Teaching in today’s classroom is dramatically different when the use of technology is incorporated into the educational process. Instead of a teacher lecturing a classroom where the students simply take a passive role in listening to their instructor and trying to internalize the lesson, using technology by the students allows them to take an active role in their own education. In this manner the student is actively making choices as how to generate, garner, facilitate and display information germane to their lesson. Technology allows students to take a more active role in completing their tasks, determining their educational goals, and evaluating their progress.
The most exciting element of this strategy is that the teacher is no longer the focus of attention. They simply become a facilitator and adviser while the student actually travels the path of finding their own solutions and answering their own questions by trying to ferret out the correct assumptions through the use of their own technology-supported product or device.
By far the most common positive feedback from teachers involves the increase in student motivation. Many kids today already have a natural affinity to laptops, computers, notebooks and pads. Many times, they denote these devices as objects of fun and entertainment. Thus their use in this capacity is overwhelmingly accepted by the student base as a whole.
Educational feedback is also a great by-product of this approach. Students, especially younger kids, prefer instant feedback. By the use of technology this is easily achieved and becomes more meaningful for the students. Studies have found that kids are using their work-related devices during study breaks and even during recess. Many less verbal kids find a new source to develop their confidence. Also it is widely know that different individuals use different learning modalities for true learning. Kinetic skills develop for those kids that learn more through touching than verbal or sight.
Finally- the technical skills developed by simply using various devices and software packages are a tremendous boon to kids getting ready for higher education or the workforce. As they peruse the internet they become quite proficient in basic skills pertinent to all walks of life.