Advanced Technology

We are now living in a world where advanced technology paves the way for a more comfortable and convenient life. Technology is everywhere and entwined in our daily lives so when technology in the classroom is used correctly, it opens up possibilities for more student learning especially that our students nowadays are mostly digital natives. I strive to make my classroom a fun, engaging place to learn every day. By integrating technology into the classroom in a meaningful and purposeful way, I can hold and sustain students’ love for learning. Using technology in the classroom has transformed me into a teacher a never expect to be.

      Now, walking in the classrooms and multimedia rooms is very overwhelming due to the existence of televisions and computer units. Technology has revolutionized the way we think, work, and play. Technology, when integrated into the curriculum, revolutionizes the learning process. More and more studies show that technology integration in the curriculum improves students' learning processes and outcomes. Teachers who recognize computers as problem-solving tools change the way they teach. Technology and interactive multimedia are more conducive to project-based learning. Students are engaged in their learning using these powerful tools and can become creators and critics instead of just consumers.

            Another reason for technology integration is the necessity of today's students to have 21st-century skills. These 21st-century skills include personal and social responsibility, planning, critical thinking, reasoning, and creativity, strong communication skills, both for interpersonal and presentation needs, cross-cultural understanding, visualizing and decision making, and knowing how and when to use technology and choosing the most appropriate tool for the task. See? Almost all the skills necessary for producing 21st-century learners are revolving around technology.

            Thus, the integration of advanced technology brought me into the following realizations: First, technology makes teaching a lot easier and more convenient on my part. Gone were the days when traditional instructional materials are in trends because what’s in now are the audio-visual presentations in which students can understand exactly how the knowledge is applied to practice. Second, technology helps me track students’ progress since it’s already centralized and more organized. Also, parents can track their child’s performance through these platforms. Third, educational technology is good for the environment because it’s already PAPERLESS. If only all learning institutions are given the chance to shift into using digital textbooks. Fourth, students and teachers can access information at any time! This is possibly the most obvious benefit of technology. When old-school teachers were students, they had to spend hours in the library looking for the information they needed. Today, technology integration makes everything different and simpler. Students can easily access newspapers, scientific articles, studies, and any other type of content online. They can write better, deeper academic papers because they can support their arguments with more evidence. When you give a lecture the students don’t understand, they can find simpler instructions and information with a single Google search.

            One thing I learned is that we should not underestimate the power of technology. However, this should not be the reason for technology to replace us, teachers, not only in the mind but most importantly, in the heart of our students. Technology exists to help us and not to overpower us. At the end of the day, it’s the students’ learning that counts in preparation for them to face the challenges that the REAL WORLD awaits.

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