Review+of+Literature

Review of Literature Technology in Education has been a widely debated topic for many years now. It has been used in classrooms for twenty some years. Looking at research on technology integration it will show that if integrated correctly into classroom instruction it can affect students’ motivation and interest in learning. According to researchers, technology can be used to motivate students in a wide variety of ways; everything from Reading and Writing to Social Studies and Science “Technology holds the key to developing motivation” says Quinn, (2007) a senior advisor for Compass Learning Inc. So much can be done to help motivate students when using technology. Why isn’t it used more in classrooms? The main reason technology is not used to its full potential is because teachers say they do not have enough training and don’t feel comfortable. According to the Teachers Talk Tech Survey conducted by CDW Government Inc., 76% of teachers say that the key to increase technology use is training. Teachers in this survey also said that classroom computers increased student performance and communication with parents. Technology is something that kids thrive on. Most kids cannot wait to get their hands on the newest piece of technology so that they can master it. Kids are surrounded by technology and they use it for all sorts of reasons, whether its entertainment or to connect socially with friends, they use it every waking moment of the day. “Technology is the ultimate carrot for students. It’s something they want to master. Learning to use it enhances their self-esteem and makes them excited about coming to school” fifth grade teacher (Singh, 2000). Banning technology from the classroom can say to students that the teacher does not value what interests them (Bushweller, 2008). If teachers can tap into the students desire to use electronics then student engagement as well as motivation will increase. When student engagement, is up then most likely student achievement will rise as well. Teachers need to think back to the times when they thought time would just fly by, the times when you would blink and it would be lunch. A multimedia base classroom is something that can do that for kids today. Technology is something that kids experience on a daily basis when they are at home when they come back to the classroom if we could tap into that as teachers it would be a wonderful way to motivate students. (Video Appendix 2) One of the reasons educators have researched the use of technology in the classroom is because of the increase in misbehaviors among students. In a national survey, teachers were asked to list the most troublesome problems. Student misbehavior and lack of motivation were on top of the list (Lumley, 1991). Lumley (1991) suggests, teachers using technology to motivate students in more powerful and productive than a teacher who simply lectures and uses textbooks. Not only can technology increase motivation but also it can decrease misbehaviors. In a way motivation and behavior go hand in hand. According to a report by the US Dept. of Education (1995) students felt that the use of technology made them feel smarter. A number of students from this survey said technology made them excited to learn. Seventy percent of students surveyed said computers made learning more fun. Students need to feel a sense of success and technology can do that for many of them because they know so much about it already. In most of the literature and articles on the use of technology in the classroom, you can easily see the effects on the students. Multimedia classrooms and digital learning has changed the students tremendously but what about the teacher? According to Singh (2000), the teacher has taken a back seat when technology is used. The role of the teacher in a technology filled classroom is more of a facilitator role. With the internet providing the bulk of the information, more information than any teacher could possibly know, the teacher/facilitator sets goals and provides guidelines and resources. He or she moves around the room providing support to each student rather than lecturing in front of the class (Singh, 2000). For some educators letting go of the lecture is hard. It is why some teachers have a hard time integrating technology into their classrooms. In most of the reading done for this study the one conclusion that can be made is technology is still in the beginning stages. Just like with anything new it takes time for everyone to become comfortable with it. Unfortunately, students know more about technology than teachers do and are willing and want to use it whenever and wherever they can. After the review of the literature the main focus of this study has changed to some degree although it will still be about whether or not technology can help motivate students, there is more to it than just finding out. The more studies that are done to show the need for technology in the classroom the better chance there is of making a change. 