Teachers and Technology in the Future

While technology in social culture has been thriving and flourishing, technology in the classroom has slowly been trickling in and updating at a slower pace. Desktop computers are on their way out, while laptops and small tablets and devices are on the rise. Textbooks are transitioning to online editions where students can access them from any computer with a login and password. Even printing off papers is becoming a thing of the past- more and more assignments are all submitted digitally, never to be seen on a sheet of paper. As schools work to catch up with popular culture, the classroom is being flipped. Many schools, the one I work at included, are moving into what is called a "1:1 Initiative." Within this initiative, every student is given a device and the classroom is "flipped" into a digital classroom. Teachers create online lessons and videos that students can watch and prepare at home, then come to school for the application with the teacher present. Group presentations are done digitally using Google Drive and other websites that allow multiple students access to one document so they can collaborate.

The key to ensuring that technology in the classroom is a positive change is making sure the technology is being used to enhance the learning, not replace traditional learning and teaching or the teacher. There still needs to be human interaction, thinking outside the box, and time without devices. Technology can open many new doors for students and education, but it's important that educators receive proper training and remember that just because it's "using technology," doesn't mean it's the best option.