Welcoming Technology Into The Classroom Of The Future
As times change, so does the student population in many classrooms all over the world. It is essential to keep up with this changing and diverse student population by integrating technology into the classroom. Many educators see technology as a double edged sword, it helps the students learn in new ways; however, it can also be extremely distracting from the learning environment. In order to integrate technology it must be done on a monitored and filtered basis so it is beneficial for the educator and student.
One of the newest upcoming devices that could be extremely beneficial in the classroom is that of the tablet PC’s, they are powerful yet compact. It may be difficult to believe, but in today’s world not everyone has access to a computer. Having tablet PC’s in the classroom is way to give all students computer access without pressuring individual families to undertake the costly burden of technology costs. Students with poor handwriting and those who see Occupational Therapists already use these tablets in a classroom setting, but it can easily be integrated on a full class basis. Tablet PC’s can be used so each student has internet access, students can see educational videos and do research at their own pace, also the technology is still so new being able to use the tablets will be seen as exciting for the students. Essentially the students will be excited to use the tablets to learn, therefore the students are excited to come to the classroom and learn. While the costs of these tablets are still not a financial sound decision for most classrooms, the classrooms of five years from now could easily have accessible tablet PC’s. Having tablet PC’s also has the added benefit of opening a dialogue with educators, parents and students about internet safety.