The Value of Mobile Technology in Teaching and Learning - Is there any? (*SPOILER*...Yes)

Whether you like it or not, as a teacher in 2016 you cannot escape from technology. In nearly every classroom is an interactive whiteboard, the majority of students have access to computers and tablets, and no lesson is complete without the obligatory PowerPoint presentation. However, is there any value in using technology? Or is it just a tool that is being used to replace teachers?.

Ivers (2003) notes that using technology in the classroom can be an effective aid to teaching, if used appropriately. I agree with this statement, as a number of teachers nowadays seem to be too reliant on using so many pieces of technological software, as opposed to cocentrating on actually teaching their students. I use technology in nearly every lesson, as an aid to my teaching. I feel proficient in the use of technology, which allows me to pick and choose the correct platforms to enhance my teaching, rather than replace it.

I feel that they way in which technology has been dumped on teachers says a lot for how it is used. Reeves (1998) states that technology is used most effectively in the classroom when the teachers are allowed to implement it in their own ways rather than use prescribed pieces of software, which can cause confusion in the way students are taught. Personally, I have to mark all of my students assignments through Moodle, which I find a very time consuming process. I do not have access to a tablet, where the marking is apparently "so easy like" (said in a rich Swansea dialect). Instead, I have to spend hours struggling through one assignment on a laptop, only to find that the session has "timed out" and I have to do it all again. Frustrating to say the least.

Despite my criticisms, I'm all for using technology in teaching and learning. Bull (199&) comments how technology can allow for a bank of information to be collated online, which can aid students in revision. I always put content on Moodle for my students, which they can refer back to when writing assignments. Online journal banks are extremely useful for University students, allowing for easy access to detailed work to supplement assignments. In my teaching, every student having their own smartphone can make up for the lack of computers available. I can set a short research task, and each student can find the relevant information within seconds.

To conclude, I'm a big advocate of technology in the classroom, if used effectively. As someone who has grown up with technology, I feel confident in using differing types of technology to aid my teaching. But fear not, the age of the pen and paper is not over just yet. Those who don't feel comfortable with technology need not worry just yet, but I'd start taking beginner courses in Microsfot Office if I were you.

References

Bull, G. (1997). Technology in Schools. Emphasizing Parallel Programming Techniques. 45 (7), p. 321-356.

Ivers, K (2003). A Teacher's Guide to Using Technology in the Classroom. London: Greenwood.

Reeves, T, C. (1998). The Impact of Media and Technology in Schools. Bertelsmann Foudation Report. 1 (1), p. 1-43.