Role of technology in education
The digital era has burst into many aspects of our lives, both at home and at work, and of course in education has not been different, and this has brought new challenges and needs for the education sector.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/SALA_DE_AULA.jpg Many technological tools are already being implemented in the classroom. Image credit: Wikimedia commons.
The incorporation of new technologies in schools has been decisive in driving changes in educational methods, with more and more resources available, the digital culture transcends the classroom. But this is not enough to explain the phenomenon, so it is necessary to explain what role technology plays in education today.
First of all, we must say that when educational problems find a solution in information technology, either through the use of computers, cell phones, data storage and processing equipment, we are talking about educational technologies. In other words, it is the use of technological devices for educational purposes. Currently, many teachers have the possibility of acquiring computers, tablets or smartphones, and have access to the Internet, which they can use to create educational material, disseminate it and organize their classes.
These tools have brought about significant changes in educational methods, making available to teachers and students a greater number of resources for teaching and learning. Through the implementation of new technologies we can create new spaces for play and expression, beyond the walls of the classroom, such as online games and blogs.
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2020/12/09/05/23/boy-5816445_960_720.png Many games and applications offer educational experiences. Image credit: pixabay.com].
For example, some years ago you could only have access to education in person, we had to carry big books and many notebooks, if we needed to do research, we had to go to the nearest library, and if we had to share information, we could only do it by printing it on paper. Well, those were still the resources when I did my primary school studies, I'm sure many here still remember what it was like back then.
But the internet and then educational technologies made it possible for us to study online, today I have done diploma courses, courses and conferences completely online, which means having access to knowledge from anywhere and at any time of day, when we need information search for it is easier, we only need a search engine on the internet and we will have access to huge databases in moments, and to share information many devices replaced the use of paper.
https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/02/02/20/42/reading-1176073_960_720.jpg Today, electronic devices are replacing paper reading. Image credit: pixbay.com.
In short, technology has made learning much easier; while it is true that there are still many challenges and obstacles to overcome, we just have to see that it was easier for us to study than for our parents, and that our children now have more tools available just on a cell phone than we had on our big desktop computers a few years ago, so they can play, interact and learn in different ways.
Finally, the digital era continues its accelerated pace, so it is essential that teachers are aware of new technologies to avoid being left behind, and provide quality education according to the context of the information society. New technologies do not reduce the teacher's work as many may think, they only transform it, since they have changed the perception of teaching, the teacher's role and the students' needs. Classroom lectures assume that all students learn in the same way, while through digital tools, a teacher can develop materials and learning experiences that best suit the learning style of their students.
Well friends, we must understand the role that technology plays today in education, because today we can rely on the use of a phone or tablet, but tomorrow it could be the use of virtual reality glasses; and although this still sounds utopian, as teachers we must understand that we are no longer preparing students for an industrial world but for a digital world, so we must always be updating and looking for more efficient ways to teach and learn. I hope you liked the reading and let me know what you think, thanks for reading me.
