Technology has become incredibly important in our workplaces and in our personal lives. Now, it has also moved into our educational systems, and not just in the higher grades. In elementary schools throughout the nation, new technological devices are being added to the classrooms. Instead of practicing cursive letters in workbooks, second graders are taking typing lessons and learning to work with Microsoft Word. Tests can now be taken with remote clickers instead of pencils and paper. SMART boards are replacing the traditional chalkboard or whiteboard. The only limit is the school’s budget.

These technological advances provide many creative opportunities for teachers to try new teaching methods and help their students explore the world easily.

Nancy Blair, an educational technology specialist at an elementary school in Florida, encourages teachers to expand their outlook when adding technology to their curriculum.

“These new twenty-first century learners are highly relational and demand quick access to new knowledge. With the world literally at their fingertips, today’s students need teachers to re-envision the role of technology in the classroom.” she says.

Barbara Sunde, a current third grade teacher at local Cobblestone Elementary, has been teaching her students to use the internet as a research and learning source.

“I like the typing classes and I really like learning about computers. We have homework games online sometimes and they’re really fun,” says Jamie Yan, one of Ms. Sunde’s current third graders.

Some teachers might worry about the potential dangers of young students being exposed to such a wide range of information. However, with school regulations and software, kids are protected from the dangerous of the internet while at school. Many schools also teach important internet safety skills to their students.

Technology will only continue to expand and kids are fast learners. Many of them have a wide variety of electronics in their daily life already, so bringing technology into the classrooms can be a helpful advantage for both students and teachers.