Does Technology have an Impcat on Student Achievement?

THE IMPACT OF INSTRUCTIONAL TECHNOLOGY ON STUDENT ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT IN READING AND MATHEMATICS by Betty Middelton and Richard Murray

This article discusses the importance of incorporating technology into education so students can make a smooth transition from school to the business world. Many business owners and managers think that technology is an important tool for educators to use. It is important that students learn the technologies so they are prepared for jobs in the future but, these technologies are so costly that many schools can not afford them. This study was done to find if students achievement on standardized tests was higher if technology was Incorporated into their classroom. I think this study is important because the uses of technology in the classroom should prepare the students for the future but also provide them with a better education.

The initial focus was on the teachers and they were ranked for how much they used technology and their precept ion of it in the classroom. "Through their responses to this instrument, teachers were categorized as teachers who utilize a high level of technology in their classroom or teachers who use little or no technology in their classroom. " The fourth grade students did not show a difference in their math or reading scores and their teachers reported using little technology in their classroom. On the other hand, the fifth graders showed a difference in both and their teachers had used more technology in the classroom. "These findings support the research of Johnson & Johnson (1996), who determined that successful implementation of technology depends on the classroom teacher."

Technology alone can not make a difference in a students education, that is what I learned from this article. It is up to the teacher to successfully use that technology to improve students skills in math, reading, and other aspects of education. Although the teacher has impact of the success of technology in the classroom, it has been proven that it benefits the students. This answers some of my questions about this subject but, leaves me with many more. As a teacher how do I successfully incorporate technology into my classroom to benefit my students? What did the teachers in this study do that allowed their students to preform better on standardized tests? These are answers that I will seek before I become a teacher in order to influence my students education as best I can.

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