Figurative Tanka

True love is madness,
the world is now pink colored
You taste the sweet flavor.
Dreamers don't want this to stop,
everything becames cold tears.

Tanka poem

Together

A presence comes near
It stays and stifles the soul
It feels like the end,
Peace and loneliness emerge.
Finally the rest is here.

Limerick poem

Two faces

I was walking alone at night,
my mind became full of fright.
In infinite dark,
I see a white spark.
The moon became full and bright.

Cinquan Poem

Japan.
Quiet, crowded.
Pleasing, evolving, living.
Fusion of tradition and new
Culture.

Using technology in teaching

Does using technology inside the classroom helps students? Certainly, technology use is constantly evolving and becoming more important in our lives. Karsenti et al. (2002) says that technology has reached an important point in daily life (as cited in Birch et al., 2009). Moreover, different fields use technology such as medicine, for example, technology helps physical disabled people. For this reason, education is not the exception and nowadays, more and more teachers make use of different technologies inside the classroom because it improves the learning process even though some teachers do not think the same. Technology integration refers to the usage technology effectively for teaching such that there is a complete merger between technology and pedagogy (Singh, 2013). That is why technology serves as an useful tool for enhancing learning of students.

Teachers who use technology in classes involve students in meaningful learning through a different way of teaching. Interactive whiteboards have become significant platforms for a learning process (Tsung-Ho et al). Interactive whiteboards are just an example that technology works as a way to involve visual students in classes,whereas technology resources like LCD projects, touchscreens, computers, online resources, and chat forums are other options that teachers can use in order to create meaningful courses. As a result, students have a high interest and motivation in the learning activity with technological resources, which enhances student involvement in learning tasks (Tsung-Ho et al., 2012). Students find attractive working with extra material besides boards or mere worksheets; consequently, they assimilate the information better. However, technology usage also has disadvantages.

Technological devices also have defined disadvantages so the usage of technology does not help students because even though teachers have it, they do not use it properly. According to Oblinger & Oblinger (2005)  “It is important for a teacher to know how to use technology as a tool for effective teaching” (as cited  in  Singh, 2013, p. 153). It is not enough to have technology equipment, also teachers need to know how to use it so they can involve students. It may be true that interactive whiteboards improve visual students’ learning but kinesthetic and students with other intelligences are forgotten. Moreover, the problem may be that students have few opportunities to manipulate technological resources (Tsung-Ho et al., 2012). Even though these resources reinforce learning process, it may be tedious for students because some devices require that just teachers manipulate them. Students do not have real interaction because they limit to stare the class. Consequently, this matter does not give students the opportunity to assimilate the information better.       

As long as teachers use technology correctly, they can create meaningful classes. Teachers that make a relevant usage of technology within the classroom, support students’ learning process. Educators that utilize technological components as a tool for teaching students with different intelligences, simplify the learning task and facilitates learning efficacy to students. (Tsung-Ho et al., 2012). Since teachers face students with different intelligences, they can make use of a wide variety of  technological equipment in order to include all of them. Using technologies such as video cameras, multimedia room, software applications, and worksheets teachers include all students and their intelligences such as kinesthetic (Singh, 2013). As students work with interactive whiteboards or projectors, teachers allow to enhance learning and at the same time all multiple intelligence students with are included.     

Using technology within a classroom contributes to a meaningful learning of scholars. Teachers strengthen the learning process by using technological devices like interactive whiteboards, videos, projectors, etc, moreover, technology offers different options that teachers can use in their classes like LCD projects, touchscreens, computers, and online resources. Equally important, technology takes into account students with different intelligences and helps students to get involved in classes. Technology continues evolving and offering different tools, yet the problem is how to use it properly. Teachers can bring technological devices in the classroom so they can create a balance between students’ and teachers’ usage.        

References

Birch, A. A., & Irvine, V. V. (2009). Preservice teachers' acceptance of ICT integration in the classroom: applying the UTAUT model. Educational Media International, 46(4), 295-315.

Hammonds, L., Matherson, L. H., Wilson, E. K., & Wright, V. H. (2013). Gateway Tools: Five tools to allow teachers to overcome barriers to technology integration. Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 80(1), 36-40.

Singh, U. (2013). Technology integration in teacher education: An infusion or a delusion? Researchers World: Journal Of Arts, Science & Commerce, 4(3), 147-154.

Tsung-Ho, L., Yueh-Min, H., & Chin-Chung, T. (2012). An Investigation of teaching and learning interaction factors for the use of the interactive whiteboard technology. Journal Of Educational Technology & Society, 15(4), 356-367.