Why Use Technology?
The video below is from a TED talk by Donald Clark, who was the CEO and one of the original founders of Epic Group plc. Here is the introduction written about his lecture:
Search, links, media sharing, social media, Wikipedia, games, open source etc. are ground breaking shifts in the way we learn, says Donald Clark. Unfortunately, they're not matched by the way we teach. The growing gap between teaching practice and learning practice is acute and growing. Institutional teaching, especially in Universities is hanging on to the pedagogic fossil that is the lecture. The true driver for positive, pedagogic change is the internet.
The video below is from a TED talk given by a teacher named Kayla Scheer. Here is the introduction written about her lecture:
Kayla Scheer has wanted to be an educator since fourth grade. Being a Millennial, she’s on the technology fad, thus it has made its mark on her teaching. As an educator, she’s not sure why we are teaching “21st century skills” when students have been natives for the past fifteen years. Tinkering with Technology is her concept of learning. Students need to be taught with inquiry to fuel a meaningful learning experience. It is time for students to take control and facilitate how they learn – this indeed has an impact on all our futures.
The next video is from a TED talk given by Dr. Jackie Thomas regarding the 21st century classroom.
The last video is a TED talk given by Dr. Pravin Bhatia. Here is the introduction written about his lecture:
Dr. Pravin Bhatia is an alumni of NDA and retd. Squadron Leader from the Indian Air Force. He holds a doctorate in English literature and was recognized as India’s Best Author and India's Bestselling author for 2008 by India Today. Mr.Bhatia has held dignified positions like Director, Education, SAARC Society Int. and has connections with about 5000 NRI teachers and intellects around the globe. He is also the co-founder of Creative Education, which promotes a unique way of learning that aims at polishing our students.
Published Research
Additionally, for educators searching for published research regarding the validity and necessity of integrating technology into their curriculum, here are two published studies:Connecting the Digital Dots: Literacy of the 21st Century and Multimedia Technologies and Familiar Spaces: 21st-Century Teaching for 21st-Century Learners.