The recent advances in technology made possible by the internet have resulted in a rapidly changing world. In order to keep up with such advances, the presence of technology in the classroom has become of increasing importance.
Integrating Technology into Teaching is a great way for an educator to enhance the effectiveness of their lessons and connect with their students. After all, the current young generation has been immersed in technology like never before, and using instructional technology is a way to accommodate their educational needs in a way that is familiar and fitting for them.
So what are some of the meaningful ways to include technology in the classroom?
To begin, instructional technology can be a great way for an educator to have their students conduct research. One way an educator could do this would be requiring students to conduct internet research for a project.
In order to supervise and direct the effectiveness of this lesson, teachers could supervise computer lab time to make sure students are making correct use of their time.
They could also assign requirements for references and citations in order to teach children best practices for internet research. Selecting a particular website for research on a particular unit or topic could be an effective way to provide students with further direction.
Integrating technology into teaching can also be done by using computer software with the internet. Instructional technology can provide information and insight in creative formats, and software programs can provide lesson plans in a very effective manner.
This technique could be used for any subject, such as math, science, social studies, and English. Examples of this could include students viewing a series of videos online to learn about the cultures of another country, or online educational presentations that can help them learn about geometric shapes.
One of the great potentials of such examples of instructional technology and the internet is the fact that they can be interactive and hands-on activities for students. These online tools usually provide a small test at the end of the viewing material or throughout the presentation to involve the student directly in the process.
Another effective method of utilizing instructional technology could be assigning students to create presentations using software. The effectiveness of this could be further enhanced by requiring students to post several links to websites, or embedding videos in the presentation. This will help students in their presentation skills, research skills and technology comprehension skills.
Another wondrous benefit for educators to consider about integrating technology into teaching is the fact that using instructional technology is a way for teachers to diversify their teaching lessons with a different kind of approach.
Providing more instructional variety aside from the usual lecture format can be a way to keep students engaged and interested in learning new material. It can also provide a breath of fresh air to certain lesson plans.
As the world changes, education plans must change as well to keep up and prepare students for the future. Integrating technology into teaching is a necessary ingredient to preparing students sufficiently so that they are successful in their lives once they pursue their careers.
