Technology Misconceptions

I’m looking around me as I type this. People are on computers. A projector, it’s displaying information on how to write this paper. What do these have in common? Technology, these are all forms of technology that I find everyday in classrooms and sometimes, it’s weird. But technology can and will improve how we learn and the quality of learning.

Let’s start with the basics, some misconceptions if you will. You may have heard of the classic saying that T.V. rots the brain. If you believe this, then this whole paper will be directed to you. There are educational programs on T.V., and if you haven’t caught them then look up some they are very abundant. And while we’re here, isn’t a computer just an interactive T.V.? What difference does that

The more students engage, the more likely they will learn and become a better student. Technology is engaging, the way it’s made, and how it works is so fascinating. But most people don’t think about that. They think about the phone. So, such as with Kahoot, if you were to tell students that they can go on the phone to play a quiz game. They will get it out and play. And as Thomas Reeves said, “Using multimedia construction programs as cognitive tools engages many skills in learners such as: project management skills, research skills, organization and representation skills, presentation skills, and reflection skills.” (Reeves

This is a thing that a lot of schools are trying to fix. Because on one hand, games after a test almost feel like a reward for completing it. But on the other hand, students can play games and not focus. Certain programs get rid of the inappropriate games, which is decided by an administrator, but it still keeps other games. And while it is true that children can play games on the computer, wouldn’t that be a fault of the teacher, and not the student? If you have a student that doesn’t play games and listens, that’s great. But for the students that play games and don’t get things done, wouldn’t it be obvious if they’re playing games? You can tell all of the students to close their computers so they can’t play games. Make work out of computers, and if you have to use them, change your seating arrangement so you can see all of the computers at once. Or better, know the signs. If they don’t usually take notes, and you see them constantly tapping the keyboard, they might be playing a game. If they don’t move their hands but are still ‘typing’ they might be playing a game. And if you want to call them out on it, they can just close out of the tab, right? No. On most Windows and Google brand computers you can use a command that opens the last