Educational technology bridging the technological divide
1. Meeting the
Outside World
from Within the
Classroom
Brittany Bordine and
Octavia Greer
Keiser University
Dr. Dietzel
EDU 511
February 2014
2. How Has Learning Today
Changed Compared to
Traditional Classrooms?
In traditional classrooms, teachers simply present the
lessons. This involves textbooks, chalkboards and a lot of
note taking. Traditional learning often takes place in an
actual classroom setting. In Universities
especially, technology has opened up new doors and
allowed for traditional learning to move forward.
Learning today involves distance learning, online
courses, and email. Classes today do not have to be in
a classroom setting because technology has opened
up more possibilities to learn from a distance and the
comfort of your own home. This allows for more
integrated classes and diversity of experiences
(Desai, Hart, & Richards, 2008).
3. How Has New Technology
Impacted the World?
Technology impacts the world in various ways. Most
evidently technology has influenced the way society
communicates, conducts business, problem-solves, and
most of all changes the way people learn.
4. How Has New Technology
Impacted Local
Communities?
Technology impacts local communities in a direct way.
Connections between all members of the learning
community such as parents, teachers, and students can
remain in contact in and out of school time. Primarily, the
internet is the great support for facilitating relationships
amongst teachers and parents. Parents can utilize the
internet to check for student’s assignments, school
updates, and other pertinent information (Bransford, 2000).
To that effect the school can relay to the community what
how they can help the school in it quest to educate and
what the school is doing (Bransford, 2000). For example, an
internet page was created by the American Schools
Directory (www.asd.com) to support over 100,000 public
and private K-12 schools in the United States that allows
each school to post a Wish List for needed help or
equipment, along with providing each student and
teacher free e-mail service (Bransford, 2000).
5. How Has New Technology
Impacted Individual Learners?
Technology can be a fun and engaging way for
students to get involved in their learning.
It can provide a means of learning that is hands on and
interesting to individual students.
Students in today’s world relate to the use of
technology and so have a preference to use
technology over traditional means of learning.
Technology has also opened up learning online and
students that are multi-lingual able to learn without
worrying about whether or not they can keep up in a
traditional classroom (Chen & Lee, 2011).
7. Purpose of Educational
Technologies
Educational technologies allow for teachers to add to
their teaching. Technology provides numerous
resources that allow students to learn in a more hands
on and familiar way to them. With technology teaching
and learning can move beyond the traditional
classrooms and open up more possibilities for learning
such as email and Wikispaces.
8. How Can Educators Use Such Technologies
to Enhance Metacognitive Skills and
Prepare Learners for the 21st Century?
When technology is utilized in the classroom appropriately
the effects upon learning outcomes are distinguished as
learners will be able to successfully transfer skills that is
taught in the classroom to the real world. Based upon the
principles of learning and the interactivity technologies
used in the classroom brings to learners, creating learning
environments that reflect on how students learn by
doing, receiving feedback, and continually refining their
understanding through critical thinking and problem solving
(Bransford, 2000). Allowing learners to meet the outside
world within the classroom creates greater learning
opportunities that enhance learners metacognitive skills. It
is presumed that learners development of conceptualizing
phenomenas related to the physical and social worlds can
be cultivated if learners have the opportunity to build and
manipulate models of such phenomenas; this is found in
softwares that offer simulations (Bransford, 2000).
Learners are better prepared for the 21st century when
technology-based tools are used appropriately in the
classroom.
9. References
Bransford, J. (2000). How people learn:
Brain, mind, experience, and school (Expanded ed.).
Washington, DC. National Academy Press.
Chen, C., & Lee, T. (2011). Emotion recognition and
communication for reducing second-language
speaking anxiety in a web-based one-on-one
synchronous learning environment. British Journal of
Educational Technology, 42(3), 417-440.
Desai, M. S., Hart, J., & Richards, T. C. (2008). E-Learning:
Paradigm shift in education. Education, 129(2), 327-334.
