Student Centered Technology Essay

8/11/2019 Student Centered Technology Essay

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Student Centered Technology

The advantages of using student centered technology in the classroom to differentiate

instruction are that they increase communication and collaboration among students all over

the world. In the past, students did their class work independently and were not allowed to

receive input from the students sitting near them. The teacher would explain the assignment

on the board and then they were given work to perform at their desk alone. They were usually

limited to what was taught at their school unless they had the advantage of traveling the world

with their parents. With the use of technology in the classroom, students can now travel the

world with their classmates. Students can now come up with ideas and solutions that benefit all

of the students and find more than one way to solve a problem.

I believe that the impact on student achievement when technology is used to

differentiate instruction is that today, instead of the student waiting for the teacher to write

lessons on the chalkboard and then attempting to write it down before the teacher erases it, or

collecting local newspapers, magazine articles, or heavy encyclopedias; now they have

immediate access online to newspapers, journals, magazines, encyclopedias, practice tests,

teaching games, crossword puzzles, book reviews before they buy the book, and the ability to

communicate with other students in classrooms across the world. They don’t have to deal with

the student next to them who understands the lesson faster than them, because now they can

work at their own pace and practice it until they feel comfortable before moving to the next

step. Students no longer learn only about their community and state, but they are now

becoming global citizens and are able to compete nationally.



“To ensure that students meet the learning objectives for using technology in the class,

teachers must use many forms of assessments to evaluate student performance, such as:

Authentic Assessments- they present learning experiences that demonstrate real-life

connections between students lessons and the world in which they live; Project-based

Assessments-a model for teaching and learning that focuses on creating learning

opportunities for students by engaging them in real-world projects where they have an

active role in completing meaningful tasks, constructing their own knowledge, solving

problems, or creating realistic projects; Portfolio Assessments-they evaluate student

assignments or projects over a period of time; Checklists-a predetermined list of performance

criteria used in project-based and portfolio assessment; Rating Scales-a more complex form of a

checklist that lists a numerical value, or rating, for each criterion; and A Rubric -a detailed

assessment tool that makes it easy for teachers to assess the quality of an item, such as a

student project.”(P.364 Teachers Discovering Computers, Integrating Technology in a Connected World,

Seventh Edition, Shelly/Gunter/Gunter - © Cengage Learning.)

I believe that the importance of student centered technology in the classroom is making

sure that the technology is age appropriate and that it enhances the learning process and

motivates the student to want to learn more. Many teachers have noticed that students are

motivated by and enjoy the process of creating their own interactive digital media

presentations and they enjoy conducting research and writing when their writing projects

involve the creation of digital media presentations. I believe that the lesson should be

challenging and not below their level of intelligence. It should not be too challenging to the



point that they just stop trying. The student should not just see the technology as a learning

game, but as a tool to push them to seek more knowledge after they win the first game.

I believe there could be a few disadvantages of using student centered technology in the

classroom to differentiate instruction if the teacher does not:

1. Break the projects into a well-defined task so the student can use their computer time wisely.

2. Discuss with the student how much time their project should involve.

3. Have the student write a visual plan before going to the computer.

4. Assign searching as homework to save researching time on computer at school.

5. Train some students to assist other students who need help.

6. Assign group projects so that all students participate.

7. Use e-books, smart boards and phones, tablets, iPods, etc.,

8. Help the student use the color pads on the computer (yellow-help needed).

9. Have the student seek information from their classmates before asking teacher.

10. Post a list of the procedures and guidelines for using technology in the classroom.

If these suggestions are not used, the use of technology in the class can be a disruption.

The disadvantages of using technology to differentiate instruction in the classroom have

been stated in the 2012 Volume 10, Issue 4 of The Electronic Journal of e-learning , were that

some of the students became too distracted at times. The maturity level of the child was a

concern also, and having meaningful activities.

I believe that a teacher can only use technology to differentiate instruction because,

today’s students, often called digital natives or the Net Generation, grow up with technology.

Most of them have never known life without the Internet. They have spent their entire lives





REFERENCES:

1. Teachers Discovering Computers, Integrating Technology in a Connected World,

Seventh Edition, Shelly/Gunter/Gunter - © Cengage Learning. Chap.5-Technology,

Digital Media, & Curriculum Integration. Chap.7-Evaluating Educational Technology &

Integration Strategies.

2. Learner-Centered Technology Integration Volume 28 Number 2 Journal of Digital

Learning in Teacher Education | 55 Copyright © 2011 –12, ISTE (International Society for

Technology in Education).

3. Digital Devices in Classroom, The Electronic Journal of e-Learning, Volume 10 Issue 4

2012, Academic Publishing International, LTD, ISSN 1479-4403.

Technology, Digital Media, and Curriculum Integration

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Student Centered Technology Essay