Week 2: Chapter 1

Discuss three issues shaping the role of technology in education
• The accountability and standards movement forces teachers to think of ways to incorporate technology in their lessons. Teachers are charged with the responsibility of both understanding how to use the technological tools and resources and how to integrate it for effective instructional use. Once the teacher has accurately incorporated technology in the classroom, students can gain hands on experience with the tools and become potential competitors in the work force.
• Privacy and safety issue is something educators really need to be aware of. There are so many online predators that are searching and seeking out children for sick purposes. Moreover, students’ identity as to where they live and what school they attend can be at risk as well as their safety. At my school, in the beginning of the year all students are given a “permission to access the Internet” forms before using the computers because there are some parents who believe that the Internet is just another medium for their children to become expose to inappropriate material.
• Racial and gender equity has always been a factor since the Europeans colonized America. Many whites (mainly males) dominate the white collar jobs, whereas most of the unfavorable jobs are employed by blacks and Hispanics. Now, in the age of technology, the gender and racial equality may balance out now that most if not all states have adopted technology skills as one of their required curricula standards.
Discuss three things we have learned from the history of educational technology that can help us shape today’s issues.
• Technology is definitely a tool that schools can use to help engage students. Today, many students suffered from apathy, a lack of inspiration. Instead, they are more in tuned with video games and the Internet. Using educational technology as instruction or as an extension to a lesson will enrich students’ understandings and hopefully give them a newfound love for education.
• In the past before technology sprung into action, teachers relied on the Dewy Decimal system for researching and finding books. If you wanted to send a letter or picture to your teacher, you would have to mail it or hand deliver it. Now, we are able to send faxes online and documents with a click of a button.
• The role technology plays in distant education has allow nontraditional students to go to school out of state. This helps people from around the nation to conveniently obtain a degree while working to fulfill their obligations at home.