Quality of High School Education in United States - Essay Example

The newer technology generally in the form of computers & the internet has provided a different addition to the concept that encompasses meaningful learning of education. One of the first and most vocal proponents of the use of technology to promote this type of meaningful learning was Seymour Papert who believed that computers could provide a powerful tool for learning.

He also noted that schools have frequently ignored the broad capacities of computers for instructional support, isolating them from the learning process rather than integrating them into all areas of the curriculum. Using the techniques of constructivism effectively, the teacher can teach or educate their students in restored modality. Teachers are beginning to use technology as a tool to promote students' ability to reason and solve authentic problems. Also, teachers have now been using technology and also integrating them into the formal education system with the intention to transform classrooms into technology-intensive knowledge centers providing purposeful learning with experimental learning that would intuitively create an environment of authentic action rather than awareness and simple information.

The effective use of technology now integrates higher cognitive skill development and thinking skills such as problem-solving, reasoning, decision making, and scientific inquiry. When teachers are thorough and totally integrate technology into the classroom a very different environment comes into existence. A constructivist learning environment is a place in which learners work together and support each other as they use a variety of tools and information resources in their guided pursuit of learning goals and problem-solving activities.

Constructivist learning environments frequently encompass many different applications of media and technology. Classrooms under this environment are active with the combination of the tools of constructivism with communication and visualization tools that enable communication and collaboration among learners in a socio-cultural context. Increased student achievement can result because of the synergy created through dynamic interactions (Sandholtz, Ringstaff, & Dwyer).