The role of technology in Education

Technology has found its way into every aspect of our culture today. It's in medicine, it's in social work, and no even more than it use to be, it's in our education systems. Teachers are continually being encouraged to take technology classes so that their students can benefit from their knowledge. In Education, technology plays are role in the classroom, in assistive technology products, and software that is brought into the school. So what exactly is the role of technology in Education? What is it doing for our students and children? Or is it doing anything? Let's take a closer look.

Advantages to having technology in Education
There has been substantial evidence around the world that technology has become one of the most important and vital components to the success of a child's education. Here are some of the advantages that technology helps provide for children today:

1. Student Achievement. Technology has been proven to help students achieve in reading, writing, and arithmetic. Each year teachers are instructed and challenged to meet AYP's (Adequate Yearly Progress) under the No Child left Behind Act of 2001. Technology gives educators one more tool to help them reach those goals. Students become engaged and can often times facilitate parent involvement at home.


2. Professional Requirements. Not only does technology benefit students in the education system, it also benefits the educator. There are so many opportunities for teachers to learn and acquire new skills over the internet, keep up with credentials and in return help them improve their teaching abilities.


3. Meeting Special Needs. Technology, more specifically with assistive technology special needs students, and student with disabilities have been able to achieve in areas and ways that would not have been possible. Technology creates individualized learning environments for students and really can play a major role in special needs ones.


4. Continuing Education. Technology has also made it possible for those who didn't finish college or high school to get back into things without having to even leave the comfort of their own home. And technology has made it possible for continued education; those wanting to reach a little higher and gain more knowledge in something new or old. Technology brings the learning right to your students; wherever they may be.


5. Workforce skills. And last, but certainly not least, technology has served students well because it has provided them with the skill and knowledge they need to enter the workforce.

It is becoming increasingly difficult for teachers to reach every child in the classroom. Class sizes keep getting larger, but teachers remain still one of the lowest paid salary jobs in America. Yet the need is still there to teach and prepare the children for the future; the need to prepare them for the "real" world. And the real world today is a world full of technology. So if we don't provide technology in our education system then when will students have a chance to get familiar with it? How will they train themselves for the "real" world?

So what exactly is the role of technology in education? Technology is making it possible for teachers to reach more students, allowing students the time they need to succeed, and providing our future workforce with competent, knowledgeable employees.