Technology has become increasingly prevalent in our society and its growing presence is something that needs to be embraced in the elementary classroom setting. Teachers need to understand that technology is not going to disappear anytime soon, rather it will only develop and expand further into new technologies in the future. With this in mind teachers must realize that it is vital for students to have experience with current technologies and become media and digital literate in order to be able to succeed in the future. I hope to show that although the future of technology is unpredictable there are ways to prepare students for the future by re-imagining instruction and learning strategies.
It is our responsibility as teachers to prepare our students with the tools they will need to flourish in and out of the classroom both in the present and future. This can seem very overwhelming for educators because as Kurzweil explains technology is developing and changing at an increasingly rapid rate (2007). Along with this, Kurzweil points out that it is impossible to fully be able to predict what will be the technology of the future or how our students will be using technology when they are adults (2007). By integrating the current technology into the classroom it shows students that it is possible to use technology in new and creative ways which is something they will have to be able to do as technology advances in the future. In my opinion the best way to prepare students for the unknown is through an inquiry approach where teachers allow students to play around with technology and be creative; seeing how their imaginations lead them through the technology available.
It is our responsibility as teachers to prepare our students with the tools they will need to flourish in and out of the classroom both in the present and future. This can seem very overwhelming for educators because as Kurzweil explains technology is developing and changing at an increasingly rapid rate (2007). Along with this, Kurzweil points out that it is impossible to fully be able to predict what will be the technology of the future or how our students will be using technology when they are adults (2007). By integrating the current technology into the classroom it shows students that it is possible to use technology in new and creative ways which is something they will have to be able to do as technology advances in the future. In my opinion the best way to prepare students for the unknown is through an inquiry approach where teachers allow students to play around with technology and be creative; seeing how their imaginations lead them through the technology available.