Dr. Thornburg notes (2004), “ … (insofar as technology is concerned) there is a merit in realizing that today’s classroom can (and should) be a very different place that it was twenty years ago”. EFL/ESL teaching methods, techniques and materials have changed over the years and have been adapted to meet the students’ current needs and expectations. This has stimulated the development of meaningful learning activities for the language classroom and included is the use of technology in the classroom. Throughout the EDUC-6710I-15 (Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society) with the Walden M.S. in Education program, I have created worked with wikis, blogs and pocasts to develop my technology skills as a professional teacher. I feel confident my classroom has changed.

This is an exciting time to move away from the traditional ways of teaching of the past century and implement the 21st century skills in our own classroom. As Richardson (2009) states we now “have a new box of tools and techniques to take full advantage of the opportunities of this new Internet presents”. EFL teaching and learning has been enriched through the power of the learning objects available through through information and computer technology.

Technology now plays a central role in providing opportunites for a student-centered and thus progress on our path toward encouraging our students to work for successfully acquiring 21st. century skills. Richardson (2009) tells us that the web will imply a new definition of the role of the educator and presents three phases, the first is to view ourselves as connectors of content and of people; the second is to be content creators through blogging, podcasting, creating wikispaces and using other social networks; the third phase is to “become true collaborators” and states that the net both teachers and learners must be willing to “learn together, both in the classroom and online, to effectively give our students the most relevant experience we can”; the fourth is that educators must be coaches and should model the skills students are to acquire to achieve success; finally, affirms that “teachers need to find ways to use these tools to move away from the more traditional paradigms of instruction on their own terms in their own ways and recruit others to follow.”

The use of technology allows teachers to access to an almost unlimited amount of material. It may be research findings, reference material, lesson plans, worksheets, or contact with other teachers around the world to share information or even offer advice. This definitely impacts our classroom practice. Richardson, W. (2009) states “Whether it’s blogs, or wikis or RSS, all roads now point to a Web where little is done in isolation and all things are collaborative and social in nature.” What an exciting place to be as a teaching professional with continuously growing online tools and resources as support to expand our knowledge as educators in regard to teaching and learning.

My long term-goal is to actively support and implement change in my school not only in my classroom. I have been named campus project leader for implementing technology in the English classrooms. Based on a five semester roll-over program and with the support of our Institutional Administrators we are requesting approval for interactive whiteboards, Touchstone interactive software, wireless internet access, and equipment such as projectors, speakers and laptops in twenty two language classrooms. I will put all of my efforts forward to accomplish these goals.

Miriam

References:

Laureate Education, Inc., (2008) “Emergence of Education Technology”, [Educational Video] Understanding the Impact of Technology on Education, Work, and Society. Baltimore, MD

Richardson, W. (2006). Blogs, wiks, podcasts, and other powerful web tools for classrooms (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.