The best that schools can give to its students is to enhance their skills through the right use of technology. This is an area where the American Institute of Enrichment does its best
Many educators are faced with a variety of options as they attempt to integrate technology into their teaching practices. How can educators find the right technology for their learners? What are the key criteria for the right technology in our classrooms?
In order to understand the correct usage of technology we must identify its role. Most educators would agree that technology is to be used to enhance and ensure learning for all students. We must first answer the question when does learning, true learning, occur? Research and best practices of teaching have shown two specific actions take place during true learning: cognition and participation.
Teachers often engage their students by challenging them and requiring cognition, but this often results in lower participation. On the other hand, teachers are able to ensure high participation when the learning engagement is “easy and fun” as students feel sure they can achieve success. When a learning engagement is fun it is often easy. When a learning engagement is too challenging, very few students want to participate. This balancing act is what teacher’s deal with in traditional learning environments. Often due to this balancing act of cognition and participation, teaching is considered an art and can be very demanding on teachers. Now that we have defined true learning to be when students are engaged in a way that demands both cognition and participation, how does technology play a role?
It is through technology, in fact the right technology that we can achieve high levels of cognition AND participation for students on a frequent basis. That’s the litmus test educators must use when they are looking for opportunities to integrate technology to aid learning in their classrooms. In traditional learning environments, teachers struggle with either have an engagement that has high levels of cognition OR high levels of participation. It’s too often an OR, and with the right technology student can experience BOTHhigh levels ofcognition AND participation. That’s the role of technology in learning. Too often schools are not harnessing the true power of technology as educators make poor choices for their classrooms.
The American Institute of Enrichment offers the right technology which ensures students experience true learning more frequently in their classroom. AIE offers technology based curricular programs in math, reading, writing and visual arts. For more information on AIE technology based programs, visit www.theaie.org.
