Should technology be used in education? If so, then how should technology be integrated in a classroom? 📱📡💻

Technology is rapidly evolving and being introduced to children at very young ages. Kids are playing less outside and being more likely spending time on their gaming counsels, tablets, and cell phones. At school, this can be a major distraction instead of paying attention in class. Such distractions can cause the grades to slip and produce off-task or even disruptive behaviours hence impacting the learning negatively. These are actually some of the misconceptions that are related to the use of technology in classrooms.

Beyond this view, many schools are integrating technology in their curriculum. An important note to be highlighted here is that technology is not a solution for our nowadays educational problems, but rather a tool that can facilitate the learning process in various subjects and under several circumstances.

Interactive educational sessions that require students to use mobile devices can keep students engaged in the studies by delivering knowledge through a medium that they are comfortable with. Introducing students to technology in the classroom using computers and smartphones attract students more than whiteboards and books do. I am a biology teacher and I can easily sense the excitement during the Profuturo program sessions where I work along with my students on simulations and online games using individual tablets.

Familiarizing students with this technology will also help prepare them for jobs where they will definitely need to know and have more practical skills related to technology than just academic theories. These skills can include the beneficial use of social media and coding. It is very important to mention that teacher should be trained well to effectively use technology in their classrooms so that the tools they use such as active boards become as entertaining as regular TV shows for students.

An effective teaching is basically the one who is student-centred. Teachers should be aware that using technology does not always mean interactive classes. For example, teachers may use active boards or visual presentations but they keep talking the majority of time. Moreover, taking online quizzes with immediate feedback for both students and teachers can sometimes ignore problem-solving and critical thinking skills in students even though the majority would think about it as the best alternative for paper-based tests.

So, how would you, as a teacher, use technology in an effective way in your classrooms? First, you may allow students to simply make research and google facts. At the same time, the students are learning from very valuable resources. Within every week, there is always a session dedicated for research about different Biology topics that I give my students to increase their knowledge in the content studied and present their findings using PowerPoints or Google slides. In addition, technology enhances critical thinking skills where students can evaluate and criticize the content presented. Another important point is the use of technology for collaboration among students and their teachers as well. Group work allows people to share ideas and their voices, discuss them, and build on their previous experiences and knowledge. Moreover, one of the most exciting aspects of using technology is designing or creativity. Students are able to create contents of different types with wide range of sophistications and present their ideas from videos, PowerPoint presentations to creating designs or data bases on a software.

Technology is actually present at all stages in the education process. It renders learning more dynamic and related to life. The key is to smartly use technology hand in hand with education in an attempt to prepare our students for brighter futures.