Trang Thu Mai – Cohort 35
Student ID: 2271103
Subject: Computer Assisted Language Learning – Dr. Rui Li
Instruction: Please discuss the benefits of and challenges associated with the use of technology in the classroom.
In the recent years, technology has profoundly impacted education and helped shape education as it is today. The utilization of technological tools in the classroom has certain benefits as well as challenges to both teachers and learners as presented in this journal.
As for teachers in general and for me in specific, technology offers a number of advantages. Firstly, it helps save much time and effort spent on lesson preparation compared with traditional preparation. For example, to prepare for a vocabulary game in a traditional way, I might need to design worksheets, print them out and sometimes cut them into cards or strips of paper. Now I can just download a PowerPoint template or use an online digital game to help students review the vocabulary. Secondly, easy access to an array of public and free contents available online not only supports teachers who lack adequate time to prepare on their own but also helps boosts their productivity, creativity and quality. Personally, I would love to search for online contents and ideas from other teachers while preparing my lesson plan so that I can be more creative and learn from other teachers. Thirdly, integrating technology in education offers an opportunity for teachers to sharpen their skills and stay up to date with the modern world and state-of-the-art education. The world keeps changing every second and falling behind in anything, especially technology and education, makes it hard for teachers to be relevant in the field.
Nevertheless, there are several challenges associated with technology in classroom that teachers might need to cope with, specifically in Vietnamese context. One of them is about facilities. Educational institutes in the urban areas might have better access to the Internet and technology, but the situation in rural and remote areas is often not as positive. Schools in these areas can only provide rather slow Internet and basic technological tools which might not be efficient enough. Another problem is that some digital tools and apps are not user-friendly and not affordable so teachers might have difficulties in learning how to use them and buying them with their underpaid salary. From my experience, I am lucky to work at a private school in the city so the facility and Internet access are better than other schools. However, there is no financial support from the school so if I want to use some certain online materials or tools, I would need to pay for it myself. I believe schools need to support teachers in these cases to improve the teaching quality and efficiency.
Another challenge when I have to work with people who are not as advanced with using technology or resistant to do so in the classroom. This case often applies to middle-aged teachers who work at public schools in my country. They might not be as familiar with technology as young teachers like me so when I work with them, chances are they cannot use the digital tools effectively or even ignore the use of technology. To tackle this problem, I would explain the benefits of using technology in classroom and invite them to observe one of my class to see how technology can enhance students’ engagement and autonomy. If I have time, I could introduce some easy technological tools for them to begin with because a small step makes a huge difference.
As for learners, technology also presents both advantages and disadvantages. In terms of advantages, technology expands access to education, fosters class engagement and builds essential skills for the modern life. Firstly, technology expands access to education for learners that have different needs. For example, students who cannot go to offline class because of personal reasons can still get access to online class with equivalent quality. Students who miss some lessons at school can still keep up with their peers if the lesson is technology-based and the digital materials are easily accessible. Students who would like to discover the lessons based on their preference and needs can do so with the help of available contents and tools. Secondly, technology-based lessons can boost class participation and engagement because of they are funny, useful and interactive. An example for this is online games like Quizziz or Kahoot. From my experience, kids are excited whenever they get a chance to play these games because they are encouraged to answer correctly in a shortest time and the functions like power-ups, relive or leaderboard promote a competitive and fun classroom environment. Thirdly, when technology is integrated in the classroom, learners not only learn the language but also build essential skills for their modern life. They are given chances to get familiar with digital tools that help them to stay up to date with the modern technology. Moreover, through using online tools, they have more chance to work with their peers and other people from different parts of the world, which helps foster their collaboration and communication.
In terms of disadvantages, one problem is that young learners often have difficulties in learning how to use technology. From what I have observed during pandemic time, students in grade 1 or grade 2 at my school require help from an adolescent in order to participate in the class because most of them cannot perform tasks on their own, such as clicking on the “raise hand” button or joining a meeting. Another problem is that learners might easily be distracted from the lesson and find themselves diving into the tempting resources on the Internet instead of participating in the lesson. The next problem is that some students might not be provided with devices required for the lesson, especially those in rural and remote areas.
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