Beaumont USD Instructional Technology

The addition of technology into the classroom can help transform the classroom experience from a classic teacher centered one into a student-centered experience – with students taking a more active role in their learning. In a student-centered classroom, the teacher becomes more of a guide as the students engage with and tackle the day’s lesson. And there is nothing better than seeing your students fully engaged! It is important to understand that integrating technology into the classroom is by no means a replacement for an effective teacher. To put it simply, the ideal classroom environment would be one that is student centered and includes a carefully selected blend of instructional technologies with face-to-face communication. 

TPACK

From the beginning, educators are taught that content knowledge combined with effective pedagogy makes for the best teachers. Today, however, we live in a technology-rich world where educators no longer have to be content experts. If someone doesn't know the answer, they can Google it, and so can students. We are no longer the only content expert they have access to. Because of this, teachers need to teach students how to curate the infinite amount of knowledge available on the internet instead of solely assigning textbook reading. Technology has forever changed the way we teach. That includes both what we teach and how we teach it. TPACK (Technological Pedagogical and Content Knowledge) is a framework that supports the understanding of how technology overlaps the traditional cross-section of content and pedagogy.