Teachers and Computers :: Technology Education Essays

Teachers and Computers The Task Ahead Our world is becoming increasingly dependent on engineering science. In factories, offices, highways, and homes, one can look a plethora of machines in use. It makes sense then, that one would find some of the same technology in the schools. There is an obvious need for incorporating technology into the schools and curriculum. The labour ahead for todays educators is to learn how to use computers efficiently, develop a technology team in their school, and successfully include computer-based instruction in their classroom. The blueprint of this paper is to present a process for bringing computers and teaching together. The first step is to educate the educators. A surprising number of teachers have very extra computer and technological skills. It is ridiculous to think that someone who is technologically inexperienced could teach a lesson involving multimedia presentations or computer simulations. The first standard of the home(a) Educational Technology Standards (NETS) states that teachers need to demonstrate introductory knowledge, skills, and understanding of concepts related to technology (NETS 9) There are eight basic types of technology with which educators need to be familiar. Each one provides a different educational benefit. A word processor encourages editing. Multimedia presentation software provides for different learning styles. Drill and dress software helps to reinforce things that the students have learned. A database helps students find the information that they need. Simulations provide a fun and effective way to learn, in which students take on roles in a story or event. Spreadsheets allow the user to perform several calculations at the same time for easy comparison. Tutorials work well for a sort out with diverse learning abilities because it provides self-paced instruction. The eighth and final basic technology type is telecollaboration over the internet. This allows students to experience parts of the world that they may never see. With all this technology available the question becomes, how are the teachers going to learn to use it all? The key word here is professional development. Professional development is collaboration amongst partners to provide opportunities for teachers to strengthen their ability to contribute to the students they serve (George 311). There are many ways teachers can strengthen their ability to contribute to students. One of which is attention seminars.