This document discusses using technology in the classroom and presents a rationale for a presentation on the topic. The presentation aims to persuade the audience, which would ideally consist of teachers and parents, of the benefits of technology for student and teacher learning. As technology becomes more prevalent in everyday life, more school districts are incorporating technology into classrooms. When implemented properly with the right tools, research suggests technology can increase student motivation and engagement in learning.

1. RATIONALE
The purpose of my presentation is to persuade my audience that using technology in the
classroom is beneficial both for the student and the teacher. I would like the audience to be
more informed about research involving technology in the classroom and how to incorporate
technology into the classroom.
The audience that I would like to reach would ideally be teachers, perhaps even parents
of students who are using technology in the classroom. The topic of technology in the
classroom is suitable for all age groups, but is more centered around the school environment.
This would be an interesting topic for anyone interested in technology or the incorporation of
technology in a learning-based setting.
This topic is important because as we move further into the age of technology,
especially increasingly portable technology, as more and more school districts are beginning the
push into technology in the classroom. With teachers in the audience, I believe that there will
be less fear of the unknown, to taking the leap into technology in the classroom.
PRESENTATION PLAN
Technology in the classroom is not a new concept; however it is one that has been
picking up speed and interest in the last few years. As technology gets smaller and becomes a
bigger part of our everyday life, some school districts are implementing technology in the
classroom as a learning tool, encouraging students to form learning using their own hands.

2. While some districts have not boasted much of a difference while using technology in the
classroom, many issues surrounding success with student learning can be corrected with proper
implementation. Research suggests that, when exercised correctly, using technology in the
classroom is beneficial because students become more self-motivated and they become more
effective learners.
While using handheld devices in class, students become more self-motivated, relying
less on the teacher’s direct instruction and more on their own creativity and ingenuity.
According to Hendricks, (2013) “it’s easy for students to fall into a passive role. Even the best
students who have a natural passion for learning can have trouble paying attention to a
teacher’s lecture.” Hendricks continues by saying that when a student has a handheld learning
device, there are buttons to push, websites to explore, and a manipulative tool to use to solve
the problem and achieve their goal.
A specific experiment with self-motivation and self-learning was done in Delhi in 1999
when Professor Sugata Mitra from Newcastle University set up a hole-in-the-wall computer lab
for interested students. Children quickly learned to use the machines without help or
intervention from adults, which surprised Mitra. In 2013, Mitra won the $1 million Ted prize
and began building a series of self-organizing learning environments in both the UK and India.
There are no teachers and up to 40 children can participate whenever it is convenient for them.
They will have access to the internet and work in small groups, with e-mediators mentoring via
Skype. These mediators are from another Mitra project, Cloud Grannies, who are retired
professionals from the UK. The learning was driven by mediators asking them “big questions”

3. which they would find the answers to online, or by questions that the children themselves
came up with (Wakefield, 2015). By observing these classrooms where the students take
learning into their own hands, it is evident that technology is becoming a necessary component
in learning and development, allowing students to work at their own pace.
Additionally, using technology in the classroom can help students learn more effectively
by allowing them to take control of their education. The technology becomes a tool, a
manipulative, that the student is able to control in a constructive and positive manner,
channeling their learning through educational apps and websites. Cox (n.d.) discusses a study
by IT Trade Association Comp TIA that says 75 percent of educators think that technology in the
classroom has a positive effect, and that they also recognize the importance of developing
technological skills in students for after high school. That same study also says that students
prefer technology because it makes learning more interesting and fun. When faced with a
daunting subject, the students found the lessons more interesting when they were able to use
laptops or tablets to aid in their education. The same students said they believed that using
tech to learn helped them retain information better. In a different study, eighteen 2nd
graders
were challenged to complete a PowerPoint presentation about an animal. Sixteen of those
eighteen remembered more facts about the animal after that project than before.
Technology is also great at helping students who learn at different paces. This notion of
a “one size fits all” education that appears to be the standard doesn’t help those students with
advanced educational needs or those who need more work in certain areas. By utilizing
technology, there can be diversified classrooms without the teacher having to call out students

4. in front of their peers, either for those students who consistently do exemplary work or those
who are constantly falling behind. The teacher can work more on a one-to-one basis with
students, ensuring a far greater chance at success than the aforementioned one size learning
plan. Students can feel secure working independently or in small groups, knowing that they are
not slowing anyone down or trying to rush things along.
A study done by SRI International and the US Department of Education (1995) contains
firsthand stories from teachers who began integrating technology in their classrooms and the
effects it had on their students. One teacher talks about a shy student who would ask to stay in
during recess to work on the computer. She granted him permission, curious what he would do
with the technology. The student stayed in every day for a month, and then asked to show the
teacher what he had been doing. She agreed and allowed him time during class to present his
project. This student showed the class a musical composition he created using the computer
that astounded everyone in the room. Students began asking him for advice, wanting to know
how he accomplished such a task. The student began to make more friends and became more
active academically because now he had the confidence to shine. Stories like these are
abundant and heart-warming, letting us know that with commitment and hard work, students
of all different cultures, learning styles, and backgrounds can come together through tech.
Collaboration is key to making technology work in the classroom. When students
collaborate, those with more advanced skills with a particular program can assist other
students, creating a More Knowledgeable Other dynamic between the students, as referenced
in Vygotsky’s work, putting the other children in the Zone of Proximal Development. This will

5. create a hands-on learning experience from their peers that will allow them to learn better and
faster in the future when using that program. When students collaborate, it opens up
possibilities of greater and better learning, where working in a group can encourage students to
learn from one another, which can be far less stressful than trying to learn from an authority
figure.
Implementing educational technology in the classroom in a positive way is critical, and
failing to do so may hold students back from reaching their full potential. There are a variety of
resources available for teachers, including Google Classroom, Edmodo, Khan Academy,
Evernote, and more. Google Classroom is a resource that allows teachers to have a digital
classroom, which allows students the ability to log on at any time, view and turn in homework,
see what other students are saying about the class, and work in a semi-collaborative way. The
only difference is that the collaboration is digital instead of face to face. Edmodo is a resource
that helps teachers stay in touch with parents, so parents can stay in-line with their students.
Edmodo digitally records what assignments are due and what students are working on. Khan
Academy is an excellent resource for students, with support for almost any subject you can
dream up. If a student is having issues in physics, there is Khan Academy. If the trouble is in
trigonometry, Khan Academy can help. With that type of support available anytime during the
day or night, students can now rest easy knowing they will be able to get help on practically any
subject, even at 11 PM. Evernote is a note taking tool that lets students and teachers
collaborate, and allows students to take digital notes which can be backed up in the cloud for
seamless learning. No more lost notes, no more scrambling through notes to find what you are
looking for, Evernote has you covered. It even lets you turn in your notes or talk to your

6. classmates via its online base. Collaboration in class has never been easier or more
accountable.
With the massive amount of usable tech available for teacher and student use, it may
seem daunting, if not impossible, to implement technology in the classroom effectively.
However, what teachers should remember is that technology is an ever-changing field. They
may need to try out a few things before they find an app they enjoy using. Teachers should
also look to their administration for support, with some districts even employing someone to
deal only with technology and its uses in the classroom. Teachers should also collaborate on a
regular basis to discuss what has been tried, what works, what doesn’t work, and how they
want educational technology to work for them. With this kind of collaboration, and some trial-
and-error, students can be assured that their educational staff is working for them to help them
be as prepared as possible for life after high school and college.
Research suggests that, when exercised correctly, using technology in the classroom is
beneficial because students become more self-motivated and they become more effective
learners. While using handheld devices in class, students become more self-motivated, relying
less on the teacher’s direct instruction and more on their own creativity and ingenuity.
Additionally, using technology in the classroom can help students learn more effectively by
allowing them to take control of their education. Implementing educational technology in the
classroom in a positive way is critical, and failing to do so may hold students back from reaching
their full potential.

7. When using technology to support education, it is important to remember to laugh and
keep your spirits up. Haynes (2015) who is a PhD candidate in the department of English and
Cultural Studies at McMaster University reminds teachers that using technology is a learning
experience for all of us. If your students are disruptive during a particular lesson or using a
particular app, teachers now have an advantage over the next time and can change things
accordingly. He suggests that learning from mistakes rather than getting upset over
disruptions, or when things don’t go as smoothly as we had envisioned, we should continue to
be light-hearted and take mistakes with a grain of salt. As he so eloquently states, “You have
two options: 1) Fret, anticipate, call a psychic, read auguries, build a time machine and travel to
the future. 2) Embrace the chaos with the self-reflexivity of humor.” There will always be
challenges when using the internet, and the true goal becomes finding the balance between
risk and reward. “Remember, don’t forget to laugh. Learning is something worth smiling
about.” (Haynes, 2015)
Works Cited
Cox, J. (n.d.). Benefits of Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from TeachHub:
http://www.teachhub.com/benefits-technology-classroom
Haynes, J. (2015, July 1). Humor in the Classroom: EdTech & Embracing the Chaos. Retrieved from Top Hat Blog:
http://blog.tophat.com/humor-in-the-classroom-management/
Hendricks, D. (2013, March 14). A Look at Recent Findings on Technology in the Classroom. Retrieved from
Huffington Post: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/drew-hendricks/technology-
education_b_2867458.html
SRI International & US Department of Education. (1995). Effects of Technology on Classrooms and Students.
Retrieved from ed.gov: https://www2.ed.gov/pubs/EdReformStudies/EdTech/effectsstudents.html
Wakefield, J. (2015, February 2). Technology in Schools: Future Changes in Classrooms. Retrieved from BBC News:
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30814302

8. QUESTIONS
Schools that don’t have money with low income students?
Teacher training? Professional development time
What happens when the tech becomes outdated?
How to prevent students from accessing inappropriate sites?