Technology in the Classrooms: Good or Bad?

The issue with technology in the classroom environment has become a big issue with the present day education system. There have been many debates on if it benefits the students enough to use all the time, or if it serves as more of a distraction during class. Obviously this argument could go either way; technology can be helpful by providing a fun easier way for teachers to teach and students to learn, but it can also be a form of distraction that contradicts the purposes of it.

Why technology is beneficial:

• More enjoyable for students: Different computer games have been created for kids of all ages that have proven to be very educational. More and more classes are using Math and English games to try and get kids interested in the subjects instead of just lecturing or giving them number problems to solve. Now, kids can play video games in school where they fight off the aliens by using Math; this is becoming an easier way to keep kids focused on learning because they are actually enjoying it




• Students become less dependant on teachers: We find that certain students become dependant on the teacher at a young age by always asking the teacher what to do and what is right. If the students are never allowed the opportunity to make their own mistakes, they will never learn how to do things independantly. So with technology, it allows the students to make choices and actively think about what to do without having to rely on one person. This allows the teacher to focus on the whole class versus a few students who always call for their attention; now the teacher can work with everyone evenly.




• Confidence booster: Technology has been proven to even boost students' confidence levels up. There are many students who may know the right answer, but feel embarassed or pressured by the class to answer a question; with technology, students can develop their confidence by making a mistake and not feeling judged for it. When it comes time to answer a real question in front of everyone, their confidence level has been boosted up a bit so they are more willing to share. Also, with the great improvment in technology today, kids are learning how to do things that even their parents never got an opportunity to do, which makes them realize that they are indeed special.




• Opening kids up to new ideas: By introducing technology to students at an early age, we are allowing them to experiment and explore possiblities with computers, games, etc. For younger kids, we are opening their minds to more way to learn and ideas that they might not learn from their parents. For older kids, they can surf the web and explore in a different manner; it allows them to see what else is happening in the world, what else is out there besides their home town, and even what they might want to do in the future. If we get kids exploring new ideas at younger ages with new technology, they can become more open thinkers in their future creating endless possibilities for them.
  

Why technology is a setback:

• Forms of distraction: Even though technology has proven to help kids focus with certain subjects, it is also a major form of distraction. This issues arises more so with high schoolers and college kids because they tend to have more access to different technologies like cell phones, ipods, and laptops in classes. Teachers have been reporting students constantly texting in class instead of listening or taking notes which ultimately effects their performance in the class. On top of that, students that can bring laptops to class to take note with are instead playing games or getting on the ever so popular facebook to chat with friends instead of doing work. This is a major problem now, and it does not seem to be getting any better because every year the age that a students gets his/her first cell phone gets lower and lower. There have been reports of third graders using their iphones in class which is not something teachers should have to be dealing with at that age.




• Decrease in social interaction: With the increase in different kinds of technologies, more and more students are becoming socially unactive. Now, kids have ipods, cell phones, and computers to interact with friends or block out the rest of the world with. By encouraging students to use certain forms of communication on the computer, it could create an addiction or make it so a student knows no other way to communicate by. We said that a benefit of using technology could be to boost confidence, but it could do just the opposite and make it so a student may become more confident with only technology and not with his.her peers.




• Overuse of technology: Even though technology can help students learn, there are many cases where classrooms or even the students outside the classrooms are overusing technology. Kids cannot learn everything they need from a computer; they need to interact with people and get out to make their own mistakes versus locking themselves in their rooms having a relationship with just their computer or phone. In many cases, technology has made students socially awkward and unable to maintain a simple conversation with a peer. Eventually in the future, these skills will really be needed in order to find a decent job.

There are many more points that demonstrate the benefits and setbacks of technology uses in a classroom, but for the most part, these are the main points and issues we have been seeing in classrooms and with students. Technology is obviously a big part of our world today, and there is no avoiding that point. It is important for students to get used to technology because they will be the ones in charge of our future once they are done with school, but what needs to be monitored is the amount of technology they are exposed to. This idea is extremely important for Educational Psychology because technology is a big part of how students learn today. For future teachers, it will be important for them to decide whether or not technology should be used in their classroom and if so, to what extent with it be used? That decision could affect the futures of the students.

Check out these websites for more information on the topic:

Effects of technology on classrooms and students.
Negative effects of using technology.

"You Cannot Move Your Body Without Your Brain"

Combining Physical Activity With Classroom Lessons Results in Improved Test Scores

ScienceDaily (May 1, 2011) -

When schools cut physical education programs so students can spend more time in the classroom, they may be missing a golden opportunity to promote learning, according to research presented on May 1, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Denver.

The study adds to growing evidence that exercise is good not only for the body but also the mind. It also shows that physical education and academic instruction need not be mutually exclusive.

Researchers Kathryn L. King, MD, and Carly J. Scahill, DO, pediatric residents at the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital, led by William S. Randazzo, MD, FAAP, and James T. McElligott, MD, sought to determine how implementing a daily physical activity program that incorporated classroom lessons would affect student achievement. First- through sixth-graders at an academically low-scoring elementary school in Charleston, S.C., took part in the program 40 minutes a day, five days a week. Prior to initiation of the program, students spent 40 minutes per week in physical education classes.

The school nurse was awarded several grants that were used to educate school administrators and revamp several classrooms into two gyms that housed equipment for an All Minds Exercise (AMX) room for older students and an Action Based Learning (ABL) lab for the younger schoolchildren.

"The teachers, administrators, parents and students at the school were brave enough to think out of the box to help the children learn in new ways," Dr. King said.

First- and second-graders moved through stations in the ABL lab, learning developmentally appropriate movement skills while basic academic skills were reinforced. For example, children traced shapes on the ground while sitting on scooters and hopped through ladders while naming colors on each rung.

Students in third through sixth grades had access to exercise equipment with TV monitors. For instance, a treadmill had a monitor that played geography lessons as the student ran through the scene, and a rock-climbing wall was outfitted with numbers that changed as they climbed to help students work on math skills.

Researchers compared state standardized reading test scores for the year before and the year after initiation of the program. Each student took standardized tests in the fall and spring. In the fall, the results included an individualized goal for each student to reach on the spring test. Researchers measured the number of students who met or exceeded their goal score in the spring.

Results showed that the time spent out of a traditional classroom in order to increase physical education did not hurt students' academic achievement. In fact, student test scores improved. Specifically, the percentage of students reaching their goal on the state tests increased from 55 percent before the program was initiated to 68.5 percent after the program was initiated.

"These data indicate that when carefully designed physical education programs are put into place, children's academic achievement does not suffer," Dr. King said.

"More studies are needed," Dr. Scahill added, "but there is growing substantial evidence that this kind of physical activity may help improve academic behavior, cognitive skills and attitudes."

American Academy of Pediatrics (2011, May 1). Combining physical activity with classroom lessons results in improved test scores.ScienceDaily. Retrieved May 1, 2011, from http://www.sciencedaily.com­/releases/2011/05/110501183653.htm

Exercising improving education seems like a valid connection that is unfortunately being deprived from many students, as evident in the sky rocketing obesity rates. In recent years, research reports that almost one third of American children are above a healthy weight. According to this article, the lack of exercise is negatively effecting the learner's physical health and mental intelligence.

Georgia Health Sciences University conducted a study that concluded "MRIs showed those who exercised experienced increased brain activity in the prefrontal cortex – an area associated with complex thinking, decision making and correct social behavior - and decreased activity in an area of the brain that sits behind it. The shift forward appears consistent with more rapidly developing cognitive skills." The improvements in learning due to exercise were connected to the increase blood and oxygen coming from the physical movement, as opposed to the brain stimulation from learning. Studies have proven that the brain benefits from physical activity by developing more blood vessels, more neurons, and connections between them. These conclusions should encourage every school system to put a larger emphasis on physical education to improve the students' learning on a wider spectrum. If taking time away from exercising to refocus it in the classroom is not improving the learning process, schools should make the appropriate balance between both. It seems that including exercise with the lesson makes a beneficial moderation. Exercise elevates the student's learning capability, and encourages a healthy lifestyle for their body and mind.

Jean Piaget's Theory

In the 20th century, Jean Piaget was the leader of his time for researching developmental psychology in learning; mostly focusing on the biological reasons for "how we know what we know." Piaget believed that reality requires transformations and stages, which is why the mind must have adaptive features to obtain information. Piaget focused on intelligence and behavior to formulate his theory on how the thinker operates. His predication was that schemes were created psychologically by the thinker to stage the world and plan out the action. "This adaptation is driven by a biological drive to obtain balance between schemes and the environment (equilibration)." Piaget believed that at birth, humans have natural reflexes, but those transform to fit our environment as the person matures. The two most influential way to adapt are assimilation and accommodation.

Assimilation: the process of using or transforming the environment so that it can be placed in preexisting cognitive structures. For example, when an infant uses a sucking schema that was developed by sucking on a small bottle when attempting to suck on a larger bottle

Accommodation: the process of changing cognitive structures in order to accept something from the environment. Both processes are used simultaneously and alternately throughout life. For example, the child needs to modify a sucking schema developed by sucking on a pacifier to one that would be successful for sucking on a bottle

The four stages of Piaget's theory of Cognitive Development are the sensorimotor stage, the pre-operational stage, the concrete operational stage, and the formal operative stage.

The sensorimotor stage occurs at birth in six specific stages. The physical actions and interactions help the baby understand their environment, and their knowledge grows exponentially. Their reactions show the intelligence of the baby's adaption without using any symbols until the baby is ready is move into the next stage. Memory and object permanence is developed around seven months, and mobility with the physical development increase, helping the baby further adapt intellectually.

The pre-operational stage is from the toddler age until early childhood. Language is starting to develop and symbols become more important to the child. Imagination evolves, along with memory. Thinking is disjointed, confounded, and arguably egocentric.

The concrete operational stage is from elementary to early adolescence. Operational thinking grows, while egocentric thoughts lessen. Intelligence takes a coherent and consistent path, relying on individual interpretations of symbols pertaining to concrete objects.

Formal operational stage begins in adolescence years and stays consistent in adulthood. Towards the beginning, egocentric thoughts return. Abstract concepts are connected to the ordered and legitimate use symbols.

Piaget failed to note that biological maturity may not always line up with their mental capabilities. Data from adolescent populations indicates that only 30 to 35% of high school seniors attain the cognitive development stage of formal operations (Kuhn, Langer, Kohlberg & Haan, 1977).

Information researched at:

Huitt, W., & Hummel, J. (2003). Piaget's theory of cognitive development. Educational Psychology Interactive. Valdosta, GA: Valdosta State University. http://www.edpsycinteractive.org

Teaching by Operational Stage

According to Piaget's theory, there are important methods to stick to in order to achieve the highest quality of learning. Following these tips maximize the students' understanding, and accommodates their thinking process. This methods vary depending on their level of intelligence based on Piaget's theory of Cognitive Development.

Toddlers through early childhood age are considered to be in the pre-operational stage. The best ways to fit their needs is to ...

- Use visual aids like drawings and illustrations.

- Cut down the lesson time to increase the learning time. Students of this stage learn best when shown through demonstration and actions. Instructions should be quick and to the point. Both actions and words should we used in unison in order to ensure understanding and clear up any confusion.

- Utilize their mindset. Piaget believes that children of this age tend to be egocentric. Making the lessons relate to their own life experience is more effective than forcing them to see in a perspective too foreign.

- Physical practice are the building blocks for later development. Workbooks and writing may present the information concretely, but children of this stage need to be given objects and play things which symbolize the point of the task given.

- Further their understanding of object manipulation to encourage thinking outside the box and beyond what is just in front of them. Material such as sand, clay, or water can give great visualization representing conservation. Pouring water into two differently shaped glasses with the same mass helps develop their two-way logic.

- Teach words to describe their senses. At this age, the child is experiencing something new on a regular basis. Helping them formulate words to express what they're seeing, feeling, doing, tasting, touching, etc. will do a world of good.

- Experience the world! Go on field trips or explore the lessons they are learning from television shows.

Middle childhood students are typically in the concrete operational stage. The best teaching methods for these learners are to ...

- Simplify detailed lessons into visual models. For example, a 3D solar system model or a time line of the Civil War.

- Show progression. Begin with short stories that have clear and chronological chapters, and slowly move up difficulty levels. Step-by-step progression will help stop any confusion before it is too jumbled or delayed.

- Allow the student to be hands on. Demonstrate experiments for science lessons, or let the students dress up in traditional clothing of that history lesson's era.

- Keep it concise. Do not ask the students to deal with more than 3 or 4 variables at a time. Readings should have only a few characters, and science experiments should have a small amount of steps.

- Make the lessons relatable. For complex lessons, use familiar examples that could be seen in the student's own life to give the student perspective. Story problems in math or connecting a story book character to themselves will increase clarity.

- Give the students the chance to classify and group objects. Outlines, analogies, and hierarchies will improve their understanding of relationships and apply knowledge they already know into another aspect of learning. Connecting sentences to make a paragraph is a valuable lesson they will benefit from.

- Let them use logical. This is the beginning of their analytical thinking, so provide riddles and brain teasers. Discuss open-ended questions or questions with many answers.

Adolescences are considered to be in the starting stages of the formal operational stage. The tips for concrete operational stage learners apply, like using visual aids and demonstrating using clear diagrams. These learners can be taught better by ...

- Continually asking "WHY?" Letting the student do the explaining will help them think of the different positions they consider when choosing a response. Include essay questions and short answers to help the student think outside the facts they memorized from a textbook. Considering why they think in a certain way will improve their logical thinking.

- Using hypothetical questioning. The adolescence now has the ability to see in many different perspectives, so letting them hypothesize about other worlds or discussing current social issues will utilize this.

- Focusing on broad concepts. Just repeating what was taught or memorizing facts will not stick with the learner for long. Let them apply the current lesson to different aspects of their life. Use popular lyrics to point out different figurative speech or elements of writing.

Woolfolk & McCune-Nicolich. (1984). Educational psychology for teachers. (2nd Ed.). Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.

Is Your Child Gifted? Take the Quiz and Find out!

Although this may seem obvious to others, some parents may not be aware that their child is a gifted child. Here is a small quiz that could help you identify whether or not your Child is gifted if they are between the ages of 2-4 years old:

"Is Your Child Gifted?" Quiz:

1. Is your child constantly curious about everything and anything around him/her?

2. Is your child speaking with a much higher vocabulary or has the ability to speak in sentences early then other children their age?

3. Does your child have any specific talents such as doing complicated math equations in their head, or drawing pictures that are extremely realistic?

4. Does your child concentrate on one task for very long periods of time, or until the task is finished?

5. Can your child remember almost everything the child comes in contact with? Such as movies, television, books, or simply hearing conversations around them.

6. Can your child master certain tasks only after performing them a couple of times?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, your child may very well be gifted. To find out for sure whether or not your child is gifted, seek out a child psychologist or therapist that can do further tests and examinations to see what the child's strengths are.

Just for fun, heres a video of a 2-year old that is very likely to be gifted.

Being a Gifted Child May Not be all That it is Cut out to be

When a child is gifted, people may not realize how intellectually advanced they are, and can observe some of the child's traits in a negative way. For example, a child can appear shy to a teacher by holding themselves back in a class-held conversation because they want to hear everything first in detail. They do this because they want to try to fully understand the concept before communicating about it to other peers. Other examples are as follows:

- If the child is intellectually older then their physical body, this could cause problems because the child cannot perform the task that they envisioned mentally because of their physical disadvantage. This would cause an enormous amount of frustration in a gifted child and could discourage them from performing other ideas or interests that they have.

- Although the gifted child can understand complex concepts that people don't understand or necessarily even have to know until they're older, this could cause emotional problems. For example, if the gifted child can understand concepts such as death or sex, they are still too young to fully understand how to deal with these concepts, which would lead to constant kinds of emotional distress.

- A main issue for gifted children is that they are simply still children. Even if they understand political or environmental issues, they are still conflicted with child-like problems, such as getting teased by an older sibling, or they have fights with their parents about how they don't want to eat their vegetables.

- There can also be social issues that can be very harmful to gifted children. For example, if the gifted child has a more sophisticated vocabulary or humor then the other children their age, this could cause other children to think of them as weird or not normal. This would then cause the gifted child to be misunderstood and think badly of themselves, and could also cause them to think that their intellectual gifts are not gifts at all.

This does not occur with all gifted children, but parents with gifted children should be aware of these examples shown, and if these are seen among the child, help should be sought out as to prevent any further distress for the gifted child.

Mr. Holland's Opus

For any movie fanatics out there, Mr. Holland's Opus is a must see movie that deals with Educational Psychology. The film is about a frustrated composer who is forced to take a job as a high school music teacher. The plots continues as Mr. Holland begins connecting with students and learning what it takes to be a successful teacher. He must face problems like students who have no interest in music, students who have trouble grasping concepts, teachers who have a problem with his teaching methods, and a board who wants to cut the whole music program (see the Mr. Holland's Opus trailer below for more info on the movie). Even though this movie was made in 1995, these issues are not too different from what is going on in the Educational field today.

Many who decide to go into Education are not aware of the issues they will have to deal with from day to day, just like Mr. Holland experienced. On his first day, he walked into a classroom expecting to have a group of musically talented students, but to his dismay, the orchestra could not keep a beat or play together for the life of them. Just like many other teachers, it took Mr. Holland some time to adjust to this new career, but eventually, he found teaching methods that worked for him and made him love what he was doing. Discovering what your teaching method will be is one of the most important concepts of Educational Psychology. Considering Educational Psychology it is how people learn and develop, the method that teachers use with students is of the utmost importance. For Mr. Holland, he chose to find a way to reach out and relate to the students. Instead of becoming frustrated by the lifestyles of their day and age, he chooses to embrace it and uses it to teach his students about different aspects of music.
As time goes on in the movie, cuts begin to be made within his school, and the music department is at the top of the list to get cut. Many teachers in his situation would be upset that they are losing their job, but Mr. Holland is upset for different reasons. He is angered by the board decision because he feels that music is a necessary element in a students education, and that without it, they are taking away from what the students can and should learn. This part of the movie really relates to what is happening now with the current budget cuts throughout the nation. Actually, a few weeks back I interviewed my old orchestra teacher, Mr. Blaufuss, from the Canandaigua Academy, and he had very similar thoughts. When I asked him how he felt about the budget cuts and how they will effect him, he responded by saying:

"It really is a shame. I know that cuts have to be made eventually, but it is a shame that music and theater are usually the first to get cut. Music opens up the creative sides of students which is just as important as Math or English. It's possible that a few years from now, I will not be here. And I'm not upset with the board because I won't have this job anymore, I am mainly upset that the students coming in now will never be given the chance to experience music like you were able to. They won't be given opportunities like you and your classmates were given, and it makes me sad thinking about what their futures will be like."

I think of Mr. Blaufuss as Canandaigua Academy's very own Mr. Holland because of the way he cares about his students and their education. It is important for all teachers to realize that everything taught in school, whether it's Math or Music, is important for a students education. Just like Mr. Blaufuss and the fictional character Mr. Holland, all a teacher needs to have is a passion for what they are teaching, and a caring relationship with his/her students to be successful.

Click here to view trailer!