Running head: EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY IS BENEFICIAL TO ACADEMIC LEARNING.
Educational Technology Is Beneficial to Academic Learning.
Education 220 C100.
Instructor: Alyssa Wise.
Veronica Zhang.
Student Number: 301174085.
New technology is developed to create a better learning environment for students. These technologies include computers, iPads, laptops, eBooks, and learning CDs. Educational technology is beneficial to academic learning because it serves as a tool for students with disabilities, and it can also help to improve memory and creativity. Educational technology is necessary within an inclusive classroom where the practice of teaching all or most children, including children with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities, is carried out in the same classroom. Without these technologies, students with multiple disabilities would experience hard time learning in the same pace as their classmates who do not have any kind of disabilities. So, the goal of using educational technology in the classroom is to keep all students learning in the same pace successfully. However, some people might argue that these technologies cannot improve academic achievement. A study by Foltos (2002) showed that educational technology can be beneficial to academic learning if it is used correctly by teachers. .
According to the textbook, assistive technology "is any product, piece of equipment, or system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities " (Goldman, Lawless, Pellegrino, & Plants, 2006, as cited in Woolfolk, Winne, & Perry, 2012, p. 152). As it is defined, for students who need more extra help in the classroom, educational technology is their perfect assistant because these technologies are specially designed to cater for the needs of each student in order to boost up their learning efficiency so that all students in the same classroom can be taught at the same pace.