September 16 Reflective Post

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Hi again,

Today I read an article that was presented in class on some significant research which involved the use of technology in the classroom. This specific research was designed to show how much of a class uses technology while doing work in class, whether it is reading on a tablet, looking up information on their phones, or using the student’s laptops in general. Also, the numbers that resulted from this research were compared to other schools, both coming from high income students and low income students.

First off, as I read the research and statistics from the article, I was really shocked by how much of the class uses technology such as laptops, tablets, and even phones in class. For example,” Mobile technology has become central to the learning process, with 73% of AP and NWP teachers saying that they and/or their students use their cell phones in the classroom or to complete assignments.” The numbers that were presented in this article were quite astonishing. Thinking back, smart phones didn't really exist when I was in school, but I know that they would not have been allowed in my classes. In fact, my younger sister goes to the same school as I did and I know for a fact that the students are not allowed to use their phones, tablets, and laptops in class.  Although many of the schools are incorporating tech in the classroom, there is also a problem with not all students having access to these wonderful resources. “Teachers of low income students, however, are much less likely than teachers of the highest income students to use tablet computers (37% v. 56%) or e-readers (41% v. 55%) in their classrooms and assignments.” This fact certainly brings up a crucial point when it comes to education. How are those who do not have access to the different types of technology keep up with those who do have the resources?

If it were up to me, I would be completely for the use of any technology in the classroom which could make learning more effective. I know students learn in different ways, and using technology may be their preferred method of learning. I think it’s important for teachers to understand this and accept the use of technology in their classrooms. Including such technology would really open up doors for both students and educators. Apps, programs, simulators, articles, and so many effective tools would be at the hands of everyone!

With all this talk on technology in the classroom one can’t help but think about the problems that would come up, for example research reliability. Although unreliable research can be avoided by using dependable and trustworthy sources, we should always be aware of what exactly we’re reading and where the information is coming from. This can be related to using technology in the classroom, because many times students are using the internet and other sources for school use. These sources may or may not be reliable, which means either students should know how to look for reliable research, or the educators provide dependable research sources beforehand.
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