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The first Europeans arrived in the Americas by using wooden boats and sails. Houses use to be lit and heated by fire and candles. Television viewers once needed to walk to the television to change the channel. Phones use to be plugged into a phone jack for service.

The point is we have evolved in the way we live by integrating new technologies into our daily lives. Educators must do the same thing. Students for hundreds of years used books to gather and review information. Now all the information is available through the internet and other forms of technology. Books are now digital and instead of paper or hardback. Students are able to communicate through social media and text messaging. Times have changed and the way students learn has also changed.

There are four fundamental characteristics for effective learning. They are: 1) active engagement 2) participation in group learning 3) frequent interactions and feedback 4) connection to the real world. This is how education has adapted through the years. Effective learning needs educational technologies to enhance student learning, however they cannot do all the work alone. Technology should be introduced along with reforms in curriculum, assessment, and teacher professional development in order to be most successful. (Roschelle, 2000)

Recent studies also show that DGBL (Digital Game Based Learning) is more effective than traditional learning. It is viewed that there is a significant increase in learning as well as motivation. This is effective for all student ages and both boys and girls. (Papastergiou, 2009)

It is important for teachers to adapt the way curriculums are taught with the new forms of technology. Students today will have more opportunities to create, use, and experience new technologies. Roblyer defined Educational Technology as a “combination of the processes and tools involved in addressing educational needs and problems, with an emphasis on applying the most current digital and information tools.” Though technology is simply a tool that makes some task or job easier, it has more meaning in today’s society. It deals more with computers and making people literate in technology. Therefore it is the educator’s responsibility to help make people more computer and technological literate. This learning must take place in education because as a nation we are switching to a common core standard.

I envision a society where everyone has the capabilities to use technology correctly. This can easily be done by educating the teachers on not just how to use the technology, but to also implement the lessons into their teaching. Students will than have the capabilities to pass this knowledge onto their family members and our society will become more advanced just by integrating these new technologies.

Papastergiou, M. (2009). Digital game-based learning in high school computer science education: impact on educational effectiveness and student motivation. Computers &amp; Education, 52 (1), 1–12. doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2008.06.004

Roblyer, M. D., &amp; Doering, A. H. (2012). Integrating educational technology into teaching. (6 ed.). Boston: Allyn &amp; Bacon/Pearson.

Roschelle, J. M., Pea, R. D., Hoadley, C. M., Gordin, D. N., &amp; Means, B. M. (2000). Changing how and what children learn in school with computer-based technologies. The Future of Children, 10 (2), 76–101. doi:10.2307/1602690