The role of teacher and technology in perspective of classroom teaching

Journal of Education and Practice www.iiste.org
ISSN 2222-1735 (Paper) ISSN 2222-288X (Online)
Vol 3, No 1, 2012

The Role of Teacher and Technology in Perspective of
Classroom Teaching
K.Venkat Satish (Corresponding Author)
Mother Teresa Institute of Science and Technology, Kotturu-Sattupally, Khammam-507303 , Andhra
Pradesh-India
Email: Kodhmuri.satish72@gmail.com

Boggavarapu Krishna Priya
Zilla Parishad Secondary School, Dammapeta-Khammam
Abstract
Classroom teaching is a demanding job. Teacher spends most of his time in teaching. Teacher is responsible
for many tasks in the classroom teaching. Teacher plans and implement the instructions. He plays the role
of managers, psychologists, counselors, custodians, communicators, social ambassadors and entertainers.
Sometimes teacher becomes disillusion and frustration while performing the multi tasks because the
classroom demands, distracts and challenges the teacher to use new tools to brush up the key concepts and
skills in regarding Science, Social Studies, Art and other curriculum standards. He tries to focus on
effective teaching with the help of new tools. The practice of new tools able the students to read, reason,
powerful writing, communicate productively with global community and conduct thoughtful research. The
teacher faces the success in the right implementation of tools i.e. technology. Now a day the integration of
technology in teaching and learning process has become a perennial one. Technology liberates to
reestablish the role and value of the individual classroom teacher. The two things are compulsory for the
usage of technology “first the perspective of the classroom must change to become learner centered, second,
students and teachers must enter into a collaboration or partnership with technology in order to create a
“community” that nurtures, encourages and supports the learning process” (Cognition and Technology
Group at Vanderbilt). This paper focuses on the relation between teacher and the technology in the
classroom teaching.

Introduction
In teaching and learning, technology should apply as a process rather than as a single, isolated and discrete
activity. The American Heritage Dictionary defines process as “a series of action, changes, and functions
bringing about a result” (AHD). Technology in education is not a mere object to introduce into teaching and
learning activities without considering basic principles of learning and sound teaching methodology.
Technology is an object that can be used at any time. Technology in education is guided by learning
principles and individuals. It retains the knowledge and required skills. Technology satisfies the student’s
expectations of the outcome of learning, application of knowledge, enrich practical life experiences.
Technology in Education is often considered, erroneously, as synonymous with instructional innovation.
Saetler argues that “educators are correct to resist mere innovation, but they should welcome educational
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technology” (1). Submission of technology helps the teacher in sound teaching, learning principles, avoids
teaching hardware, out come of conventional mode of teaching, and helps to deliver instructions coherently.
The integration of technology with education grounds the sound practice. Fletcher says:

When you go to the hardware store to buy a drill, you don’t actually want a drill,
you want a hole, they don’t sell holes at the hardware store, but they do sell drill,
which are the technology used to make holes. We must not lose sight that technology
for the part is a tool and it should be used in applications which address educations
concerns (87).

In many schools, teachers are isolated from each other and preoccupied; Fullan calls “the daily press” of
getting through their schedule. The implementation of technology in the classroom brings creative
exploration, invention and testing. It breaks down the conventional atmosphere of isolate teaching and
boredom. Technology facilitates the work of teams and provides ample time for all round development. The
teacher can spend much time and bring innovative changes in the teaching methodology. Gardening
provides a useful metaphor for this process. We will see more growth if we cultivate the soil and fertilize
before planting. An exclusive focus on skills and software is a bit like spreading seeds across a concrete
playground. Henry Becker presents his research in this context that “the preferred teaching strategies and
styles of teachers usually determine or shape the patterns of technology usage. He says “traditional”
teachers are far less apt to allow students to use new technologies than “constructivist” teachers even when
they have networked computers in their classrooms.”

The scope of implementing technology is examined with a view of showing its relation with
pedagogy. Technology should be used to facilitate learning in the part of the instructional process. It should
include theories about technology integration and the application of research findings. Teachers should
select the desired technologies, skills to demonstrate the selected technologies, skills to evaluate
technologies, skills to customize and skills to address instructional problems to the students. The objective
and method of instruction include technology and outcomes of instruction. Diaz and Bontembal say:

Using technology to enhance the educational process involves more than just
learning how to use specific piece of hardware and software. It requires an
understanding of pedagogical principles that are specific to the use of technology
in an instructional settings … pedagogy- based training begins by helping teachers
understand the role of learning theory in the design and function of class activities
and in the selection and use of instructional technologies (2-6).

Technology in education is commonly used to enhance the instructions by the facilitator in the classroom.
According to Lever-Duffy, McDonald and Mizell “educational technology might include media, models,
projected and non-projected visual, as well as audio, video and digital media” and are likely to “confine

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educational technology primarily to computers, computer peripheral and related software used for teaching and
learning” (4-5).

Technology helps the teachers to improve their productivity and professional practice. While
creating electronic documents, they can consider a variety of purposes and audiences, and effectively share
information locally and globally. Through the use of educational technology, teachers can present and assess
student work and communicate more easily with parents. The following table exhibits the productivity and
professional practice by the teacher with the help of technology:
Competency Initial Developing Proficient
A. Use educational I create electronic I use desktop I use technology to communicate and
technology to documents using publishing and collaborate with students, parents and
communicate/collaborate word processing multimedia tools to colleagues.
with students, parents software as create newsletters,
and teachers. instructional brochure and
materials and presentations.
assessments tasks.
B. Use online resources I use e-mail to I search the Internet I incorporate online courses,
to communicate/ communicate on a and online distance learning and/or video
Collaborate with school regular basis and resources to locate conferencing as instructional tools.
community (students, search the Internet for and retrieve
parents & teachers) and curriculum related curriculum-related
global community. information. information.
C. Use technology to I use technology tools I use data to assist I use different applications to collect
collect and manage date such as spreadsheets in making sound and manage data as an internal part
related to teaching and and databases to educational of my classroom management.
learning. collect and manage decisions regarding
data. classroom
management.
D. Identify, use and I consistently look for I align new skills I experiment with new concepts and
evaluate technology to opportunities to learn with curriculum pilot new practices, using
support the learning about new software strategies for technology for ongoing, embedded
process for all students applications and skills integration and professional development.
through ongoing that expand my share ideas and
professional working knowledge resources with
development. technology and colleagues.
promote best
practices.
It is very important for teachers to use a variety of teaching methods to evaluate and modify their students.
Teachers engage students in an exploratory learning experience which is designed to stimulate thinking.
Bruner states:
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To instruct someone … is not a matter of getting him to commit results to mind.
Rather, it is to teach him to participate in the process that makes possible the
establishment of knowledge. We teach a subject not to produce little living libraries
on that subject, but rather to get a student to think mathematically for himself, to consider
matters as historian does, to take part in the process of knowledge-getting. Knowing is a
process not a product (72).

Teacher explores the process of technology and searches the ways to accomplish his teaching effectively. It
develops the rationale to examine the appropriateness of using technology are companionable with the
lesson plan and learning outcomes. The process of exploring the relationship between technologies is on the
part of teachers. Mezirow argues:

Thinking critically involves our recognizing the assumption underlying our
beliefs and behaviors. It can give justification for our ideas and actions. Most
important, perhaps, it means we try to judge the rationality of these justifications (p xvii).

The usage of advance technology can be adopted by the teachers from training institutions, coaching
centers, learning advance courses, attending workshops, crash courses or online learning programs. It offers
many advantages, such as:
Learning independently
Self- paced
Customized
Competency
No heroes need
Uniformity
Cost effective
Learning Vs Teaching
Driving Forces
Shows Impressive Track Record
Knowledge of training
Explore New World
Competency Based Learning

Weizenbaum argues that, lack of appropriate guidelines limit the teachers’ to use the technology for
instruction and limits the desire to explore the use of technology beyond basic applications, “computers can
be a powerful metaphor for understanding many aspects of the world.” It enslaves the mind that has no
metaphors and few resources to call on – the mind that has been educated with only facts and skills” (51).

The personal constraints of the teachers can’t fully integrate the technology into their own
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practices because of organization, administration, pedagogy and personal. Leh claims that the teachers
acknowledge “technology was more of problem with multiple facets rather than a solution …” (19).
Imparting technology into a curriculum makes an impact on students’learning. Technology should not be
treated as a separate entity but should be considered as an integral aprt of instructional delivery. The teacher
should select the objective of the lesson, methods of instruction, evaluation, feedback and follow-up
initiatives. Most of the teachers have a narrow view on technology. They fail to relate it to pedagogy to
improve the teaching or facilitate learning. Teachers are not making widespread use of their networks now
that many more schools and classrooms are wired. Most teachers are not well prepared to use new
technologies. Teachers are isolated from each other and preoccupied with their regular schedule. Means
points out that technology training must go beyond focusing on the acquisition of technical skills but
attention should be given “to the instructional strategies needed to infuse technological skills into the
learning process”(92). Technology for teaching and learning should be part of the instruction milieu.
Technology training tends to focus on computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets and
databases. Sprague et al argues:

Using technology for instruction should include mastery of the techniques
to apply it to teaching (24).

Technology helps teachers to think how to integrate it into day to day instructions in the classroom teaching
because:

Technology used as a cognitive tool helps students to understand concepts, develop conceptual
models and solve problems.
Technology used as communication tool fosters discourse and collaboration among educators,
students, parents, and the community.
Technology used as management tool increases efficiency for teachers and students.
Technology used as an evaluation tool helps teachers reflect on an modify instruction and provides
feedback on student learning.
Technology used as a motivational tool encourages and engages students in learning.

The teacher recognizes his relation with technology in education and pedagogical decision –
making. Anderson and Borthwick evidences “participants whose technology instruction was integrated in
their methods course reported more frequent use of technology for both teacher productivity and student
project during both on – campus courses and their first year of actual classroom teaching” (5). The relation
between teacher and technology explores the pedagogical issues which are relevant and consider successful
application of technology into teaching and learning. It is very important to perceive technology as a part of
pedagogical process. Teachers must understand the basic pedagogical principles that govern the application
of technology into teaching and learning. Technology implementation should be identified by the teacher at
the planning stage, students readiness, lesson objectives, methods of presenting, evaluation strategies,
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follow-up activities etc. the poor implementation of technology by the teacher may affect the desired
outcome.

WORKS-CITED
1. Anderson, C.L. & Borthwick, A. Results of separate and integrated technology instruction in
pre-service training. ERIC Reproduction Document # IRO21919, P.14.
2. Becker, Henry. Internet Use by Teachers. 1999. http://
www.crito.uci.edu?TLC/FINDINGS/internet-use/start page.htm.
3. Cognition and Technology group at Vanderbilt (1992). “The Jasper Experiment: An Exploration of
Issues in Learning and Instructional Design.” Educational Technology Research and Development,
40 (1), 65-80.
4. Diaz, D.P & Bontenbal, K.F. Pedagogy-based technology training. In P.Hoffman & D.Lemke
(eds.), Teaching and Learning in a Network World, P. 50-54. Amsterdam, Netherlands: 105 Press.
5. Fletcher, G. Former director of the Division of Educational Technology, Texas Education Agency,
executive Vice President of T.H.E. Institute quoted in T.H.E. Journal, 24 (4), P.87.
6. Fullan, Michael G. The New Meaning of Educational Change, New York: Teachers College Press.
7. Lever – Duffy, J. Mc Donald, J.B & Mizell ALP. Teaching and learning with technology, San
Francisco: Pearson.
8. Mezirow, J. Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and
empanicipatory learning. San Francisco: Jossey – Bass.
9. The American Heritage Dictionary of English Language (3rd edition). Boston, MA: Houghton
Mifflin Company.
10. Weizenbaum, J. Computer power and human reason. San Francisco, CA: W.H. Freeman.
11. Leh, A.S. Learned from service learning and reverse mentoring in faculty development: A case
study in technology training. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 2005 13(1), pp.15-41.
12. Means, B. Introduction: Using technology to advance educational goals. In B. Means (Ed),
Technology and education reform: the reality behind the promise, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass,
1994, p.92.
13. Sprague, D., Kopfman, K & Dorsey, S. Faculty development in the integration of technology in
teacher education courses. Journal of computing in Teacher Education, 1998, 2(14), pp.24.
14. Saetler, Paul. The Evolution of American Educational Technology, Dencer, Co:Libraries Unlimited,
1990, p.1.

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The role of teacher and technology in perspective of classroom teaching

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