Integrating Technology into classrooms

     Technology has revolutionized society in the 20th and 21st century, it naturally has found its way into schools, education and learning in our society. The way that technology is integrated with classrooms and into lesson planning needs to be reflected upon so that students learning can benefit most from the new technological tools that are available now and continuing to evolve in these new times.  In Costa Rica, few institutions have the opportunity to integrate technology into their class.  On the other side, some institutions have not learned to use it appropiately or have not use its full potential beneficts.  Integrating Technology into our classrooms can be learning funny, intesting, motivating and challenging.

Top 10 Reasons to Use Technology in Education: iPad, Tablet, Computer, Listening Centers

     Education has change throught the years; however, we are right now on the boardline between what we have been doing traditionally and what can we can do with your eyes focused in the near future. There are several reasons to use technology in Education; however, we can mention the most important ones: 1) Students love technology, they spend hours when they use technology in the classroom or outside it 2) It engages the four key components to learning 3) Professional development 4) Make life easier for teachers 5) Improves tests scores 6) Help students with low attention spans 7) Learn from the experts 8) Encourages completion of homework 9) Saves money 10) Remove obstacles.  These are good reasons to use technology in our classrooms; however, there should be a mental change in our students: love for changing, love for improving, love for technology, love for learning and love for being better people in our society; without these changes can't be a change in our classrooms and in our students'minds.

How Technology in the Classroom Really Affects Learning

     The United States and other countries have, for the past few years, been intensely focused on bringing technology into the classroom. Kids love computers, and indeed, having access to the World Wide Web presents some fantastic learning opportunities. Programs like Khan Academy, Pratham, and more have developed innovative ways to help kids learn and study.

     Unfortunately, recent studies are showing that students and schools that use more technology by and large actually have lower scores on math and reading tests. A recent article in Bloomberg Businessweek brought to light a disturbing fact about technology in the classroom: it isn’t working, after all. In fact, sometimes it makes things worse.


     Studies are showing that technology does not have a positive impact on learning outcomes.

     According to a study out of the University of Chicago, California’s technology rollout in the late 1990s extended Internet access with the result being no impact on learning outcomes. At all.

     Another study from the Urban Institute studied the same type of tech rollout in North Carolina and found “modest but statistically significant and persistent negative impacts on student math and reading test scores.”

     And in Portugal, Carnegie Mellon found that in schools that used more broadband, there were significant declines in test scores across the nation. Schools that had less access and Internet freedom, however, performed better than those with more. The article continues, showing again and again that technology either has no effect or a negative effect on learning: programs in the developing world, Peru, Costa Rica, and more have all seen similar results.

     Yet, we continue to push for more access to technology, more computer labs, and more online classes. Why have we kept the idea in our heads that technology is the cure-all for education’s problems? These studies clearly show that it probably isn’t.

     Using computers as an occasional learning tool can be fantastic—tool being the key word. As much as technology has advanced, the fact remains: it’s still not a suitable replacement for a qualified and passionate teacher.