Running head: INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Integrating Instructional Technology

Gilda Ocampo
EDU/225
October 18, 2015
Randal Yard

INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

Integrating Instructional Technology

Technology has certainly come a long way in the past century. The earliest of technology
in a classroom dates back to the 17th century and 18th century (Jonassen, Howland, Marra, &
Crismond, 2010). It started with pictures in text books in the 17th century and progressed to
chalkboards in the 18th century. It was during the 1950s when the first true technology emerged
to enhance instruction in the classroom (Jonassen, Howland, Marra, & Crismond, 2010). It was
on a projector with no sound and the images where projected using a lantern, sound was added
later on to the projector. Today technology is far more advanced and is used to facilitate and
enhance instruction in the classroom as well as in our daily lives.
As technology advances, schools have to foster meaningful learning and change the way
it is being used from technology as teacher to technology as partner (Jonassen, Howland, Marra,
& Crismond, 2010). It is not the technology its self that supports learning but rather how it is
used. Technology can help support students productive thinking and make meaning out of the
lessons being taught (Bohanon, 2010). It serves as a tool for teachers to use in order to engage
students in a lesson and help teachers keep up with the expanding knowledge that students have
with technology. Students use technology outside of school in their daily lives so it only makes
sense to incorporate technology in a lesson because a simple lecture no longer is enough to keep
students engaged and get their attention (Jonassen, Howland, Marra, & Crismond, 2010).
Though technology is an innovative way to give instruction there are always pros and
cons to integrating technology in a classroom. The benefits of technology like mentioned before
technology serves as a tool and aid to the teacher (Dabiri, et al., 2011). For example the internet
now allows for teachers to upload their lessons on line to aid the students who need to go back to
the lecture for clarification. The internet also gives students access to more knowledge by

INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

reading articles or research online for an assignment (Dabiri, et al., 2011). Another benefit to
technology enhancing learning is that it keeps students engaged and grabs their attention by all
the visuals and graphics that technology offers to a lesson. It keeps their attention longer and
prevents them from dozing off because they get bored and can allow students to participate in the
lesson. The rise of technology has also brought negative factors into classrooms. One thing is
certain, technological devices cause distractions in a classroom (Dabiri, et al., 2011). Like cell
phones, a lot of students today have cell phones and are constantly using them. If a student has
their phone out in class and not using it for school related purposes, it causes a distraction and
keeps the student from focusing on their work and it also interferes with the learning of others.
Technology has also made cheating easier for students (Dabiri, et al., 2011). Especially with the
internet more accessible to students, many depends on googling the answers on the internet. A
lot of students use the computer for entertainment unrelated to homework and reducing the
amount of time spent studying (Dabiri, et al., 2011).
The main difference between a wired and a wireless classroom, is the physical wire
verses wireless (McCurdy, 2009). In a wired classroom, it would require an Ethernet port or
data jack and in order to connect to the internet an Ethernet cable to connect to a computer. A
wireless classroom would need for a computer to pick up the signal of wireless network through
a router. Some wireless networks require to have a password to obtain the access of internet
(McCurdy, 2009).

INTEGRATING INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY

References
Bohanon, C. (2010, April 10). Using Technology to Facilitate Instruction. Retrieved from Using
Technology to Facilitate Instruction: http://technology4instructionbohanonc3374.blogspot.com/
Dabiri, R., Deravi, N., El Tamami, A., Hong, E., Percval, J., Torres, K., . . . Zelner, B. (2011,
January 26). Pros and Cons of technology in education. Retrieved from
Aroofoverourheads's Blog : https://aroofoverourheads.wordpress.com/2011/01/26/prosand-cons-of-technology-in-education/
Jonassen, D., Howland, J., Marra, R., & Crismond, D. (2010, July 20). How Does Technology
Facilitate Learning? Retrieved from Education.com:
http://www.education.com/reference/article/how-does-technology-facilitate-learning/
McCurdy, L. (2009, September 21). What is the difference between wired and wireless
technologies? . Retrieved from FunewMedia:
http://funewmedia.blogspot.com/2009/09/what-is-difference-between-wired-and.html