Learning via Technology

When students are engaged in the learning process, education happens. In order for students to be engaged, they must be present in the classroom, challenged by their teacher, and have an atmosphere conducive to learning – i.e. one free of behavioral interruptions. According to the article on PublicTechnology.net, technology can aid educators in all of these endeavors, leading to greater student achievement and life-long learning.

It is no doubt that the proper use of technology can lead to greater student engagement and learning. The surprising component about this study was that technology can lead to better attendance and fewer behavioral interruptions. These two elements greatly improve a teacher’s chance of engaging students in the learning process.

The study purports that technology can fundamentally change the way teachers and other staff members work, decreasing the amount of “administrative” duties of the teachers and allowing for more teaching time. Technology can also aid teachers by organizing lesson plans, curriculum goals, and sharing of information.

I agree with the tenets of this article. As an administrator in Catholic education, I introduced a school management software package that tracked attendance, discipline, and grades. Teachers also could use Edline as web porthole for grades, calendars, and classroom information. Although we didn’t see as dramatic results as this study, the use of technology greatly reduced mundane administrative tasks which led to greater teaching time and better tracking of student progress.