Technology integration for the Secondary english classroom

Technology Integration for the Secondary English Classroom is a term used by educators when referring to effective uses of technology in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Secondary_education 8-12 English classroom] . Teachers use technology to support instruction in their classes to strengthen student's skills with technology and the application of its use in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Language_arts language arts] . Educators hope that by introducing technology into the classroom it will help broaden the independence of the student by providing them the tools that will allow them to further their knowledge in the future.

General Integration of Technology into the Secondary English Classroom

With widespread use of the computer since the 1980's, computers have permeated every part of our society and use of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technology technology] in the classroom would only become an inevitability. In today's world, technology plays such a critical role in our lives that without it we might not be able to survive and thus technology is becoming more important in the role of teaching.While the need for technology and equipment is obvious, simply throwing money at the issue will not solve the technology problem. The proper research and evaluation needs to be completed in order to address the needs of the staff and students. The first priority of a district is to evaluate how technology will affect the success of the students. They must also determine the experience and willingness of their teachers when it comes to implementing a technology plan.

Because of the concern in industry that not enough people know how to use technology, attention has focused on the exposure of young people to information technologies in K-12 education. Most industry leaders believe that early development of skills in computers, programming, and networking is essential to pursuing further education in college, in job training, or in other educational modes before getting a job in the high-tech industry (Chapman, 2000).

In recent years, the debate as to the usefulness of technology being used in the Secondary English Classroom and the Language Arts themselves has caused many controversies between both [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teacher teachers] , researchers, scientists, and politicians. While technology has been extremely effective for different subject areas such as Mathematics and the Natural Sciences, many believe that it is destroying literacy within the language realm and that students are beginning to suffer the consequences of an age where the word-processor has replaced pen and paper. This debate has caused many to re-think the way in which we use technology in the Secondary English Classroom along with the advantages and disadvantages of using the technology that is becoming available to us in the future.

Advantages to Using Technology

-One of the advantages to using technology in the English classroom is in the area of writing. For many deaf students, technology has reshaped the way these students learn how to communicate and write. ENFI was created to allow students and teachers to communicate more proficiently with each other through [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing writing] back and forth on the computer, like the way we communicate through chat-rooms or instant messaging today. In this setting, communication is not directed by the teacher but by the group activity of the students’ participation (Marlatt, 1996).

1. "Develops visual understanding"

2. "Exploring concepts"

3. "Exploring realistic problems"

4. "Enhances employment options for students"

5. "Gives students opportunities to concentrate on the problem and solution."

6. "Easy to give demonstrations"

7. "Variety of visual and audio aids for different students’ needs"

8. "E-mails makes it easier to communicate efficiently with students and parents outside of school"

9. "Blogs, educational chat rooms, etc. can keep students communicating with their peers"

10. "Ability to peer-edit papers online, and leave comments without writing it directly on the paper"

11. "Create charts, graphs, concept maps, word searches, etc. online to enhance learning"

12. "Keeps students up-to-date with society" (Reid, 2006; Masters of Science, 2004)

Disadvantages of Using Technology

-Teachers typically do not have enough time either to take training in computer technology or to develop [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coursework coursework ] integrated with the technology. Moreover, technology training for teachers is commonly limited to technical curricula designed to foster familiarity with hardware, software programs, or networks, a limited approach that many teachers find too narrow. Teachers often report being intimidated by the technology, or reluctant to use it, because some students are expert with computers and the Internet, and few teachers are comfortable revealing a lack of competence in the classroom. Keeping up with the technology is also a formidable challenge, given the pace of change in the industry and other demands on teachers' time (Chapman, 2000).

1. "Need for more time to prepare lesson plans"

2. "Lack of familiarity w/technology and computers"

3. "Lack of recognized increased teaching load"

4. "Decline of paper and pen skills"

5. "Eliminates time for learning"

6. "Equipment failure or inadequate tools"

7. "Presents more dangers on the Internet"

8. "Exposes children to child predators if not monitored closely"

9. "Students verbal and written ability may decrease if dependent solely on technology" (Reid, 2006; Masters of Science, 2004)

References

Chapman, G. (2000). Federal Support for Technology in K-12 Education. Brookings papers on education policy, 2000(1), 307-343.

Marlatt, E.A. (1996, July). ENFI: An Approach to Teaching Writing Through Computers. American Annals of the Deaf. 141(3), 240-244.

(2004 May 11). Advantages and Disadvantages of Using Technology. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from Masters of Science in Mathematics Web site: [http://distance-ed.math.tamu.edu/Precalculus_home/resources/advantages.htm]

Reid, Geoff. (2006 April). Chapter 7 Using Technology and Learning Materials. Retrieved October 7, 2008, from Centre for University Teaching Web site: [http://209.85.165.104/search?q=cache:iFjCIsJEEbkJ:spiral.univ-lyon1.fr/files_...]