Use of Technology in my field of education

 "Curriculum integration with the use of technology involves the infusion of technology as a tool to enhance the learning in a content area or multidisciplinary setting. Technology enables students to learn in ways not previously possible. Effective integration of technology is achieved when students are able to select technology tools to help them obtain information in a timely manner, analyze and synthesize the information, and present it professionally. The technology should become an integral part of how the classroom functions — as accessible as all other classroom tools."
(The Intenational Society for Technology in Education. Their web site is available here http://www.iste.org/standards) 

It is a fact nowadays that the number of computers in the classroom continues to increase and tremendous support for technology integration exists in business, government and education institutes.

I think several questions we have to consider when we reflect on the use of technology in education:

1. What do we know about the use of technology in education?
2. How can we use knowledge of teaching to guide our use of technology?
3. What is the real level of the use of the technology respected (?) by the educators and the actual use of it in the classroom?
4. What is the role of technology in the future of education? 

We do know that in the current world there are very few jobs where the use of computers and technologies is not required. Even a reindeer breeder can use a GPS equipment to trace the reindeer.
Besides the business, also the way how we communicate changes all the time because of technology. We now communicate in the global scale. This is a direct result of advances in technology: the information and the learning are free and mostly available to anyone with the right technology. A common theme among schools mission goals is the preparation of students to be productive members of changing society. Much of that change is due to technology. Without a commitment to using technology in the classroom there won´t be teaching and learning. We will be unable to meet those mission statements.
Using technologies in education improves the results. What are the disadvantages? The students are growing up in a digital age where they have constant exposure to a variety of media which has an impact on the way they interact and use information.

In general I can say that I haven´t used so much technologies in my field of education. When I was a student in university we didn´t really use internet as source, but we were forced to go to the library and get there the material needed.
In my teaching job I use technology such as:
- audio sources > for instance iTunes
- video sources >> when I have to reach visual learners and I need to speak also about culture. In my studies we use platforms such as Skype and ac.
- blogging, mobiles and learning management system in my field of teaching are at the moment less useful since I am working in the Community Colleges. I asked to some of my students if they would like to have a blog while they are studying Italian but they denied the offer since they are too busy.

I notice some positive things anyway in using technology in my field of education. First of all I am more engaged in learning. I find these tools much more democratic and flexible.  I also think that internet gives much more opportunities to the students. I have used for instance many web sites to fill the gap in teaching part of the language that is not so deeply explained in the book: the phonetics.
As said before I wasn´t so into technologies because I have grown up with real old fashioned learning. With these studies I noticed that when I have to look up material for any kind of presentation or essay the use of technology covers also my weakest learning styles. In addition it can give me practice on core (main) content and skills. The online sources gave me also the opportunity to take learning outside the classroom. In internet, material can vary from small tutorials with small concept to large ideas taught in the class. Some material is free and anybody can access it.

I notice that I have more possibilities to discuss with my colleagues about a certain topic. The use of Skype and AC and virtual learning in general fits with my daily schedule: so while I am making my laundry I can hear same time a lesson about learning styles.
I think, as a teacher, technologies will give me also better means to organize and give lessons.

Here you have a video of positive aspects of using technology in education: TOP TEN REASONS TO USE TECHNOLOGY IN EDUCATION

Sources:

• Us Department of Education, Use of Technology in Teaching and Learning retrieved on http://www.ed.gov/oii-news/use-technology-teaching-and-learning
• Geer, R., & Sweeney, T. (2012). Students’ voices about learning with technology. Journal of social sciences, 8 (2). 294-303
• Ritchel, Matt. Growing up Digital, Wired for Distraction. The New York Times. 21 Nov. 2010. 
• Greenfield Susan Modern Technology is changing the way our brains work, says neuroscientist, Mail on line newspaper retrieved on  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-565207/Modern-technology-changing-way-brains-work-says-neuroscientist.html 
• Technology in Education. (2011, September 1). In Education Week November 9, 2011, retrieved on  http://www.edweek.org/ew/issues/technology-in-education/
• Michelle R. Davis, Social Networks go to school, in Education week  Published on line 14 June2010, retrieved on  http://www.edweek.org/dd/articles/2010/06/16/03networking.h03.html