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Presentation Technology
Technology has allowed all aspects of life to move in a different direction and for the most
part it has been in a positive direction. The same can be said for technology in education, it has
opened up the doors to many avenues to help bring lectures and lessons to life in the classrooms.
From using textbooks with just words and then pictures included in the text to later having
projectors and with the emergence of the computer the whole game changed. It was only a matter
of time that teachers and school districts would recognize the necessity of incorporating
technology into education. There has been many innovations and inventions since those times to
help teachers, but the concern is not the technology, the concern is how this technology is being
used to deliver lesson and instruction to students. If teachers can be trained properly then the
possibility of more technology in the classrooms will be seen overtime. In fact, some of the goals
in schools is to bring more technology into the classrooms as stated by Vannatta and Beyerbach
(2000) that the goal of schools was to increase technology integration and experiences in
education courses. Technology can be used to facilitate and enhance instruction in the classroom
by creating an environment that will engage the learner and support knowledge and learning.
One of the most difficult things to accomplish in the classroom is getting students to be
engaged in the classroom lectures and discussions as is. Technology can facilitate this issue for
teachers and in addition it can provide the luxury of keeping students engaged when they are not
in the classroom which is a big plus. There are many sites out there than can allow teachers and
students to remain connected and thus allowing the student to stay engaged. For example, if a
student is in the classroom reading a book that is part of the classroom and is wants to really get
ahead. Teachers can upload electronic copies of the book onto a web tool and the students can
pick up reading right where they left off in the classroom when they are at home or somewhere
else that they have some free time to do so. I was reading an article where teachers used

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technology to allow students to read over the summer by uploading books into Google docs and
this got students and even teachers engaged in reading books. Cohen and Spencer (2012) said that
teachers were free to read books and they like and students followed. As we can see the
technology that was created by the librarians and the reading teachers not only got students
engaged, but also other teachers. The fact is that the longer educational districts wait to utilize
technology to engage students, the further behind the students will be compared to the global
community. Even though, some might argue that technology will not make better or smatter
students it is still a great tool to use to engage students. Byrne (2009) states that technology in
and of itself does not create engaged students, but using web applications that allow students to
create new content does engage students in learning.
As teachers learn how to engage students in learning, it is also important to understand
how to use technology to support knowledge and learning. There is no doubt that learning and
gaining knowledge in schools has changed tremendously with the emergence of technologies.
Cunningham (2004) mentions that new technologies have increased teachers knowledge of ICT
(Information and Communication Technology) and the competence to use it, whilst students have
benefited from more flexible learning relationships, arrangements and facilities. With so many
forms of technologies out there that can help students to learn and gain knowledge there should
be no problem what so ever to find one that will fit the class objectives and course goals. In
addition, building this type of atmosphere can also help teachers facilitate and enhance learning by
building that bond between teacher and student where the teacher is no longer seen as an
instructor but a facilitator. Cunningham (2004) stresses that one of the benefits of teachers use of
new technologies in their classrooms has been a change in the teacher/ student relationship.
Overall, it is easy to see that the use of technology has brought a major advantage to
teachers and to the educational system itself. It has brought a new avenue of how to reach

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students in a positive and productive manner that they can relate which ultimately allows students
to be comfortable in the their learning environment. It is great to enjoy how technology has
facilitated and enhanced instruction in the classroom by creating an environment that will engage
the learner and support knowledge and learning.

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References
Byrne, R. (2009). The Effect of Web 2.0 on Teaching and Learning. Teacher Librarian, 37(2), 5053.
COHEN, S., & SPENCER, E. (2012). Summer Reading Goes Web 2.0. Teacher Librarian, 39(3),
39-41
Cunningham, M. (2004). New technologies supporting teaching and learning. Education Journal,
(74), 24-26.
Vannatta, R. A., & Beyerbach, B. (2000). Facilitating a Constructivist Vision of Technology
Integration among Education Faculty and Pre-service Teachers. Journal of Research on
Computing In Education, 33(2), 132.