Edutopia - Will technology ever replace teachers?

4a. The benefits of implementing technology-based strategies in any subject area seem almost endless. But how exactly can technology be successfully integrated into daily classroom life? Programs that enable its users to take control of their own education through active engagement are the most successful at providing students with a fulfilling and meaningful learning experience. However, in terms of what provides the greatest learning outcomes for students, research suggests that a combination of an online learning experience and face-to-face time is more effective than just online learning alone. This means that technology will never be able to fully replace teachers in the classroom due to their ability to prompt and support student exploration and creativity and provide meaningful feedback for each individual student. This is especially true in my content area of science. Teaching science, from an inquiry-based standpoint, is all about providing students with the skills they need to formulate arguments and make decisions based on the examination of the available evidence. This entails students continually asking questions and getting directly involved with what they are learning. Through the use of technology, students would be able to conduct experiments using virtual simulations, analyze raw data using statistical programs, compare their work to the work of scientists from around the world. Technology such as simulations and videos can allow students to observe phenomena that would otherwise be impossible to examine practically such as cellular processes on the molecular level. Because so much of science is based around technology, it is important to expose students to the hardware and programs that will inspire them to ask questions and become scientific thinkers.

4b.

https://www.edutopia.org/video/how-maker-movement-connects-students-engineering-and-tech

The video I chose to watch s entitled “How the Maker Movement Connects students to engineering and Tech.” The video discusses how students are able to gain several STEM skills through the implementation of various technological innovations. The perspective that shaped educational technology that is evident in this video is Perspective #3: Educational technology as vocational training. The technology used by the students in this video is meant to spark the students’ interests in the STEM field and inspire and encourage students to potentially work towards obtaining a future career in areas such as science or engineering. Below is a list of elements that show which reasons the technology in the video is being used:

Problem 1: How to motivate and engage students?

• Gains learner attention
• Supports manual operations during high-level learning
• Illustrates real-world relevance through highly visual presentations
• Engages students through production work
• Engages learners through real-world situations and collaborations
• Provides support for working cooperatively

Problem 2: How to support students’ learning needs?

• Supports effective skill practice
• Helps students visualize underlying concepts in unfamiliar or abstract ways
• Lets students study systems in unique ways
• Supplies self-paced learning for accelerated students
• Saves time on production tasks

Problem 3: How to prepare students for future learning?

• Helps teach digital literacy
• Helps teach digital citizenship