WHY TECHNOLOGY?

Technology is quickly becoming a more important force in today's society. So much of our energy has been focused on the Internet and electronic communications and media. So many commercials on television include Internet addresses. E-commerce is becoming ever more popular in an environment where saving time is saving money.

When the personal computer was first introduced, its purpose was to help the user in manual operations. The software was written to complete specific tasks to save time and energy. Today, computers have transformed the workplace so that the personal computer no longer supplements the manual operation, but has replaced it. We live in an automated society and it is our job as educators to prepare our students for their future.

To discuss the future of education and not include technology, we would be doing a great disservice to our students. Many of our students have not known life without a computer, or the Internet, or even Email. They will need these skills in order to obtain a job in the ever-changing market. If we do not do our job and teach students not only the three R's but also technology skills, they will always be behind those that have those skills.

Computers and technology are no longer luxury items in our society; they have become necessary in order to maintain a way of life. Much of what we ask of our students in the educational process can be expanded to incorporate the skills and knowledge they already have of the available technology. There are many students who prefer to do their homework on word processors rather than by hand. Should we not allow our students to do this because we have a fear or a lack of knowledge of the technology?

Technology, and its use in the classroom setting, can transform a child's education! The use of computers, educational software, and the Internet can bring a student new creative challenges to overcome. There are no boundaries for a child's imagination. The only thing that may limit them is what we tell them that they cannot do.

Incorporating such things as virtual tours of a historic sight halfway around the globe may spark an interest for a student that would not have been otherwise possible through merely a textbook description. Email has allowed the almost instantaneous delivery of knowledge and information from one end of the country to the other. Students can interview authors, designers, scientists, and other important people in a way that could have only happened in person, or over a long period of delays by traditional mail delivery.

Technology in the classroom has opened many doors for the educators that choose to use it. There is a wealth of information and resources for students on the Internet. Some may say that it is difficult to find what you are looking for on the Internet, but the same may be said for research in a large public library with only a card catalogue for reference. If one knows how to search, the possibilities are endless! Educators can teach the students how to conduct effective searches on the Internet so that they are not wandering aimlessly through stacks upon stacks of dusty, old files and bytes. They key is to know what and where you should look.

In today's world, we either embrace the technology and find positive ways to use it, or we are left behind. Can we, in good conscience, leave our students behind? NO! Can we send them into the workforce without the necessary skills to survive? NO! We wouldn't dream of sending a student into the world without the ability to read or write; why would we send them without the ability to use current technology in a world that deems it so vital?