Guest postbyPeter Minkoff
Walking down the memory lane, we can see how education looked like decades ago, before the era of computers and smartphones. We had a school teacher standing in front of pupils, telling the lesson and writing down the most important things with chalk on the chalkboard. What we have today seems miles away from chalkboards. Still, the goal of education remains the same – providing students with necessary knowledge and provoking love for learning. What is different, though, are the tools that are used in teaching and the simplified access to information for students. Let us see some of the concrete ways how technology is changing education.
Evolution of the Teacher
Though the goal has remained the same, the person who executes it had to evolve from a lecturer in an ex cathedra approach to an artist/entertainer/know-it-all who has to compete with the technology for students’ attention and work together with it with the same purpose. In many ways, technology has made the job easier for teachers, because now they can dig deeper into the topic and explain it better, by using videos, photos, info graphics, audios and presentations.
Sharing the Notes
A while back, kids were writing down notes on classes and then photocopied them and distribute and exchange them throughout the class. That is no longer the case. Through various apps, the students and the teachers can share notes, homework, ask questions and give comments on certain lessons. Not only that, the ordinary old notes as we remember them evolved from photos and text to presentations, videos, audios, etc.
Interactive Approach
Both students and teachers today have an obligation to engage in learning, communicate and build an interactive way of mastering the courses. The children can learn a lot of things at home with various video games. A good example is Poptropicawhich features video games inspired by history and bring this subject closer to kids. Also, the teachers have all the necessary tools to use similar approaches on their classes. The tech-devices enable the students to communicate which each other and with the teacher beyond the classroom walls.
Personalized Teaching
Personalized learning, also known as competency-based learning has become possible mostly because of the technology advancements. It is a holistic and student-centered approach to education. Based on the premise that each student has different interest, skills, needs and aspirations it is supporting students of all ability level. Besides, personalized approach shows students that the teachers care about them as individuals, which further leads to a more positive learning environment and, thus, better results. By accepting this approach, teachers are becoming co-learners and they have to use inter-disciplinary means and work together with students.
Screens Are the New Books
The textbooks are being pushed aside by eBooks, smartphones, computers and tablets. A research done by VJR Consulting showed that media use among children ages 8 to 18 the has grown so much that they, on average, spend twice as much time with screens as they spend in school (annually). That does not have to be a bad thing, though. If students would switch completely to eBooks and other devices, that would be more convenient and more affordable. The children can master the learning by using technology really fast. Just look at the “cloud grannies” project which includes retired professionals from the United Kingdom mentoring the groups of students in India via Skype.
The changes we are witnessing today are just the start of the evolution of education. Because evolution, by itself, carries positive implications, we feel the need to point out that, if done right, the usage of technology in education can significantly ease the job of a teacher, improve the individual success of students and thus, later on, “produce” more competent people with diplomas.
Peter is a lifestyle writer located in Brisbane, Australia. After graduating from Australian Institute of Creative Design, he worked as a trend forecaster and as a freelance writer for few local newspapers in Brisbane. Beside writing, he loves shopping, cooking exotic meals and travelling around tropical destinations. He’s future plans are in creating his personal lifestyle blog about everyday life-saving tips.
