Technology education is the educational study of modern technology, where students “train themselves about the techniques and knowledge associated with technology”.
As such a broad field of study, it encompasses all the ways in which people use technology to both manipulate tools and materials, as well as to meet societal needs. The study of this rapidly growing field has become an ever-increasing area of academic focus, with many new universities offering courses and research focusing entirely on this ever-changing technological arena.
With modern curriculums, many high schools and colleges offer a high-tech education focused on computer science, math, and other areas that require specific knowledge of how various technological developments work. Courses are often very similar to traditional liberal arts courses, but often have a greater emphasis on specific technology-related topics. An example of such a course might be project-based learning in which the student works on a problem using computer software from a first-person perspective. Students learn mathematical concepts, such as solving for arithmetically, as well as computer software programming, graphic design, and other aspects of visual communications. In addition, some high schools offer courses that integrate learning about business practices, such as marketing strategies using digital media, web development, and e-business.
Tech learning can be found in almost every classroom across the United States.
Although there is a general agreement across most states that schools should provide a wide variety of learning experiences, most have severe limitations on the type of technologies that may be used or on the number of technical presentations that can be made within a classroom. As many public elementary and middle schools, as well as some colleges and universities, attempt to adapt to the new learning trends, administrators often request that no more than one tech-based presentation be offered during any one semester. This request for a uniform approach to technical presentations and use has increased with the growth of the Internet and the increasing numbers of people who own personal computers.
Some educators are concerned that allowing students to use cell phones and handheld computers in the classroom may distract them from other core curriculum areas, such as reading, writing, and creative expression. Other educators believe that integrating technology into the curriculum is beneficial because it allows students to become familiar with certain technologies, as well as learn about new ways to maximize learning and use multimedia in the classroom. In the case of high-tech education, data room due diligence may provide the necessary information that is needed for students to learn the necessary skills for their learning endeavors.
One high-tech classroom in suburban Maryland is a combination of a traditional classroom and a fully wireless network that allows students to use a tablet and a Web browser to access a variety of content from the world around them. The student uses a biometric verification system to gain entrance into the room. Upon entry, a virtual map of the room appears on the tablet screen, which contains a virtual grid of various locations around the student. The student can move and zoom through the grid using a stylus. He or she can also pan the virtual map in any direction to see all of the stops along his or her route.
The high-tech classroom of this innovative system includes a whiteboard mounted on the wall and two rows of computer monitors. On each monitor, a virtual whiteboard is displayed, and any typed content is visible not only to the student but also to all members of the classroom. The display shows the class schedule for the upcoming week, as well as the assignments for that week. Students can work on their projects on their computers at any time, even when the rest of the class is participating in group activities. A video camera mounted in the classroom permits facial recognition technology to identify and tag students at the beginning of a lesson so that other students don’t have to interrupt the flow of learning.
The most effective way to teach and learn in a traditional classroom is through controlled experimentation and observation. In today’s world, controlled experimentation and observation can be done with educational technology. This helps students learn much more quickly than would be possible without the use of educational technology. With the help of a variety of touch screen monitors, a teacher can demonstrate a new concept to a large classroom of students at once, as well as being able to physically demonstrate the concept on the screen to every student individually.
Educators are recognizing that using new technologies is not only bringing convenience into their classrooms but also into their lives. Today’s touch screen monitors, digital pens, and interactive video systems help teachers engage their students in meaningful and constructive classroom discussions, which helps to build student motivation and ensure that they learn. There is no longer any need to wait until a teacher has introduced a new concept to a class, but rather that concept can be demonstrated immediately by the teacher to every student. All of this means that there is now a method of teaching that fits not only the pace of today’s school system but the pace of the learning process itself.