Technology has become a highly versatile tool for educators. However educators need to understand that the way they view how learning takes place for the student depends on how effectively technology can be employed.
If an educator understands learning to be a strictly reflexive behavior then higher level thinking tasks are not introduced, taught, or learned. Behaviorists deal with short and long-term memory and provide for practice of skills taught. Constructivists view learning as a process through which the learner builds upon prior experiences and knowledge, constructing their own understandings. Social-Psychology is an understanding that the social settings within the classroom effect the quality and amount of learning, that cooperative learning is more beneficial for the student than competitive and individualistic learning.
It is necessary for educators to draw upon all of these views to use what works for the teaching task. I agree with the authors that creating a student-centered classroom contributes to more student involvement in learning, a higher level of engagement. However, I am finding that, for the middle school level, where socializing is the absolute priority, some kind of system that rewards time focused upon the task is necessary.
Reference
Smaldino, S., Lowther, D., & Russell, J. (2008). Instructional technology and media for learning (9th ed.). Upper Saddle River: Pearson Prentice Hall.
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