Website Mission
It is the mission of this website to assist in the development of learning environments that promote Career and Technical Education as well as academic excellence. To provide examples of effective 21st century teaching and learning strategies in order to assist in the development of more engaged and motivated classrooms. To provide multimedia Podcasts and articles to facilitate an understanding of how to implement technology and multimedia in classrooms regardless of content area. To encourage independent and personalized learning by teaching students to enjoy the process of learning. To assist teachers in becoming facilitators of learning.
Teachers Take on Technology
Project Tomorrow, an educational nonprofit organization focused on technology, recently published a survey report based on feedback from educators across the nation. The Speak Up National Research Project annually polls K-12 students, educators and parents regarding the role of technology in learning. This 2010 report, The New 3 E’s of Education: Enabled, Engaged and Empowered - How Today’s Educators are Advancing a New Vision for Teaching and Learning, explores the impact of three key trends in education: mobile learning, online and blended learning and digital content.
According to the survey, homework is the number one way teachers are using technology to enhance student learning. More specifically, the percentage of teachers using technology for homework has increased by 61% since 2008. The use of Podcasts and videos is also becoming routine – 30% of teachers are now using them in the classroom. This represents “an increase of over 50 percent since 2008.”Although it may be difficult to pinpoint the exact reasons why teachers are embracing the use of technology in their classrooms, the impact that it has on student achievement and learning is surely at the top of the list. If teachers did not see the positive results of incorporating new technology trends into their curriculum, they simply would not use it. However, because students today are so tech-savvy and have ubiquitous access to technology, utilizing technology in the classroom has become a powerful motivational tool that educators can use to engage students in the learning process.
According to the report, “it is the elementary teachers who have noticed the greatest impact on student success around motivation to learn (62 percent vs. 44 percent for high school teachers).” But incorporating technology doesn’t just benefit the students. “Almost two-thirds of secondary teachers and 56 percent of elementary teachers say they are better organized as a result of the use of technology in their classroom, and nearly a majority of teachers across all grade levels say they are more productive.”
The world of education is constantly evolving, as new technologies and strategies to engage and empower our students are gaining popularity. The digital learning resources available today are contributing to a vision of education that utilizes the latest technology trends to increase student achievement.
