The integration of technology into the classroom can be a very beneficial approach. Technological tools and equipment are practical additions to the teaching and learning process, particularly since every student's ability to acquire and process information is different. That discovery has made it necessary for teachers to improvise and create lesson plans to meet the learning and instructional needs of each student, all at the same time. How is it possible for a teacher to possibly combine four 0r five learning styles into a single lesson? The answer is in the availability of technological tools and equipment. In most cases these learning aids are readily available, ranging from a simple book on tape to the more complex computer and software.
Many schools and teachers are still complaining about a lack of technological equipment in their classrooms. Most teachers wish that their classes were equipped with more computers, arguing that this could possibly be the solution to improving students' learning outcome. But can greater access to computers, in and of itself, be sufficient to produce a successful student? Hardly can this be possible unless the student is first equipped with basic knowledge.
In many classrooms the computer is used as a motivational tool, to reward students who are able to adhere to certain modes of behavior, and in some cases, even as a means of providing some down time for the teacher. Care must be taken to ensure that technology in the classroom is put to beneficial and practical uses. However, every effort should also be made to ensure that students are properly and formerly equipped, and are obtaining mastery in and of the most basic and much needed educational skills such as reading, before the computer or other technological equipment can be allowed to take the place of the teacher in the classroom.
