Thursday, June 19, 2008

The use of technology in the classroom

One question that I have in regards to the Leander piece is how does a teacher prepare their class for the introduction of an external force into the classroom such as the internet? The internet poses many dangers to students and as such they should be knowledgeable about the danger that this force can have on their lives. Technology should never be used as a crutch to lean on. It should enhance the classroom and not be used as another tool to perform regular teaching practices. Also, technology should be explained to children as to its purpose for use within the classroom. I also believe that teachers should educate their students as to the positives and the negatives of different types of technology.

1 comment:

Grace said...

Yes, it's another critical literacy. One must be willing to challenge the authority of the text and its appropriateness for a given situation. It is important to look at both sides of an issue and weigh the right answer. A calculator is a useful tool, but there are times when students need to do math on their own. Same thing applies to most technologies - and not just the digital ones. Other, more traditional technologies also have their time and place. Just as one shouldn't unquestioningly accept something because it is new and shiny, neither should one accept anything simply because it is habit and tradition. It's teaching students how to think for themselves.