Philosophy of Teaching with the use of Technology

Teaching with technology is not an option anymore it is a reality. Students use the internet to turn in assignments, check their grades, write papers, do research, etc. and teaches update grades online, look at assignments through email, give presentations using powerpoint and projectors, etc.  IT is impossible to avoid using technology in the classroom just as it is impossible for students to learn a second language without ever hearing it. Their are many theories of SLA that can be used in the classroom and the web now offers us tools that can be combined with these theories so that our students have multiple resources to learn the L2.

Their have not been many empirical studies done in the CALL field that have a theoretical base in SLA, but these two fields are important to keep together because SLA theories can inform the use of CALL technologies. If a teacher focuses solely on the technology he/she wants to use in the classroom than it may not actually benefit the students in any way. The technology chosen for a classroom needs to first be analyzed using the framework for the class. If the technology does not support the goals and objectives of the classroom than it will not benefit the students to use it during that class. There is very little reason to use a listening lab on the internet in a classroom devoted to reading and writing no matter how cool the teacher thinks the website is or how fun the students might find the activity. The technology used must always fit into the curriculum and must be used in a way that it helps the students achieve the goals and objectives of the class.

After deciding which technological resources to use in the classroom the teacher must become very familiar with these resources before having the students use them. The teacher must be able to give very detailed instructions to the students before they use the software/website so that the students don't get hung up on the technological aspect of the site and instead can use it for it's language learning potential. The teacher must be able to provide multiple websites if there is a chance that the website will crash or be updating when the students need to use it. If the teacher isn't well-versed in the technology they should not use it because it will just cause frustrations for the students and for the teacher and little to no learning will actually be accomplished.

Once the teacher has met the above criteria with regards to the technology he/she will use in the classroom than the technology will become a great resource for the students. They will be able to accomplish the goals and objectives set out for them by the teacher as well as have fun completing the activities they are supposed to do. Technology is a great way to expose students to multiple uses of the target langauge. They can get access to native speaker recordings, authentic written material, websites where they can practice their writing, places to record their own speaking, and environments that promote interaction with other students and even native speakers of the target language directly. Technology should be used in the classroom, but it must be used correctly and successfully in order for the students to further their L2 knowledge.