Technology and Teaching (Ted Talk)

I recently attended an ICT class and heard about all the profound ways technology can aide teaching. Well, I didn’t buy it! Don’t get me wrong I’m not adverse to technology (I wouldn’t of been able to do my degree without it and I tend to ‘Google’ everything) quite the contrary in fact; however, my belief was that modern technology poses the risk of relinquishing the bond and link between teacher and student and no technology can compensate for teacher to student interaction and learning. Education is more than just looking at a computer screen, as a teacher, it is important to offer face to face interaction (Wright, 2013).

My feelings were altered after watching the below Ted Talk which highlights how technology as a whole isn’t a new thing that has recently been introduced, with the invention of IPads and interactive whiteboards, but has been around for many years, such as steam trains, telephones and even books. This Ted Talk inspires me to look at technology in a different way and that without it, teaching in the modern world would be virtually impossible. Technology can assist with teaching in so many ways, from looking at different forms of learning to different assessment tools.

Although technology is increasingly important within teaching it is vital to understand that technology can only do so much and that the teacher’s presence and support is the most effective tool for helping people learn. Teachers need to ensure they understand that technology is merely an aide and if used correctly can be very beneficial to the learning experience; however, teachers should not solely rely on technology to teach.