3. Increase in student engagement and motivation Preparing students to become independent learners
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Editor's Notes
I created this slide show so that after speaking about a topic, I can click the graphic to return me to the menu page. This way people know where I am in the presentation. The only slide I did not include this is in slide 6, when I would continue with all the slides to the conclusion.
Technology is becoming ever more important in today’s society. We must prepare our students to become leaders in our community, region, nation and world. Please listen to the evidence to show the benefits of technology in education. We will highlight a few of the benefits of technology in education. We will begin with how technology increases student engagement and motivation; how technology will prepare our students for college and/or the workforce; the increase and development of critical thinking skills as well as the increase seen in student achievement.
Research shows that the use of technology in education increases students’ engagement and motivation in school. Increasing students’ attitudes towards school or a specific subject matter will help teachers cover more material and students will put forth more effort. In 1994, James Kulik, gathered data from more than 500 studies, he notes that students had more positive attitudes and like classes better when computer-based instruction was involved. The Apple Classroom of Tomorrow found, after a five year study, that students attitudes were more positive after the use of technology in the classroom. In Massachusetts, Gracy Magley, the technology director, has seen students asking teachers to post information so they can begin their lesson. This shows students taking a more active role in their education. I think it is very important that we keep students engaged and motivated in school. The more engaged students’ become the more independent learners they become. Our job as a school is to prepare students to be independent people in an ever changing technological society.
No mater the decision of graduating students to join the workforce or begin the journey of a higher education degree, it is our job as a school to prepare students to succeed in either endeavor. Technological skills will help them transition in such a world that is an ever changing, global, technical world. Technology is becoming a part of everyday life such as online banking, online shopping and the many ways to communication via technology. We must prepare students to use these and other technologies skillfully and comfortably. The state of Michigan requires high school graduates to participate in at least one online course. This requirement will allow students the opportunity to test the waters of online education. With the variety of classes available through higher education, hybrid, online, and print-based classes; students now have many more options once they graduate. Students may find themselves in a situation where they can not afford to move away and go to college as a “traditional” student, but with the use of technologies, they are able to begin taking higher education courses from home. The requirement Michigan has set in place is really preparing students for the next step in life. In the workforce many companies want employees to know applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, website development and the Internet. Introducing these technology applications in K-12 schools will help prepare students to join the workforce one step ahead of students who have not been introduced to these and other technologies.
It is difficult to teach students critical thinking skills. Teaching students to think on their own using, logic, analysis and evaluation of problems, can be difficult. The Center for Applied Special Technology found that when the Internet is used to research topics and share information in a semi-structured lesson, students become more independent and critical thinkers.
Increasing the knowledge and understanding of educational subjects such as literature, mathematics, science, history and other subjects is very important. Michigan’s Freedom to Learn program provides laptops for students in many of the state’s middle schools. In one of the state’s FTL schools, 8 th grade mathematics doubled their achievement from 31% in 2004 to 63% in 2005.
In 8 th grade science, achievement rose from 68% in 2003 to 80% in 2004.
In Canton, Ohio, 3 rd grade students increased their achievement 124% in one year by implementing the Destination Success reading program.
Research shows us the benefits of utilizing technologies in education. I think it is time we invest in our future and move forward with creating a school that embraces technologies and utilizes it in the most efficient and appropriate ways. We must teach students how to properly use technology and create a learning environment conducive to the needs of the changing technical world. Thank you for your time.
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