We should integrate technology into curriculum because educators have always integrated technology into curriculum. Early educaters would sit students in a circle and lecture. Then, as technology advanced, education advanced with it. In 105AD the Chinese invented Paper. In the 15th Century Johannes Gutenberg printed the first book with movable type. In the mid 1800s the first pencil was invented. Each of these technologies are still widely used in education today. Then, as computers were developed in the late 20th century it was almost inevitable that they would be used in education. Now the invention of the internet has brought another fabulous teaching tool. It is only natural that we use this technology and all of it's blogs, wikis, moodles, etc. that it offers.
Why is there even a debate? Did early educators resist using textbooks for fear of being replaced. Did 19th century educators scoff the pencil and eraser because it allowed students to erase mistakes making them more careless? I vaguely remember learning something about book burnings in history class. But, lucky for us, texbooks won out and they opened up a whole new world to all of us. Now computers and the internet are connecting people in different hemospheres. We are transferring information at an alarming rate. Lets not close doors to our students by resisting the use of the technology our world has to offer.
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Ken I fully agree!
ReplyDeleteTechnology is a trend that has been continuously changing and educator have always seemed to try to incorporate the latest technology that was avialable to them. Whether the technology be a pencil or an erasable pen.
The funny part is we don't really think we are using technology in the classroom at some points, but what we are using was once the most up to date technology available to educators.