Introduction
Technology has been a powerful tool in transforming education and learning. Over the years, educators and learners have witnessed technology improve their relationships in the learning environment, confirming its effectiveness. The National Education Technology Plan 2017 highlights that educators and students should always collaborate in finding new skills with the help of technology and setting clear visions for creating memorable learning experiences that give the proper support and tools for students to succeed in their education. However, to ensure that all these educational goals are met, educators must fully embrace and use technology effectively in their teaching practice. This paper will highlight and discuss my vision for using technology in education, its integral role in the education process, selecting educational tools and assessing their effectiveness, and the relevant technology integration framework, as highlighted by the National Education Technology Plan 2017.
In the current world, technology has become an integral part of human life, and education has not been excluded. Learners and educators can no longer use technology as an option but as an essential component of their learning and teaching process. According to the National Education Technology Plan 2017, education is critical for enabling efficient, personalized, and engaging experiences during teaching and learning. It should not at any point replace teachers but empower them to deliver quality information and support to learners. Technology in education is a catalyst for breaking down geographical barriers in learning institutions, individualized learning, and simplifying access to information and resources necessary for learning. Technology gives teachers different and better teaching styles, making learning more engaging and inclusive.
Additionally, with the aid of technology, educators can connect with other educators outside their institutions and can now engage with teachers worldwide. This allows them to get more information and deliver more perspectives and experiences to their students. Also, they can collaborate with trainers and other educators worldwide to create online professional learning communities by using tools such as social media sites, video conferencing, and online chats. Technology is a driver for imparting skills, especially in this century, where digital literacy and problem-solving are needed in every field. Besides enhancing the traditional classroom, technology redefines the educational landscape (US Department of Education, 2017).
Educators and teachers need to learn how to use technology and apply the knowledge to the learning process of their students. Every teacher should be well prepared to come up with ways to choose and use the best applications and tools necessary for supporting the learning process. When selecting these apps and devices for students, a few considerations must be focused on. First, the agency needs to align with the curriculum and goals of the education system. It is necessary that the technological tool used complements the learning objectives and goals and not complicate them. It should be able to adapt and accommodate various subjects, teaching methods, and grade levels to avoid repetitive processes. Secondly, the tool needs to be easily accessible and easily usable. A user-friendly tool for both learners and educators is vital as this makes learning easy. The device should have features that can be used by all learners, including those with different disabilities.
Additionally, these tools need to be safe and secure. Any data and information put in the mechanisms by teachers and students should be inaccessible to other users. Finally, ensuring that the tools and applications align with the institution’s infrastructure is equally important, enabling easy adaptation to evolving technology trends.
Like any other educational tool, to assess the effectiveness of the use of technology in education, teachers need to focus on the outcome of the students. This includes analyzing their engagement in class, retention rates, and academic performance. In cases where a teacher has introduced a new tool, they need to listen to the students and their feedback, as this is a substantial assessment tool. As a teacher, I would not only focus on the tool’s ability to substitute the traditional teaching method but also its ability to make teaching and learning more enjoyable and straightforward. According to NETP 2017, one way to know if technological tools are practical is by comparing students who have used the tool to those who have not. There would be a difference in these two students’ critical thinking, career readiness, and problem-solving aspects.
Teachers use various education technology integration frameworks to incorporate technology into their teaching practice. These theoretical models are made to help teachers and others in the educational field easily integrate technology into their teaching process meaningfully. The most common framework is TPACK. It is mainly used to provide teachers with a framework that’s important for understanding the role of technology in their teaching process (West et al., 2017). TPACK enables educators to deal with three types of knowledge daily: pedagogical, content, and technological. Pedagogical knowledge helps teachers know how to teach; content knowledge is the knowledge of one’s areas of specialization, such as math, science, or social studies, and technological knowledge is how to use specialized tools in the teaching practice. When educators use TPACK to integrate technology with education, they are not only using technical knowledge but combining technological knowledge with pedagogical content to create something new and give students a unique learning experience.
In summary, technology in education is necessary for both how educators teach and students learn. It is essential to recognize the importance of technology in enhancing the quality of education and making education easily accessible to anyone worldwide. When educators choose the technology tool to use, they need to consider its ability to align with the goals of education, security, effectiveness, and compatibility with the institution’s infrastructure. Additionally, it is essential to assess the tools’ effectiveness to know whether the students benefit from it. Finally, teachers can use the different integration frameworks like TPACK to ensure they understand how to integrate technology into their lessons and practices.
References
US Department of Education. (2017). Reimagining the Role of Technology in Education: 2017 National Education Technology Plan Update. https://tech.ed.gov/files/2017/01/NETP17.pdf
West, R. S. D. and R. E. (2017). Technology Integration in Schools. Pressbooks.pub. https://pressbooks.pub/lidtfoundations/chapter/tech-integration-from-bates/
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