Language Technology

Journal 1

The use of educational technology

Before the workshop, I had considered myself to have a fairly positive approach to using technology in the classroom and the outcomes using technology can have on pupil understanding and enjoyment of the lesson. Technology is something that I am immersed in everyday but I have never stepped back and really thought about how and why I use it, or even considered the way in which I have seen it used in the classroom. I identified myself as being an 'Instrumentalist' when presented with Warschauer's categories of different approaches to technology (although the survey showed that I infact held the 'Critical Perspective'), as I consider technology as simply a tool to reach a goal. 

It was very interesting for me to understand more about the sociocultural impacts using technology can have. The example of the teacher using digital cameras to help ESL pupils acquire new vocabulary was a very creative use of technology, but as the group discussed this, we realised that there were certain sociocultural implications which came as a consequence. 

For me, the most important lesson that I took away from the workshop was that teachers must consider the subtle impacts that the use of technology can have upon their students. I still believe that it is a useful teaching tool, but one that should not be used without consideration of the wider impacts upon children.