In this day and age, technology is becoming integral part of our lives more than ever in history. One can argue that humanity was always intertwined with technology and that without it humanity as we know it wouldn’t even exist, but we beg to differ. While technological advancement were always available to limited amount of people, starting with the 18th century, technology was starting to affect masses which was development that culminated in the late 20th century in the period in which we are still living and we tend to call The Age of Information. Given the fact that almost every kid carries PC in its back pocket, what area would be better to illustrate these changes than education?
Knowledge is Power
Kids today have all the knowledge they might desire on the very palm of their hand, they don’t need to explore among the pile of library books to find a single fact, instead they can just enter some keywords in Google, and everything will be said. Seeing that knowledge actually is power, what we do with that knowledge and how do we use it to make this world a better place is on us. Today it is much important to teach kids how to do just that, then some facts by heart.
Teacher’s Role
The role of the teacher in the new educational process is quite different than, let’s say, 20 years ago. Educators today should be guides through the world of technology, to ensure the kids today are on the good path. Due to today’s wide appeal of visual content, it is important for teachers to make the learning place interesting and attractive for students, and to encourage them to participate in learning process. Technology allows teachers to adjust the pace of studying to every kid individually and to communicate with them beyond the classroom walls.
The Advantages of Technology
We might argue that technology is corrupts kids by serving them everything on a plate, but the truth is that PCs, laptops, tablets and smartphones are not only improving the very quality of learning process, but changing it completely. It is important to use those advantages to make the life of students and teachers much easier. You see, the question of whether or not should we use technology in education, shouldn’t be posed at all.
Using those Advantages
Both students and teachers have a lot to gain, especially the fact they’ll not be bound for the school walls when it comes to teaching, learning, exploring and doing those assignments. One of the best ways to use technology are eBooks, which are a cheaper solution for students and more practical one for educators. Students will be able to participate more in the lessons and that way create more pleasant and productive work atmosphere, unlike the traditional one-sided student-teacher relation.
No reason to wait any further, it is the right time to go with the flow of technology and take the most out of it, in order to use the most important weapon humanity has ever had: knowledge.
Photo credit: Rachel Wente-Chaney
