How Teachers Can Use Traditional and Emerging Technologies into Their Classroom

Monday, November 15, 2015

The purpose of this blog is to explain how teachers can use traditional and emerging technologies in their classrooms to support teaching and learning  and how they should evaluate the use of the technology in the classroom.

Today’s youngsters were born in the age of the Internet so in order to connect with them, as a teacher, you must learn to speak their language and become conversant with the technology that comes so naturally to these students. Integrating technology means tapping into students’ interests and strengthening their technical skills, cater to the different intelligence, learning styles, and abilities all while providing enriching learning opportunities; therefore it is imperative that teachers use traditional and emerging technologies in their classrooms to support teaching and learning.

Traditional technologies include: 

•  Overhead projectors- This is typically used by teachers to display transparencies pertaining to content in different subject areas.
•  Scanners-Teachers often use a scanner to scan documents and images into the computer.
•  VCR- Used to play movies stored on videocassette tapes.
•  Multimedia cart with projector- laptop, speakers, and a projector to display educational materials and deliver presentations to their class.
•  PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) -These are primarily used by teachers and students to enter information in a calendar, maintain contact information and download files from a computer.
•  Desktop computers and laptop with internet access- Teachers use desktop computers and/or laptops to prepare classroom materials, students used them for research, word-processing, administrative tasks such as recording grades and attendance.

•  MP3 players- MP3 players are used to play mp3 files (e.g., podcasts and music).

• Smart board/interactive whiteboard technology- This is an interactive white board that is   used to replace the traditional whiteboard and allows users to control a computer using a pen, finger or other device.

•  CD-Rom and DVD-Rom drives- Both teachers and students use CD-ROM/DVD-ROM players to  read CDs and DVDs. The latter may contain educational software, classroom materials, music, and movies.

Emerging technologies include: 

WIFI TECHNOLOGY

WiFi (wireless fidelity) technology makes it possible for computer networks and handheld devices to connect to the Internet by using its wireless capabilities. This has increased teachers' flexibility in teaching and learning. Teachers and students can exit the classroom with their wireless laptops or handheld devices and connect to the Internet using public wireless networks.

WEB 2.0 TECHNOLOGIES

The term "Web 2.0 technologies" refers to technologies that facilitate new ways of collaborating and creating information online. Examples of Web 2.0 technologies include podcasts, wikis, blogs, social networking services, virtual reality environments, and photo-sharing websites.

•  Podcasts- Pod-casting or the broadcasting of audio files over the Internet. This enables teachers to record information for students and parents to access.. 

• Wikis- A wiki is a website that is written collaboratively by different individuals in the public; this assist students and students with information needed especially for research.

•  Blog- A blog is a type of website where an individual or organization can keep an online journal or share information, personal news and commentaries about different topics of interest, as well as pictures, video clips, and other materials. This is a great resource for teachers to use to inform parents of happenings in their classrooms.

 Social Networking Services

A social networking service is an online service that gathers communities of people with similar interests and/or activities and allows them to communicate via email and instant messaging.projects with other students around the world.

 Virtual Reality Environments

 A virtual reality environment is a Web-based 3-D environment that allows users to interact with the 3-D environment.

Photo-Sharing Websites

 A photo-sharing website is a website that allows people to maintain and share photos. 

Teachers must assess the impact of any technology introduced into the classroom, and they must do so effectively. By doing so, teachers are able to objectively identify the success or failure, also what areas to improve on.  

There are two types of evaluations that teachers can perform when evaluating the use of technology in their classroom, namely formative evaluations and summative evaluations.

Formative Evaluations

A formative evaluation is typically performed during the early implementation stages of technology. It asks questions related to the process of planning and implementation. 

For example, a formative evaluation may ask:

• Was the technology equipment that was ordered received on time?
• Is it necessary to provide training to teachers and students on how to use the technology?
• Which technology skills do teachers and students need to use the technology?
• Did teachers and students receive training on how to use the technology?
• Was the technology incorporated into the classroom?

Summative Evaluations

A summative evaluation, on the other hand, is performed to assess the impact of technology on teachers' and students' performance outcomes. Although some information in summative evaluations is collected during the early implementation stages of technology (e.g., baseline data and test scores), most of the information is collected after technology has been implemented in the classroom for a reasonable period of time. A summative evaluation asks questions related to performance outcomes. 

For example:

• Have teachers' and students' technology skills improved following training?
• Have teachers increased their use of technology in the classroom?
• Has technology improved teachers' instructional delivery?
• Has technology increased students' motivation?
• Has technology increased student engagement?
• Has technology increased students' performance?