Assignment 1

Assignment 1 - Technology in Education: Using a Word document, prepare 1 - 2 pages describing any experience you have in teaching or helping in schools; what you have seen as a teacher or student in the use of technology in K-12 classrooms; and finally, how you feel technology should be integrated into teaching and learning. You should address the following questions in your essay:
How would you define educational technology?
What is its role in teaching? In learning?
What factors encourage or discourage the use of technology in the classroom?

Educational technology is any type of media that a teacher uses to assist in teaching and learning. Media, used as educational technology, ranges from powerpoints, videos, audio, computers, etc. Educational technology enhances learning for the students and provides alternative ways for them to understand the material being taught. In the field of special education, there are two other forms of technology used: assistive and instructional. These forms of technology are essential for providing assistance needed for some individuals to complete a task. I believe that they can also be considered educational technology because they are often necessary for educational achievement.
I believe the role of educational technology is to provide alternate forms of relaying a lesson to the students. Students often have different learning styles and by using educational technology, all students have the opportunity to learn using the style that they benefit most from. Educational technology also enhances learning by changing things up a bit. No child wants to have to sit through a lecture every day. Through the use of educational technology, teachers can use interactive powerpoints, videos, and even websites to teach a specific lesson.
There are several factors that encourage and discourage the use of technology in the classroom. I believe that individuals, who have had lots of experience with the internet, computers, and other forms of media are often going to me more open to using them in the classroom. Individuals who aren’t very confident in their ability to use the media, are probably less likely to welcome educational technology into their classroom. I think that schools should do workshops to get all their teachers on the same page about technologies that can be incorporated into their classrooms. I do feel that if I were unaware of how to use certain technologies, then I would not likely try to use them in my classroom. I have spent quite a bit of time in the schools, and have seen an equal amount of teachers who do and do not incorporate educational technology into their classrooms. I do feel that the students who have access to computers and other educational technology are more excited about learning and about being at school. I am excited about taking this course and learning more about technology that can be incorporated into my lessons when I become a teacher