Education Term Papers - Computers in Classrooms

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Computers are everywhere. In the government, military, small businesses, home businesses and the like. Millions of computers that are to be used mainly as productivity enhancers and office tools and off course in educational field too.

Computer is an electronics device, which can do wonders. Today every field of life cannot be thought of with out the utilization of computers. The number of applications of a computer, its speed and accuracy of calculation has been multiplied. The impact of computers in our day-to-day life must be appreciated. Reservation of tickets, payment of utility bills withdrawal of money from banks, business data processing, medical diagnosis, weather forecasting etc, are just few minor and common day examples of some of the areas where computer has become extremely valuable and inevitable. The computer, which is seen today is quite different from the one made at its starting. It can be magic box, which serves different purpose to different people, but for a common man it’s simply a machine capable of solving problems and manipulating data, or a calculator, which works automatically and quite fast. For a person who knows how to use it with effective and appropriate programmes can have incredible results. It accepts data; process the data by doing mathematical and logical operations and gives desired output. However, there is one limitation with the computer, human beings can do calculations on their own, but computer is just a simple dumb machine which only response if it has been given proper instructions to carry out its calculations. Computer can be defined in terms of its following functions: -
• Acceptance of data,
• Storage of data,
• Processing of data as desired,
• Retrieval of stored data as and when required,
• Printing the result in desired format.
 

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Some major characteristics of computer are:
• Speed
• Accuracy
• Diligence
• Versatility
• Power of recalling and recollecting
• No IQ
• No Feelings
• Storage

There is no doubt that integrating computer technology in the classroom can have enormous benefits. Computers help to bring such material in a rather interesting and colorful way that otherwise could only be found in boring textbooks and plain handouts. Through the use of the Internet students have
access to thousands of resources at their fingertips. In addition, everyday exposure to computers helps to equip

students with the skills necessary to succeed in a world driven by computer technology. Particularly for students who have no access or motivation to use computers, the classroom offers the chance for a child to become familiar with something that may change the course of his or her life.

Students are beginning to understand the role of technology as an aid to instruction. The idea that technology has a legitimate role to play in instruction, as opposed to being the point of instruction, is key. If learning is to be meaningful, the technology should be infused in a way that strengthens the lesson without taking away from it. In a seminal 1985 study Richard Clark, an education professor at the University of California Los Angeles, reviewed earlier studies that suggested computers improved student’s performance. Much of the supposed beneficial impact disappeared, he said, when the teacher or instructional method was held constant. (An education technology agenda)

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Although years ago some computer enthusiasts may have imagined that computers would take over many of the tasks of teachers, and assist students all the way through. Or that many classroom teachers would see their role subordinated to master teachers in central locations who could reach millions of students using distance-learning tools, making technology useful for themselves and students but it is not the case.

There are several reasons for this. The society, that we are part of, is continuously changing; we could even say that continuous change is the only constant factor. How could we characterize the changes we are presently facing? We could say that globalization and the developments of technology make our society more complex and that changes seem to take place at an increasing pace. The rapid change in technology demands a swift and entire understanding so that one can easily approach and benefit from it. But it in itself is not an easy task as learning the mechanics of using hardware and new software is just one challenge.

Some people are criticizing that teacher’s skills with new technology are lacking and therefore it is not beneficial to students. Teachers have a variety of ways to enhance their understanding of this new technology and they are having vast resources readily available to aid them in pursuing better knowledge.

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More difficult yet, teachers say, is developing lesson plans that incorporate the resources available over the Internet into the school curriculum. In addition, teachers accustomed to teacher-centered classrooms have to learn a new set of techniques to manage the transition to student-centered learning. And as students seek and find knowledge from an ever-wider array of sources, rather than simply absorbing a uniform body of knowledge, teachers often find that they must be more knowledgeable than ever about their particular subject matter to respond to student questions and help direct their research.

As students perceive it, computers generate additional worries for them: learning strange but apparently essential "keystrokes," interpreting cryptic data at the top and bottom of their monitor displays, and worst of all losing everything they have written or perhaps even destroying the computer with a couple of ill-advised presses on the keyboard. It is not surprising, then, that students often feel uncertain, uncomfortable, and even frustrated at the outset of a computerized composition course. A few are even more reluctant to write than usual. Student get anxious and their anxieties fall into two categories:
• Fear of operating the machines.
• Fear about writing itself.

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Even those students who don't panic or have a catastrophe often find the computer distracting. Their composing processes, tentative under any circumstances, are further disrupted by the addition of technology to their writing environment. Some students found it difficult to adjust to the keyboard, particularly the specialized control keys. Some found the blinking cursor a major distraction.

The presence of computers and the Internet in schools is still a relatively new phenomenon. Many of the district superintendents and school principles do not understand the computer or Internet. With no coherent national plan, schools and school districts are left to make their own guidelines and devise their own curriculum. Inadequate teacher’s training is perhaps the biggest bottleneck limiting effective use of computer networking in many of the nation's classrooms. If the computer networking is going to become a universal tool to be implemented in a public school system, then an active effort will have to be made to ensure that teachers in all subject areas are comfortable with the technology. Currently, teachers and administrators have a limited understanding of the hard and soft wear and the World Wide Web.

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Emerging technologies in the classroom have been beneficial in high school and college career and will help students in the long run when they need to find a career. It is now very easy for them to conduct any research-based projects in high school and college or to be well informed about their related field and new technologies. The Internet can play an imperative part in the research aspect of their papers. The Web allows student to access a wide variety of topics in a short amount of time and with relative ease. Learning devices such as PowerPoint has been very useful to them in class presentations. It helps student put together their thoughts in a visual manner and allows them to integrate creativity into subjects that would otherwise be boring. It also allows a student to interact with other students and share all the information about their related field.

Computers should be used as a language-learning tool - just as any other piece of equipment (i.e., tape recorder, VCR, etc.). It is important the only computer should not be the center of attention. There are situations when activities at the computer can become the center of attention, however these situations should be avoided and left to students to decide when, and if, they want to utilize such activities. Planning a lesson around such an activity requires the teacher to first consider the scope of a particular lesson. Once the content of the lesson is decided on, the teacher can then consider if the use of a certain computer based activity meets a desired objective of the lesson. At this point, the teacher can then decide at which stage of the lesson to use a computer and for what purposes.

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Administration and teachers do understand that there is a vast warehouse of information, and they are also aware of the large amount of adult material on the Net. Understanding the nature of the material on the Internet is essential in formulating a policy, so is having a solid understanding of the infrastructure of the Net, knowing its demographics, and also understanding that a large amount of the information is unverified and inaccurate.

Emerging technologies in the classroom, if utilized properly, will open up a world of possibilities for both teachers and students. The positive aspects of new technology highly out weigh the negative aspects. Students need to be familiar with new technology to compete in the work force. If they use technology in school, then they will have a good basis. The emerging technology will benefit all students, including the ones with disabilities. The use of emergent technologies in schools is beneficial to both teachers and students because it helps them gain information on a wide variety of topics in an efficient and effective manner.

To obtain the appropriate effectiveness of computer networking and now Internet too a research cycle has been given by teachers. Teachers have broken down the research cycle into seven stages: questioning, planning, gathering, sorting and sifting, synthesizing, evaluating, and reporting. The schools should develop staff training modules for each skill, as well as ‘rubrics’ for evaluating student performance. McKenzie, the technology coordinator, puts special emphasis on the first stage. In questioning, the student clarifies what new insight is required, what he or she already knows, and what data and insight are required to shed light on the question.
 

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Conclusion
The accessibility of widely available knowledge is increasing the hierarchical structure of organization and an evolution of individual learning processes is taking place. A vital society should be able to face such a broad spectrum of rapidly occurring and rather unpredictable changes in a proactive way. As a consequence there is an increasing need for learning environments that can accommodate both the needs of initial learners and those of life long learners.

Technology can help both teachers and students. Studies show that students who used technology in conjunction with hands-on instruction had increases in knowledge and attitudes about science (Gardner, Simmons, & Simpson, 1992). Technology is utilized in three ways: to increase productivity, to enhance learning in the classroom and to expose students to emerging technologies.

Schools are just beginning to cope with the new technology, which is dominating the society. Administrators and teachers are scrambling to get the training as local businesses and volunteers help to install the hardware in their schools. As more and more schools gain access to powerful computers and online services. As important as it is to realize the potential of computer technology to improve educational process, it is just as important to understand how the social organization influences the use of computers, and in turn is effected by that technology in unanticipated ways.


References

Yuji Higaki, Kay Lou, Euegnie Taylor. Computer in the classroom. Computers. Ethics and Society.

Gardner, C.M., Simmons, P.E., & Simpson, R.E. (1992). The effects of CAI and hands-on activities on elementary students’ attitude and weather knowledge. School Science and Mathematics, 92(6), 334-336.

Billy Lonchas. (2002). Emerging Technology in the Classroom.

John Graves. (1997). Knowledge is critical. Where Will Computers Be Used for Learning? CPSR News Volume 15.

 

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