| Asking oneself what kind of impact technology | | | | infiltrating our student's eyes and minds, but the |
| has on the delivery and development of | | | | problem continues to exist. |
| instruction is valid considering the great advances | | | | Though technology can provide many new |
| technology has taken the last few years and how | | | | resources that can enhance differentiated |
| it continues to make strides into teachers' | | | | instruction, one must ask oneself what would |
| classrooms and lesson plans. In the following | | | | happen when that technology fails. Will the special |
| paragraphs I will review both points of view on | | | | needs child not be able to learn anything for that |
| this subject; why technology has a positive impact | | | | day? Or will a lesson that revolved around a now |
| on instruction, and why it could have a negative | | | | broken projector not be able to be taught? These |
| impact. | | | | are valid questions, considerations, and points that |
| It is possible that technology can be beneficial to | | | | those that oppose the integration of technology in |
| classrooms at all grade levels. | | | | the classroom could make. |
| There are many points that could be made to | | | | I have personally witnessed some teachers taking |
| argue in agreement of the positive impact | | | | advantage of technology to reduce their |
| technology has in the classroom, but I will focus in | | | | student-teacher interaction time. Though |
| on three. | | | | embarrassing to teachers in general, it would be |
| First, let us focus on the 21st century information | | | | an injustice to this paper to avoid a point simply |
| access phenomenon we call the World Wide Web. | | | | because it makes our educators look bad. If |
| One can not argue that when given access to the | | | | abused, video and computer time can greatly |
| Internet, children can contact and derive | | | | decrease the amount of time educators actually |
| information from places and on subjects that | | | | spend teaching their students. This causes a |
| they would have never been privy to before the | | | | number of problems including bad classroom |
| Internet infiltrated our lives. The options are nearly | | | | management and lack of differentiation. If this |
| endless. Ancient documents can be read, maps | | | | abuse happens, one can clearly see how great the |
| can be looked at from multiple angles, activities | | | | negative impact technology can have on our |
| are interactive, people from across our globe can | | | | classroom instruction. |
| be reached- and all at our children's fingertips. It is | | | | In my opinion, the advancement of technology |
| a fact- the Internet enlightens our students in | | | | has changed the foundation of the above debate. |
| ways no teacher ever could. | | | | As technology expands and advances, and the |
| When speaking to a fellow future teacher about | | | | accessibility to it for classroom teachers increases, |
| the benefits of having technology in the | | | | the two sides of this debate only become more |
| classroom, she told me of a classroom she was in | | | | defined and are given more arguments. The pros |
| that contained an autistic child. This boy was not | | | | become more positive and have more |
| able to learn in conventional ways, he was, in fact, | | | | advantages, and the cons become more negative |
| failing because of his disabilities (it was not made | | | | and threatening. John D. Ross was more specific |
| clear to me what exactly those were). Eager to | | | | with this issue in the article "Toward an Effective |
| meet his needs, the classroom teacher began to | | | | Use of Technology in Education when he said, "For |
| give the autistic child his lessons on a computer | | | | technology to have a positive impact on student |
| and the boy was able to learn curriculum that was | | | | achievement, school leaders must envision, direct, |
| required of him. I am going to assume that there | | | | and support the successful integration of |
| are other cases like this in our classrooms. Taking | | | | technology into teaching learning, and school |
| this into consideration, one can see that having | | | | management." |
| sufficient technology in the classroom allows for | | | | One can not state, in my opinion, whether |
| more differentiated instruction, something that is | | | | technology alone impacts the development and |
| beneficial to all students, not only those with | | | | delivery of instruction in a positive or negative |
| special needs. | | | | way. Given above are many reasons as to why |
| Lastly, I would like to point out that "technology" | | | | technology is beneficial to classroom instruction. |
| is many objects that teachers would consider a | | | | Though these positive aspects are encouraging |
| basic necessity to have in our classrooms. | | | | and easily found to be true, one can not disregard |
| Examples of this could be; whiteboards, overhead | | | | the negative aspects of the ever increasing use |
| projectors, and even the chalkboard. To most | | | | of technology in the classroom and how that |
| teachers having a classroom without these | | | | impacts the most important thing in our |
| necessities wouldn't be a classroom at all. | | | | classrooms, our students. As with many aspects |
| While technology can be seen to have a beneficial | | | | of teaching, this argument is not black and white. |
| impact on our classrooms, one can also see how | | | | One person can have the opinion that while both |
| much of a negative impact technology has on the | | | | sets of arguments give good points, technology |
| development and delivery of instruction in our | | | | should neither dictate nor be completely |
| classrooms. The reader will be able to see this as | | | | withdrawn from our classroom instruction. I have |
| I discuss the following three reasons. | | | | come to the conclusion, therefore, that |
| Many benefits of having the Internet in our | | | | technology (based on the benefits given above) |
| classrooms as part of our instruction were listed | | | | can positively impact both the delivery and |
| above. One must also consider, though, the | | | | development of classroom instruction only if used |
| negative aspects associated with having this world | | | | properly and appropriately. The positive impact |
| of information coming into the classroom via | | | | depends on the teachers and administration. If |
| wires and screens. Along with wonderful | | | | teachers do not realize the power of the Internet |
| resources the Internet provides a link to every | | | | we are given and give our students, and if |
| appalling aspect of our society. Many ethical issues | | | | teachers abuse and exploit the benefits of |
| arise here, and education administration and | | | | technology in the classroom it could only become |
| legislation has and continues to instate rules and | | | | detrimental to the education system. |
| regulations to help prevent this material from | | | | |