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New technology in the classroomNew technology makes a wealth of knowledge available to teachers and students and offers great potential for the speed and style of teaching and learning. Using new technology in the classroom brings a real world aspect to teachers and students and greatly enhances the teaching and learning experience, productivity, standard and quality of work produced, participation and motivation in the classroom and contributes to students having the necessary skills needed to advance professionally and personally. Information is presented in so many ways that any learner, whether gifted or disabled, can find and use the necessary material. Technology such as speech recognition software is used in developmentally handicapped classes and the simplicity of the tablet?s touch interface is making it an extremely popular device for students with special needs. Furthermore, technology is used to help slower students keep up with their classmates whilst helping students with special abilities extend their learning beyond the standard curriculum. Different students learn in different ways, i.e. visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners. Using presentation software and video?s benefit all three types of learners. There is an abundance of apps delivering high quality multimedia content that allows for integration of fantastic media experiences into educational activities. We live in a society that increasingly expresses itself in images and video. Digital storytelling, animation, mathematics ? the creative possibilities are expanding rapidly, allowing students to express themselves in a number of ways. From simple acts like counting numbers and recognising letters to reading interactive books and connecting with social media; it?s the wealth of digital content that keeps teachers and students engaged. Using technology responsibly and appropriately can be captivating and exciting. Teachers can?t be afraid to incorporate and learn to use these new technologies. Technology in the classroom has a tremendous upside, a necessity in our evolving technology oriented world. New technology, for instance the tablet, tends to be used more organically. Teachers and students carry tablets around easily and can instantly access and integrate information and tools into discussions and educational activities. New technology opens the door to the possibility of utilising eBooks in education in place of their far heavier and more expensive paper counterparts, but at this point, the promise of eTextbooks still exceeds the reality. Using some computer tools to enhance lessons may have the negative effect of reducing teacher student interaction in the classroom, the probable loss of communication skills and interactive abilities. Teachers should not let technology reduce their students into becoming strictly observers. Aside from learning, conflict resolution and socialisation used to be the two prominent reasons children came to school. Computers can?t replace learning communication skills so necessary in today?s society. The advent of cheaper alternatives than computer implementations are closing the digital divide and making new technology increasingly accessible to more people. Technology has revolutionised the classroom but is not without its disadvantages. Many classrooms are being retrofitted with new technology that can enhance traditional methods of teaching and learning but they cannot replace old methods of teaching or the human touch. Teachers require training to understand how to teach differently, how methods like student-centric learning can be applied in the classroom, and shown how this learning style increases educational outcome. So regardless of how amazing new technology is, until social structures invest in trained teachers who know how to use technology to improve their teaching activities, using new technology in the classroom will be wasted. Ultimately, the quality of the class will depend solely on the quality of the teacher and not the presence of technology. References: Demand Media Inc, Advantages and disadvantages of technology in education, 2012. [www.ehow.com] May, 13, 2012. Education World, Technology Tools | Tools you can use. [www.educationworld.com] May 13, 2012 Priceless-Teaching-Strategies.com, Computers in the classroom, are they essential? You decide, 2008. [www.priceless-teaching-strategies.com] May 13, 2012 Sam Gliksman, Assessing the impact of tablets on education one year later, April 19, 2011. [www.edutechdebate.org] May 13, 2012 Wayan Vota, Tablets are good, content is better, and teachers are the best educational ICT investment, April 21, 2011. [www.edutechdebate.org] May 13, 2012
