After nearly completing a college course on integrating technology in the classroom, my philosophy of technology in education has remained roughly the same. I still believe very strongly that technology can and should be used to the great benefit of students in and out of the classroom. As technology continues to progress faster than perhaps any other field today, it is constantly allowing us as educators to push the boundaries of how our students are able to interact with the material that they are learning. Students can do things on tablets and smart boards today that educators only dreamed of doing 20 years ago. Can you imagine having an interactive scale of the universe right in the palm of your hand? Students today can. Its right here: http://scaleofuniverse.com/.
And these new tech tools aren't just for fun. Research has supported the benefits of frequent technology use in the classroom. A study done by researchers out of the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership at Minnesota's Walden University reported that teachers who frequently integrated technology into their classrooms "place considerably more emphasis on developing students' 21st century skills - specifically skills in accountability, collaboration, communication, creativity, critical thinking, ethics, global awareness, innovation, leadership, problem solving, productivity and self-direction" ("Educators, Technology and 21st Century Skills: Dispelling Five Myths"). Those all sound like skills that I hope that i can instill in my students in the future, and technology integration is will help me to reach that goal.
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