834 3p

TECHNOLOGY IN THE MODERN CLASSROOM Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: You need to think about the visual strategies you’re using. Your font, spacing, color, and other design choices are very important. I suggest you look at an article from the website/magazine you’ve chosen to help you make your design choices

Teachers have a responsibility of making sure that their students learn in the best possible environment. They have the freedom to incorporate any elements of learning that they feel will benefit the students and make the learning experience more holistic in nature. The fact that modern day society has become accustomed to the use of technology makes elements of technology indispensible in the modern classroom setting. The growth of education to incorporate technology has led to the classroom environment being revolutionized and education being highly modernized. In the current society technology is basically second nature when it comes to the functioning of people. Items such as computers, iPads and smartphones are used on a daily basis and are highly applicable in the classroom setting. Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: I think you can work on making your tone more conversational and less formal. I suggest you read some articles in the magazine (or its website) to get a sense of how they sound

Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: You need to cite all of the images you use. You can either cite them in the strategy essay or include the website alongside the image, as is often done in magazine articles

There are various types of technology that are used in the classroom. The type of technology is usually based on the preferences of the teachers as well as the learners and the type of information that is being sought after.

Computers Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: These section titles are helpful, but how can you make them more interesting or intriguing for the reader? Consider using questions, for example

Among the most basic use of computers in the classroom is hooking it up to an external display in order to show presentations or videos. There are also institutions that ascribe to the services of given educational websites. This makes computers a valuable tool through which students can access information and resources that they need in the classroom. Many institutions also offer an online platform where students can access their course material such as lecture notes and also tests. These websites also offer valuable feedback on the progress of the students.

In the United States up to 97% of teachers have at least one active computer in the classroom. Statistics also show that over 93% of computers in modern day classrooms are able to access the internet. The student to computer ratio in American schools stands at 5.3:1 Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Where did you get this information? Magazine articles don’t use an academic citation style, but they do say where the information came from

Tablets and iPads

A tablet is basically a handheld computer that happens to be fitted with a touch screen. The device offers a higher degree of flexibility compared to ordinary computers which are a lot more bulky. The device also connects to the internet with a great degree of ease and is efficient when students need to look up information on the internet. These devices also run on applications. Students can use these applications to gain access to educational content. Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Do you think your audience doesn’t know what a tablet is?

Smartphones

The smartphone is the most widely used element of technology in modern society with virtually every human being on the planet having access to one in one way or another. The popularity of the Smartphone makes its use in the classroom inevitable. Up to 73% of teachers report that they as well as their students use their smartphones in the classroom for academic purposes such as research. Over 42% of students in the 6th grade and 57% of students in the 8th grade use their smartphones as research elements when they do their homework. This means that they use smartphones not only in the classroom environment but also out of it. To this effect the use of these devices means that the learning process is not limited to the classroom environment. Rather the students can learn anywhere as long as the culture of research is enshrined into their academic tendencies. Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Is this accurate? I think you’re overestimating how many people have access to phones Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Again, you need to tell us where this information comes from

Heading into the future technology will continue to be used in the classroom at a greater degree of intensity. The benefits of technology when it comes to learning have not been fully realized and there are numerous applications that are yet to be explored. To this effect the education sector is likely to undergo a paradigm shift as educators incorporate more elements of technology into the learning process and students continually adopt these elements of technology. Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: What is the purpose of this article? Are you trying to persuade them that technology is important in the classroom? I don’t see you using the elements of a magazine article. I encourage you to work on being more informal and conversational. You should also consider incorporating a narrative or anecdotes do make the article more entertaining. I strongly encourage you to look at more examples and to come speak with me about this draft

References

Watanabe-Crockett. (2016, January 31). How is Technology Changing the Modern Classroom? [Infographic]. Retrieved from https://www.wabisabilearning.com/blog/technology-changing-modern-classroom-infographic Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: What citation style are you using? I thought you were using MLA, but this is incorrect

The Technology in The Modern Classroom article is meant to inform the general public about the continued incorporation of technology into the education sector. The article is meant to be published in People Magazine. The choice of this magazine is based on a few integral factors. Among these is the fact that the magazine has a very wide viewership of about 46 million. The implication here is that it is a sufficient avenue through which a wide readership can be reached. In addition to this the average age of the people reading the magazine is 38 years of age. This age corresponds to the time at which most people usually have children and are, therefore, likely to be concerned with matters of education. The magazine may not necessarily be a parenting magazine but its wide viewership and sense of appeal incorporates most of the parent demographic. Another important thing to note is that the issue of technology in the classroom is not necessarily a reserve for the parents. Rather it is a social issue that should be openly discussed by all members of society. The main audience of the article is the older adult demographic. These are people between the ages of 25 and 50. The age bracket for the audience is based on social trends and the time at which most members of the population usually have children and start thinking about education. It is true that there are some people who have children at the age of 18 or even younger. However, these are not the majority members of this demographic hence the focus on the higher age bracket. This age bracket is also important because it corresponds to elements of parental responsibility. When parents adopt elements of parental responsibility they usually start to think about the quality of education that their children are likely to have. To this effect they are likely to be very concerned about elements such as the incorporation of technology into the education sector. The purpose of the article is to educate the public. It is a fact that despite the importance of the education sector not all members of the public are likely to be concerned about the inner mechanics of the sector. This is why the article especially appeals to members of the population who have school going children. The idea is to capture their interest in the sector and use it as a means of fueling their interest in the information presented in the article. The article not only targets a professional audience but also a casual one that may be interested in the on goings in the education sector simply by virtue of having children who are active students. There are a number of strategies that have been used in the article. Among these is the division of the article into distinct parts. It starts with an introduction which captures all the information in the article. However, it does so in an artistic way such that after reading it people are even more interested to read the rest of the article as a whole. There are also sections dedicated to the relevant elements of technology such as computers, smartphones and tablets and iPads. Each of these elements is very important in the modern day classroom. To this effect each of them has received an individual section in order to properly highlight their impact in the education sector. The separation of these elements of technology into distinct sections is also meant to give parents an opportunity to evaluate the element of technology that they feel is the most impactful in the educational journey of their child. They can then make a choice to invest in this element of technology. The various section headers in the article are in red and bold while the rest of the text is in black. This is a strategy aimed at making sure that the various sections of the article are as subtle as possible. It helps to draw the attention of the readers to the various issues that are being discussed in each section of the article. To this effect the article becomes more visually appealing and also becomes easier for the audience to read. Images have been used throughout the article to add to its visual appeal. There are imaged in each section depicting students using the element of technology being discussed in that section. In the computers section there is an image of students using computers in class. The same goes for all the other elements of technology in their respective sections. This not only makes the article more visually appealing but also serves to provide a practical example of the actual incorporation of technology in the classroom. The readers do not have to imagine how these elements of technology would be used in a classroom as the images depict this perfectly. Logos is very common throughout the article. An example of this is the focus on data from research studies on the extent to which students use elements of technology such as smartphones. The use of statistical data is meant to add an element of realism to the discussion in the article. It is also meant to appeal to the logical faculties of the readers and make sure that they view the issue under discussion using a logical lens. The language in the article is also another strategic element that is meant to increase the degree to which readers understand the article. The article steers away from all elements of technical jargon and focuses more on simple English that is easy to understand. The use of simple English as opposed to technical terms appeals to readers from all academic levels. It is meant to make sure that the audience of the article is not limited to people with a certain degree of knowledge on the mechanics of research or the inner dynamics of the education sector as a whole. Rather, parents at all levels can read the article and relate to it as is necessary. Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Who is your target audience? as we discussed in class, nothing is for the “general public” Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: I’m confused. I thought we agreed that a parenting magazine would be more appropriate when last we spoke. Why did you decide to use People? This is not the kind of subject covered in People magazine, so I don’t think it’s an appropriate choice Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Can you say more about your purpose? What do you want parents to know or think about technology in the classroom? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Each body paragraph should focus on one specific rhetorical strategy. you should concisely define the audience in the intro Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: This paragraph is also unnecessary. You should concisely state your purpose in the introduction. The body paragraphs should focus on specific strategies you’re using Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: What is the effect of this strategy? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: You explain how this helps readers interact with the text, but how does the strategy work toward the goal of the article? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Why would you want the sections to be subtle? Wouldn’t you want the sections to be as clear and obvious as possible? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: What are you discussing in this paragraph that is different from what you cover in the previous body paragraph? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Can you be more specific about the types of images and their effect? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Why is this useful? How does this fit in with your goal for the article? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: You need to specify one strategy and its effect on the audience Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Again, you need to explain the effect of each strategy on the audience and its connection to your goals Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: What kind of language? You need to be specific Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Can you provide an example? Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: Don’t forget a conclusion Comment by Frymire, Erin L.: I strongly encourage you to come speak with me about this draft