Every teacher knows just how annoying it can be when their students have their mobile phones on during lesson times, but that doesn’t mean that all technology is bad. You’ll already use computers in your classroom for certain applications, however, there is currently a hot debate going on in schools up and down the country about whether tablet devices and laptops should replace textbooks and workbooks.
No matter which side on the fence you sit on, there is no denying that modern technology has evolved way past the black and white screened computers I remember as a child, and the education system as a whole is falling behind, thus hindering their students chances of success - I shouldn’t imagine the private schools in London hesitated to adopt all this new tech, so neither should you.
With that in mind, I’ve compiled this short post in the hope of convincing you that technology is a good thing and should be used as a learning aid wherever possible.
Spelling & Grammar
Though admittedly more and more young students are opting to use services like those provided by UKEssays to counteract the problems caused by bad spelling and grammar, promoting the use of word processing software is a guaranteed way of getting students to learn at a much faster speed. I am a professional writer, but when I first started out at this profession I still had issues spelling certain obscure words, but the red squiggly lines soon highlighted this fact and now I write perfectly.
Problem Solving & Information Accumulation
If your student has a problem or needs some information on a topic, which is a more desirable reaction; spending ten minutes with their hand raised in the air waiting for you to provide the answers, or finding out the information for themselves? I suggest it’s the latter. In the real world your students will have to seek out info and provide their own answers and solutions to problems, so encouraging them to work on these skills now using laptops, iPads, and the internet will only help them to progress.
Learning Techniques
It’s a widely accepted fact that people learn things in different ways - the three main ones being; visually, audibly, and via a hands on approach. Allowing your students to have constant access to the internet means they can utilise whichever technique works best for them. If they learn better via visual or audible means, they could look on YouTube or a similar video website for guides etc. Likewise for the hand on approach.
Basically, what I’m trying to say here is; no matter what type of profession your students enter when leaving school, they’ll be required to use a computer at some point (even in warehouse-type jobs and other unskilled work) so preparing them now and teaching them the skills they’ll need for the working world is essential.
Why on earth would an establishment that has education as its prime purpose fail to utilise technology and effectively hinder their students progress? Food for thought eh?