Tridigital Learning
The Past, Present and Future of Education
By: Kelly Murakami
In the Past...
...schools were all about paper and pencil and books you could physically hold in your hands. These ways were effective for the time period and some may think that less technology is still the best way to educate our youth. Here are some of the reasons that people think less technology is a more effective way to teach.
Why were schools more effective in the past?
What Makes a Classroom Effective?
Some would say that the amount of technology that is or isn't being used in a classroom makes no difference in how effective the classroom is. It also has nothing to do with the amount of learning going on. I would argue that, yes, using technology does enhance students learning but I also think that the old school paper and pencil techniques are also just as effective for teaching. Here is an article that discusses what is really important in a classroom.
The Present
Today, as schools are starting to transition into using more technology, for instance, schools that are going one-to-one with iPads, the old school ways of teaching are being left behind. Not all schools and all classrooms are getting rid of the typical pencil and paper way of education, but they are starting to incorporate more and more technology whether that be a SMART board, ELMO projector, iPads, or computer. I think that a balance of the way it used to be and the present is a great mixture for the time we are in. Not everyone is comfortable with switching to be completely technological but with time and by slowly integrating the machines listed above, educators will begin to see that technology is here to help out students learn as much as possible.
Students use the interactive SMART board for a hands-on approach for solving problems. Click here to learn more about the SMART board.
Pictured above is the ELMO machine. It is used to display just about anything to the class large enough so that the whole class can see. You can also open PowerPoint presentations and other documents through the ELMO to display to the whole class. For more information on the ELMO machine.
This is a Mac Laptop cart which also looks similar to the carts use to transport iPads.
Many schools in Kansas and around the nation are becoming one-to-one iPad schools which means there are enough iPads in the school for each student to be using one at the same time. Here are some articles about how classrooms went to 1:1 with iPads.
-Plymouth South High School
-iPads in the Classroom
-Eastlake Middle School
-Plymouth South High School
-iPads in the Classroom
-Eastlake Middle School
The Future of Our Classrooms
Whether we like it or not, our world is making huge advances in technology and soon enough this new technology will be taking over our schools. In my opinion, our generation wont have much trouble adjusting to the use of technology, we ourselves grew up with some technology. I think that educators who are more old fashioned need to accept the fact that times are changing. They need to become educated about the technology so they can properly utilize the tools they need to better educate their students using technology.