Technology in the Classroom by Hannah

Technology in the Classroom by Hannah - January 2020 Scholarship Essay

When I first started school, I can remember only having white boards in my classroom. Then, about halfway through my first year, SmartBoards were brought into each classroom. My kindergarten teacher had one, as well as the art teacher and guidance counselor. As the years went on, I began to notice technology more and more in and out of the classroom. Looking back, there really isn't a time I can remember without technology playing a part in my education.
Currently, all students in my school district have an assigned device. Being a high school student, we are allowed to take our devices home each day, and are expected to use them to complete our schoolwork. This has become beneficial, because it slightly levels the playing field for students. While not every student has access to internet once they leave school, software like Microsoft Word and the like allow them to have their assignments done by the time they arrive at school the next day. I believe using technology to complete many of my assignments, especially essays, has increased the amount of work being done by students because the current generation of students are digital natives.
Integrating technology into the classroom also opens up more doors for what can be done in the classroom. As a student intern, I have seen technology used in various ways in the elementary classroom I observed. Aside from each of their personal devices, students were used to the Amazon Dot their teacher used. The teacher was able to say things such as, "Alexa, set a timer for 15 minutes," and when the timer went off, the students knew it was time for them to move onto their next station. The device was wired to a speaker at the back of the classroom. This speaker was also paired to a button the teacher wore on her lanyard, that, when pushed, would play the same tone as when the timer went off. This got the students' attention without the teacher having to raise her voice. Integrating technology in moderation at a younger age is important because it allows them to still continue developing their social and motor skills, without falling behind on the growing technology wave.
Wanting to pursue a career as an educator myself, technology in the classroom has been very beneficial for me. I have learned how to use different software that will benefit my time spent in the classroom. I have also learned how to communicate digitally, which is becoming more and more prevalent in the real world. In all, I would say that technology has had a positive impact on my classroom experience by better preparing me for my time after leaving the classroom and entering the work force.