Technology Integration

This posting is a result of considering the essential question having to do with technology integrated into education. Specifically "Why should we integrate technology into lessons?" One of the primary jobs for an educator is to prepeare students for their desired career path and the "real world." We live in an advancing technological age. Technology rules our everyday lives. Learning styles have been changing and evolving. With all the distractions of ipods, web browsing, downloading music and video clips the students have become used to getting what they want when they want. I believe attention spans have suffered. They seem to be getting shorter. Integrating technology into lessons can certainly help address this issue. I feel like students are more likely to pay attention to an interactive power point presentation about the Trojan war for example, than a lesson taught lecture style with notes on a chalkboard. This may ultimately effect their imagination in some instances. I would hope that subjects like English and art would continue to keep their imaginative juices flowing in the brain. In my teaching future, which will be in social studies I hope to be able to incorporate visual aides using links in power point presentations. From simple pictures of various historical figures to web links to history channel.com to show reenactments of famous battles. Also it will be good to teach the students how to use technology to study and to help with research. Hopefully by integrating as much and as often as possible I will better prepare my students for the next step in their education.