Barron Article

3.  What are the benefits of technology in education?

The biggest benefit, that I saw, from integrating technology into the classroom was motivation.  It is difficult to motivate students, especially if you are teaching teenagers, when all you are doing is lecturing at students.  If you find some way of making what you are teaching exciting, new and interesting then your students will respond positively.  In the Barron article he did make mention about how when technology was used in classrooms school performance and attendance increased.  I can definitely see how this would happen, when I was in elementary school, I was always more excited to go to the classes that used computers instead of the classes that only used worksheets.  I felt like I was actively participating in what I was learning.

Another benefit of technology in the classroom is that students are always connected to the classroom.  Teachers no longer have to worry about snow days or if a student is sick and what they could be missing.  Teachers now can email their students assignments they are missing and when there are snow days, students and teachers can meet in a virtual classroom and have regular classes.  This isn't fun for the students because they don't get to enjoy a snow day but it makes sure the students and teachers don't fall behind and it gives the students a lot of responsibility when it comes to their education.  They aren't passive in their learning.  Students do need to have their own family computer and internet access, of course, which sometimes can be difficult for some families.