Technology makes Learning easier and fun
Education in the past
Most of the students in the twentieth century learned by listening to the boring and monotonous voice of a teacher trying to teach science, mathematics and history with a blackboard or textbooks without pictures to understand what the book was trying to say. It was hard for them to learn and pay attention to the class. In consequence, students learned a half of what they should have learned. These persons couldn’t do well their work because simply they don’t have the good knowledge to do it. This is a vicious cycle which reflects problems we have today in our world. Maybe if the education in the past would have been better our world would not be the same.
Technology in Education: Base of the Future
Technology has progressing a lot in many aspects: medicine, astronomy, communication, entertainment and education. Education is the most important area where technology has to put emphasis in its progress. It is the base of each worker. Tomorrow’s workers to stay employed or be re-employed will need the skill of learning new skills; technology in school is the principal link to make this possible. Our growth has depended on the expertise of our workers, if our schools fail to have good tools and good technology, there may not be another opportunity to make a better world. (Gaines, C; Johnson, W; King, D, 1996)
Technology Tools
Schools have integrated new tools that make learning easier and fun for kids and let them create new realms of knowing and doing. (Gaines, C; Johnson, W; King, D, 1996) Technology has the power to help students obtain, organize, manipulate, and display information. Today, all teachers and students know how to use a computer, and how can it help them to make their job better. It has different interesting programs. For example, word processing is a technology that helps students develop writing and thinking skills where they can write longer and concentrate on the thoughts they want to express. Also they can revise and edit their work if they make a mistake. (Means, B, 1997) Other helpful technology tools are database, design and graphing software, where students can organize their ideas and understand better things they need to learn.
Technology for At-Risk Students
Schools with students at risk have not been left behind with technology. Computers are used for drill-and-practice programs on basic skills. Students work with didactic technology applications, which are designed to teach specific skills. The system provides information, displays a phenomenon, and later the system requires the student to solve problems or answer questions. (Means, B, 1997) These tools help to develop the mindset of these children, so they can have a good future like normal kids.
Technology has come to Africa
Have you ever ask yourself how is the education in Africa?
Students from Kenya, Africa have been excluded from what is happening in the world today so far. EduVision has run a pilot project named E-slates, which is a combination of satellite radio and handheld computers. "The E-slates connect via a wireless connection to a base station in the school. This in turn is connected to a satellite radio receiver. The data is transmitted alongside audio signals." (Siddle, J.2005)
This project has been done to use low cost computer systems to get up to date information to students that don’t have access to today’s world. (Siddle, J.2005) This project would increase the opportunities available to the students. The idea is to digitize and manufacture some of the world’s largest university libraries so every student in Africa access to the same libraries as the students in Oxford and Harvard. (Siddle, J.2005)