Technology in the classroom: by elizabeth arguello
Teaching must come first and technology, second. Unless it is integrated properly into the pedagogical process, technology will no improve teaching effectiveness. A continual evaluation of the effectiveness of teaching is required. Some 97.9% of students own a computer whereas 95.3% have had internet access at home during high school. By the age of 18, approximately 40% of students have built a webpage. Few students are good note takers and many find lectures boring. For 8 in 10 students, it is difficult to focus for more than 20-30 minutes: therefore, other teaching methods need to be incorporated. Technology mat be used with a teacher-centred content-oriented approach to impart information or with a student-centred learning oriented approach to facilitate interaction that develops understanding. Students who aren't willing to put their hand up may be willing to respond anonymously using clickers. Powerpoint can be used to guide small group and whole class activities. The role of the intructor become one of facilitator rather than leader.Technology has been around in language teaching for decades one might argue for centuries, if we classify the blackboard as a form of technology. Tape recorders, language laboratories and video has been in use since the 1960s and 1970s, and are still used in classroom around the world.
Computer-based materials for language teaching, often refered to as CALL (computer assisted language learning), appeared in the early 1980s. Early CALL programs typically required learners to respond to stimuli on the computer screen and to carry out task such as filling in gapped texts, matching sentence halves and doing multiple-choice activities. Provably one of the best know early call activities is that of text reconstruction, where an entire text is blanked out and the learner recreates it by typing in words. For all of these activities the computer then offers the learner feedback, ranging from simply pointing out whether the answer is correct or incorrect to providing more sophisticated feedback, as showing why the learner is mistaken and offering remedial activities. The CALL approach is one that is still found on many published CD-ROMs for language teaching. As access to information and communications technology (ICT) has become more widespread, so CALL has moved beyond the use of computer programs to embrace the use of internet and web-based tools. The term Tell (Technology Enhanced Language Learning) appeared in the 1990s, in response to the growing possibilities offered by the internet and communications technology.
The use of ICT by language teachers is still not widespread, the use of technology in the classroom is becoming increasingly important, and it will become a normal part of ELT practice in the coming years. These are many reasons for this:
• Internet access - either in private homes, or at Internet cafes- is becoming increasingly available to learners.
• Younger learners are growing up with technology, and it is a natural and integrated part of their lives. For these learners the use of technology is a way to bring the outside world into the classroom. And some of these younger learners will in turn become teachers themselves.
• English, as an international language, is being used in technologically mediated contexts.
• Technology, the internet offers excellent opportunities for collaboration and communication between learners who are geographically dispersed.
• Technology is offers new ways for practising language and assessing performance.
• Technology becomes increasingly mobile. It can be used not only in the classroom, lecturehall, computer room or self-access centre, it can also be used at home, on the way to school and in internet cafes.
• Using a range of ICT tools can give learners exposure to and practice in all of the four main language skills - speaking, listening writing and reading.
The context in which teachers are working with technology can vay widely, and the access that teachers have to computers the so called digital divide wiil affect what we can do with our classes in terms of implementing technology. A general lack of ICT training for teachers also means that we still have some way to go until the normalisation of technology in language teaching, where the use of technology in teaching becomes as natural as the use of books or pens and papers.
On my opinion I believe that the technology can really improve my teaching practice.I like technology, Even when technology breaks down too often. I want to learn more about using technology in class. I didn't know what technology was exactly, but the book gave me some instructions to understand more about the use of internet, how to teach it in the classroom and that it's an important tool for us. Teaching materials are more attractive. ICT in class give students practice for real life ICT context. You can have access to up date materials via the internet the basic skills you do need to have is how to use a simple word processing program, and you will also need some essential equipment to start to implement technology with your learners.
