Classroom

Almost anyone can agree that computers have revolutionized the way we live, work and socially interact with each other. However, one big controversy is how computers and similar technologies have influenced the way schools teach as well as how they have influenced the way students learning.

The following articles help explain common issues over the use of computer technology in the classroom and whether or not it their uses are effective.

- Factors Affecting Technology uses in Schools: An Ecological Perspective

-Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second Decade

-Tracing Teachers’ Use of Technology in a Laptop Computer School

Introduction

This article is about the controversy of simply adding new technologies into the classroom. The idea is that teachers tend to resist anything that puts pressure or changes the existing practices. The reasons of limiting classroom computer use differ from actual spatial issues of bulky desktops, the hassle of having to move a class to a computer lab, and the lack of home computers to complete work. The article also compares the classroom as an ecosystem, with living parts that work together. It uses new technology as a metaphor for an invading species.

Factors Affecting Technology Uses in Schools: An Ecological Perspective

Illustrates the ‘ecosystem’ of education and the effect of and ‘invading species’, or technology.

The way the article explains introducing technology into the classroom, as an invading species to an ecosystem, it helps you see the introduction from a teachers point of view. Seeing as how we are in the midst of a fast-paced technology revolution , it’s not just the students being introduced to more and more new technology. Teachers not only have to keep up the new technologies , but they have to stay ahead of the students. The article concludes with the fact that an invading species to an ecosystem, or technology to a classroom, can be both complimentary or competitive. Over use of one resource can lead to the extinction of another, like relying on television or video for visual aid can reduce the use of applications like PowerPoint for presentation of material. However, if properly balanced with existing resources new technologies can compliment and enhance the learning environment for students.

A-HA MOMENTS•The way they explained introducing technology as a metaphor as an invading species seemed very innovative to me. It really helped me understand the meaning better than just going on and on with technical jargon. • I had never thought of introducing technologies as being difficult for teachers as well as students. I know what’s in store for my teaching career now and how many furthering education classes I’ll have to take to keep up with things. •I liked how they showed the importance of incorporating the new technologies with existing practices to keep the transition easy and to prevent loss of current technologies. “..Teachers’ unwillingness to take students to the [computer] lab..”(Zhao and Frank)

I found this hard to believe. Though it may be true, I think teachers would love to get their students into a new environment and have new media to work with.

Reflection

Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second

Decade

This article most illustrates the differences in gender and educational technology, which is one controversy I had never heard of before. It was written after a follow-up study of the late 1980’s research on race, gender and socioeconomic differences among computer use in primary and secondary education. However, this article on the follow-up study mostly focuses mostly on gender differences in processes of education such as type of computer use, teachers’ attitudes, curriculum and student interaction (Volman and Eck) . The study concluded that in the case with the different uses of computers, in the 80’s mostly males were enrolled in programming classes, gaming, and outside use of computers. The follow-up study shows that in the 90’s, that is no longer the case. The gender gap among computer use has significantly declined.

The discussion about teachers’ attitudes towards teaching with computers shows that there is an international phenomenon when it comes to gender differences. It states that there is a lack of female role models that have sufficient computer skills, knowledge and positive attitudes when it comes to teaching, despite the fact that there is very little difference between skill level of male/female computer teachers. The article illustrates that women simply aren’t as confident when it come to computers which I find difficult to believe. The outcome of the article about the students attitudes reflect the same trend. It shows that girls have less achievement in computer classes than boys because of negative attitude towards computers. Boys seem to have a higher interest in computers and find them more useful.

A-HA MOMENTS•The main controversy that surprised me was the general factor of gender differences in computer use. I guess I never noticed a gender gap because my generation has been raised in the ‘technology boom’. •I was stunned to read about the teacher’s attitudes. I always had female computer teachers that seem confident in what they do. It makes me think about the computer education level around the world.•I wondered about the students attitudes until the outcome of the paper. I believed that female students had less interest and achievements in school. Until I once again had been disproved by the new generations attitudes towards computers. •“We point out that the term computer-aided instruction is no longer adequate for the diversity of computer applications now used in schools.” (Volman and Eck) This seems like the most true statement in the entire article. Computer education has come a long way since being introduced.

Reflection

This article is in response to a study done about how teachers learn to use technology and how they incorporate it into the classroom. The study followed three teachers in classroom setting where each fourth-grade students had been given an individual laptop. One of the controversies of this study was how the teachers would adapt their teaching styles and classroom organization when every student has access to such a powerful learning application.

Tracing Teachers’ Use of Technology in a Laptop Computer School

The conclusion of this study found three general themes of how and why teachers change teaching practices. The first one is that before the experiment, teacher only pictured mass technology having a constraining effect. What was found after the study was that it placed more control over the learning environment and even allowed the control to be placed in either the student or teachers hands. The second theme was that teachers didn’t take the initiative to fully use the technology at hand. Two of three teachers did not use the laptops to a significant degree. However, the final teacher that began with negative thoughts about the new technology allowance, was able to use them as a catalyst for project-based learning. The final them among the teachers was for the need of collaboration among teachers that share and interest in technology as well as improving their teaching practices. This allowed teachers to how productive children are in different settings such as planned and unplanned use of computers.

A-HA MOMENTS•I was a little overwhelmed when I read that every fourth-grade student would receive a laptop. I guess it was hard to picture because when I was in the fourth grade, we had a single computer per classroom. I can only imagine how productive a class like that could be. •I once again was overwhelmed when I read that only one of the teachers use the full potential of the laptops. Why would someone waste such a great resource like that?•I liked that an important them was the need for teachers to collaborate. I could easily see it preventing someone from falling behind the curve for bettering their teaching practices. •“..teachers often change instructional practices over time when using technology with students and has further suggested that teachers’ use of technology may play a role in shifting toward a more constructive pedagogy.”(Windshitl and Sahl)

•I think this would have to be true. I believe that most technology a=can only strengthen teaching practices.

Reflection

These articles are only the beginning of the list of controversy over introducing technology into schools. They are also controversies that I had never thought of before. Before reading these article I had never thought about how integrating technology into schools affected the teachers learning the technology; I had only thought about the students. Before reading the second article, I would have assumed that males and females were equal when it came to computer use and teaching. The third article makes me think about how long it will be before all schools have individual students computers. All of the articles have helped prepare me to think about how I will have to adapt to further technologies when I become a teacher.

Conclusion

Factors Affecting Technology Uses in Schools: An Ecological Perspective Yong Zhao, Kenneth A. FrankAmerican Educational Research Journal, Vol. 40, No. 4 (Winter, 2003), pp. 807-840Published by: American Educational Research AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3699409

Gender Equity and Information Technology in Education: The Second Decade Monique Volman, Edith van EckReview of Educational Research, Vol. 71, No. 4 (Winter, 2001), pp. 613-634Published by: American Educational Research AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3516100

Tracing Teachers' Use of Technology in a Laptop Computer School: The Interplay of Teacher Beliefs, Social Dynamics, and Institutional Culture

Mark Windschitl, Kurt SahlAmerican Educational Research Journal, Vol. 39, No. 1 (Spring, 2002), pp. 165-205Published by: American Educational Research Association Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3202475

APA Citations