Technology in Education

Technology in Education
Kelsey Kuszek
University of Toledo
ETPT 6900 Fall 2015

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Technology in Education

After working in the education field for almost three years, I can clearly see how important
technology is in the classroom. It is no secret that technology is changing the way our students learn.
Research literature throughout the past decade has shown that technology can enhance literacy
development, impact language acquisition, provide greater access to information, support learning,
motivate students, and enhance their self-esteem. When it comes to music education, there are many
various ways students can use technology to enhance everyday objectives that need to be achieved. In
this paper, I will explore the importance of the new and upcoming technologies that are changing the
world of education and highlighting the top four technologies that I believe are changing the world of
education. Since I am a music teacher, I will also be describing how these technologies can be
incorporate into a secondary subject area.
The first technology that will help the education world is collaborative environments. Student
collaboration is a concept that is being used many different grade levels. Taken from The Horizon
Report: 2009 K-12 Edition, The value placed on collaboration is increasing in the workplace as
professionals are expected to work across geographic and cultural boundaries more and more
frequently. Many teachers recognize the importance of collaborative work and are finding that online
tools to support it provide them and their students with opportunities to work creatively, develop
teamwork skills, and tap into the perspectives of people around the world with a wide range of
experiences and skills that differ from their own. ( Johnson, Levine, Smith, & Smythe, 2009) Not only
do technologies help with creativity and teamwork skills, but it also helps with self confidence and
motivation. In many cases, students choose to work on their technology-based projects during recess or
lunch periods because they enjoy technology. Teachers also frequently cite technology's motivational
advantages in providing a venue in which a wider range of students can excel. Compared to
conventional classrooms with their stress on verbal knowledge and multiple-choice test performance,

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technology provides a very different set of challenges and different ways in which students can
demonstrate what they understand. Types of technologies that students can use to collaborate are
Skype, Google Docs, Google Presentations, CoSketch, and Edmodo. I personally have used all of the
Google applications and Edmodo. Edmodo is an application that acts similar to a social media site that
is focused on education. With this application, the teacher can create a workspace where students can
join a virtual classroom. Teachers may also post quizzes, homework, polls, and discussion boards.
Students are able to express ideas with the discussion boards and collaborate on projects when it is
convenient for them. I have used Edmodo in the music classroom just for this. One of my standards
asks me to incorporate technology with music. I chose for my 5th graders to make a music video. We
would choose a popular song on the radio, re-write the lyrics to a core curriculum subject, and then
record a video. Edmodo worked well during the lyrics writing process. The students were broken into
groups and told to collaborate on rewriting lyrics. Students worked on this in the classroom and also I
noticed them working on this at home. Having collaborative technologies incorporated into the
classroom opens up many opportunities for success in and out of the classroom.
The second technology that educators need to watch for is game-based learning. Taken from
The 2010 Horizon Report: 2010 edition, Interest in game-based learning has grown in recent years as
research continues to demonstrate its effectiveness for learning. Games for education span the range
from single player or small-group card and board games all the way to massively multiplayer online
games and alternate reality games. Those at the first end of the spectrum are easy to integrate with the
curriculum, and in many schools they are already an option; but the greatest potential of games for
learning lies in their ability to foster collaboration and engage students deeply in the process of
learning. For a variety of reasons, the realization of this potential is still two to three years away.
(Johnson, Smith, Levine, & Haywood, 2010) The music classroom is a great place for online and
classroom game based learning. I already incorporate singing games and activities that help with

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practicing and review of major student learning objectives but I would like to explore the world of
music games on different technologies. Currently, our schools use Chromebooks for computer based
instruction. There are many applications on the Chromebook app store that would work in music class.
Quizlet, DoReMi ear training, and Spreaker are some of the apps I have explored and they would help
with game based instruction. Apple's iPads have more game based applications than Chromebooks.
Soundrop, I am Composer, Rhythm Lab, Percussive, Singing Fingers, and Staff Wars are just a few
apps that I found that I could use in my music classroom. If the students each had either a Chromebook
or an iPad, I would be able to use these apps as centers where students are able to review and test
there knowledge on rhythm skills and vocal skills. Game based learning is learning without the students
realizing they are because these games are very interactive and engage multiple intelligences of all
learners.
Personal learning environments is the next technology educators should be watching for.
Personal learning environments (PLEs) refer to student-designed learning approaches that
encompass different types of content, videos, apps, games, social media tools, and more , chosen by a
student to match his or her personal learning style and pace. Despite the use of the word environment
in the name, the notion of a collection or a physical or online space is somewhat irrelevant to a PLE.
The goal is for students to have more control over how they learn, and for teachers to set expectations
that their students will be more engaged in understanding and applying their learning strategies.
Personal learning environments are currently more of a theoretical construct, as they have not been
widely put into practice. The notion is of intense interest to many educators who see PLEs as having
considerable potential to engage students in ways that best suit their individual learning needs.
(Johnson, Adams, & Haywood, 2011). One of the most successful technology that helps with personal
learning environments is Khan Academy. Students can become a member of this website and earn
different achievements after learning about math, reading, art, and even music. Students are able to

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access this information at any time of day, stop the lesson and return to it later, and also review lessons
if they are confused or need extra help. Having the ability to learn at your own pace is very helpful to
those students who may need extra assistance in school. This type of learning can help with
differentiated instruction in the classroom. I find that students are more willing to learn if they feel
comfortable and confident in the classroom and this up and coming technology may be the most
helpful.
The last technology that I find is important to watch for is tablet computing. Tablet computing
presents new opportunities to enhance learning experiences in ways simply not possible with mobile
phones, laptops, or desktop computers, and is especially suited for one-to-one learning in the K-12
environment. High-resolution screens allow users of tablets, such as the iPad and Galaxy, to easily
share content, images, and video. They are engaging and viewed as less disruptive than other hand-held
devices , no phone ringing and no incoming text messages. Because tablets are able to tap into all the
advantages that mobile apps bring to smaller devices but in a larger format, schools are seeing them not
just as affordable solutions for one to-one learning, but also as feature-rich tools for all sorts of
assignments as well, often replacing far more expensive and cumbersome devices and equipment.
(Johnson, Adams, & Cummins, 2012) Nearpod is an app for the iPad that allows students to view
presentations, homework, and join teaching sessions in the classroom. Students may also use tablets for
apps such as Idea Sketch to create mid mapping for a project for class. Idea Sketch will automatically
save and you are able to upload a copy to your drives. Again, tablets are a great way for students to
access information with one touch and without disruption of text messages and email. If schools are
worried about how tablets do not have keyboards, special covers with keyboards are available to
purchase for all tablets. At this time, my school does not have tablets for students unless they need a
classroom aid. If these students need to exit my room for any reason, I have a list of approved apps this
student can use with their aid so they can continue to learn about music. I would like to work towards

Technology in Education
having a set of iPads for my classroom so I am able to incorporate this technology to the fullest.
After researching about different technologies, it really gets me thinking about how I can
change my classroom lessons and strategies. Technology has many avenues that can help with
differentiated instruction, lesson delivery, and engagement in lessons. Technology is a tool that can be
used to reach many different levels of multiple intelligences and students with IEPs. I have started to
incorporate technologies such as collaborative learning environments and game-based learning into
many of my lessons. I have seen a major change in participation, confidence, classroom behavior, and
all around achievement of knowledge from many students that may have been struggling. Giving the
option to incorporate different types of technologies gives the learners more freedom while learning
and ultimately more success in the classroom. Technology is not going anywhere anytime soon.
Administrators and teachers need to be able to accept the changes as to how our students are learning
and be able to provide the proper avenues to explore these options. When all is said and done, this can
not be done without the support of the school board. I hope that my research gives you answers as to
why we need to keep working towards incorporating different technologies into not just core
classrooms but every classroom.

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References

Johnson, L., Levine, A., Smith, R., and Smythe, T. (2009). The 2009 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition.
Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Johnson, L., Smith, R., Levine, A., and Haywood, K., (2010). 2010 Horizon Report: K-12 Edition.
Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., (2011). The NMC Horizon Report:
2011 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.

Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Cummins, M. (2012). NMC Horizon Report: 2012 K-12 Edition. Austin,
Texas: The New Media Consortium.