Use of technology - Is it really useful?

Using technology in the classroom is certainly engaging - this means that learners that may be hard to reach through more traditional teaching methods suddenly become more motivated and can produce some great work. A major issue teaching level 3 is that learners want to receive the qualification, but lack motivation on a daily basis. Technology used well can be effectively for a range of learners: 1) Help through QR codes can mean teachers are able to progress faster 2) Independent learning and stretch & challenge can be addressed well with twitter, Paper.li etc to extend learning 3) Some learning tasks for the whole class can be interesting with the use of technology However there are obvious issues. Some students may feel left out if they do not have the relevant technology. This can be avoided by encouraging group work, where at least one person has a smart phone. Access to computer rooms in most colleges is difficult, so reliance on mobile devices are high. Using mobiles will have additional issues with changing classroom rules and monitoring whether mobiles are being used to enhance rather than hinder learning (it is a major source of distraction). Wifi also needs to be widely available if students are expected to use the internet on their phones). Using technology too much can take away the novelty of the experience and it can become 'run of the mill'. Careful planning is required to ensure that the disadvantages of technology is minimised.