Evolution of Teaching

Evolution+of+Teaching

Gone are the days when spending hours rummaging through books in the library was the only method to acquire reliable information. The technological era has begun; all that is needed now is a functioning electronic device with access to the internet in order to have all the information in the world at your fingertips.

“Technology is changing really quickly and therefore integration of technological resources into schools is natural,” substitute teacher Rick Saigling said.

This sudden technological advancement has been anticipated all around the world, which has allowed integration of technological resources into various jobs, particularly teaching.

“Introduction of technology in teaching has made learning more student-centered,” Pre Calculus teacher Shang-Lan Lee said. “It was more lecture-based before.”

Technology has transformed teaching by linking teachers to their students on a much larger scale than previously possible. Learning platforms such as Google Classroom and Edmodo provide means of communication between teachers and students outside of school when teachers are physically unavailable.

“Google Classroom has helped me organize things and made things so much easier,” senior Humza Shariff said. “It helps us constantly look over our documents.”

Schools are undergoing a revolution with technological resources such as iPads and laptops. Such devices have flocked into schools, sparking arguments that technology is potentially taking over the conventional method of learning.

“I think it should be a blend of both,” Shariff said. “You got to keep the balance between it; you can’t entirely rely upon technology because that does not work out. Neither can you rely upon books entirely because it gets boring.”

Books are restricted to the information that was printed in them originally, and many can go out of date as information changes and evolves. On the other hand, technological resources are updated regularly, providing students with the latest information.

However, reliance on technology comes with a cost; technological resources need constant repairing and support in order to keep them functioning, which puts students and teachers at a distinct disadvantage.

“Technology makes things easier, but if it crashes everything is gone,” Shariff said. “With books you have a backup.”

The transition to modern methods of teaching, which are more reliant on technology, has impacted many teachers who are adapted to the traditional methods of teaching, which is more reliant on books.

“The older teachers find it tough to cope with new technology,” Mr. Saigling said. “The school provides some training, but not enough especially for the teachers who have been around a while.”

Teaching methods have come a long way; chalk boards have been replaced by multimedia projectors, encyclopedias have been replaced by search engines, but one thing is certain- it is only the beginning.

“I see a future where there are no books and everything is online,” senior Leonardo Di Luzio said. “Maybe even there will be no more schools, teaching will be done online with online textbook.”

A few technological devices that have been introduced in American schools over the years… https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=46