Philosophy of Educational technology

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Technology has been used in education for a long time. So long that it’s become an integral part of everyone’s daily lives.  Educational technology is the concept of teaching and learning through the efficient medium of technology. Technology can also be used to promote and ensure access to education. Learning is enhanced through hardware, software, methods, implements, and manpower. 

One of the things I value about EdTech is that it keeps everyone connected wherever and whenever they are. Since COVID, significantly more students have done remote learning. Universities cannot allow too many students in one lecture hall so they either record the lectures or use software like Zoom to do them live. This has the benefit of allowing students to work at their own pace, which can result in them being more productive. Different softwares can do different things so ET can help keep everyone organized by reminding you of your deadlines. 

Another thing I value about ET is that it makes everything a lot easier. For me, writing essays would be difficult because my hand would hurt after I wrote a paragraph. Using technology makes typing much quicker and my hands feel great even after typing for an hour or so. I don’t completely plan out everything I write, so if I write a couple of sentences that don’t make sense, I will have to delete them. In some cases, my handwriting looks messy, especially after fixing a few sentences. However, thanks to technology, I can express what I want to say without being affected by my poor writing skills. You can drag and drop paragraphs across the screen if you want to move them.

It’s easy to access data online. Instead of going to a library and checking out dozens of books, you can just search for the information you need online. If you forget to do an assignment and the library is closed, it can be cataclysmic. The internet never closes so you can do research from wherever you are. Due to the internet, dictionaries can be rendered useless since one can simply look up a word and find many websites that provide the definition. A great deal of time has been saved. 

One of the problems with using technology in education is that students can get distracted. Not all students want to do work in class, and with technology, it is easier than ever to play games or listen to music while in class. In this generation, most young people are addicted to technology, so they won’t learn much. They also need to be taught valuable skills, which don’t come with technology learning. Older kids have a much deeper sense of responsibility, which means they will actually complete their tasks. Technology can be misused so boundaries need to be placed. Currently a lot of websites are blocked by school WIFI for safety reasons. However, many students have data which can allow them to gain access to these sites.  

Using technology, work can be completed more efficiently and effectively. Writing and formatting essays has never been easier. Technology evolves, and as it improves, so does my view of it. As it continues to evolve, so will my view regarding it.