Recently, Illinois State University hosted a series of speakers with the topic of technology and education. Among other topics, the speakers talked about the use of technology with special education needs, building digital resumes, and the growing trend of using iPads in the classroom. With technology becoming more prominent in the classroom it has become increasingly important for educators to have access to and the ability to learn about new technology. In this particular case, those attending the speaker series not only had the opportunity to learn about different types of technology used in the classroom but had the chance to get to use them and try them out for themselves. These technology tools help to supplement existing tools and give teachers new ideas for presenting lesson plans. Children are often excited by the interactivity promised by using technology in the classroom. However, care should be taken not to "force" the use of technology into a lesson plan where another method makes more sense; in this case, it is important to consider the needs of individual students or classrooms. Technology has infinite potential as a tool for education, but it is up to the teacher to apply the technology in the best way possible.
While completing my clinical experience last semester, I was happy to see that the teacher had stations set up for using computers to learn. The teacher also had a set of three iPads with educational applications. While she only had a few computers and iPads, I could tell that the students greatly enjoyed the opportunity to spend part of their day playing educational games. A few computers and iPads made a difference in her classroom, just as technology made a difference for me when I was an elementary student. Another thing to consider is that technology can be greatly beneficial to students with learning disabilities; the use of iPads can not only be educational but therapeutic as well.
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