Category: Edtech

 
Integrating technology in whatever you do is no doubt an overwhelming task. As such, teachers find themselves pulled in different directions everyday due to the ever evolving technological advancements. So, how do educators find the ideal balance between technology and teachers? As a result, this article explores a few ideas that teachers can embrace to harmoniously integrate technology in the classroom. Read on to know how those in the education sector can strike a perfect balance between technology and teachers.
 
As you try to harmonize technology and teachers, it is imperative to note that technology is the literacy that is required in higher education and in the economy. It is the universal language that the entire world speaks. The coming generations are going to have a very tough job market whose competition will be determined by how technologically savvy one is. This does not however mean that job will not be available. It means that career opportunities will continue to dwindle as outsourcing and automation expand. And this is perhaps the biggest reason why technology and teachers have to be coordinated.
 
As such, technology and teachers have to strike a perfect balance in order to equip learners with both the required technical knowledge and the technological know-how needed to survive in the competitive world of hi-tech gadgetry. If technology and teachers are not synchronized, then we will have educated people who cannot fit in the current career world despite their educational accomplishments. And if technology does not get enough of classroom tutoring, then we will have a tech-savvy generation that does not have any professional clout to effectively discharge their career responsibilities. Therefore, both technology and teachers need to be synchronized to ensure that learning institutions churn out graduates who have mastered professional concepts and have the technological prowess to perform their tasks in the immensely automated 21st century working environment.
 
Technology and teachers will never be on a balance unless educators stop seeing education as a threat to quality teaching. Instead of technology and teachers viewing each other as enemies, they should they should complement each other. Both technology and teachers need each other. For instance, a teacher should tap into the many benefits of technology to ease the strenuous teaching process and technology ought to understand that it is teachers who gave birth to it. Technology and teachers cannot exist without each other. Each needs the other for survival- and both are very essential. Students who are exposed to technology should integrate it in their class work with the help of teachers and the tutor and the learner should see technological advancements as the fruit of the knowledge acquired in the classroom.
 
Finally, technology and teachers can be harmonized by those in the education sector to make learning through technology the bedrock of the curricula. This will make learning fun for the students and a lot easier for the tutors. It will help students stop viewing teaching as a boring impediment to their technology-filled lives. In the same vein, it will help teachers realize that technology complements technology and that the two do not clash in any way.
 
However, it is important to note that the balance between technology and teachers is not very healthy presently. Therefore, whatever measures that are taken to synchronize technology and teachers ought to be systematically gradual in order to be fully effective.
 

 
Schools are the most important learning grounds to prepare your children for the future. The future is more clearly getting digitized and it’s high time that we ensure our children learn technology from an early age. In order to do this, you need to ensure your children go to the right schools. Teachers should be in a position to incorporate technology to improve the learning experience in classroom. A right school should be able to answer questions of how, where, when and what technology it plans to teach children.Good educational technology should prepare its students to become better entrepreneurs, innovators, self-starters, independent thinkers and be able to solve problems. As parents you have a major role to ensure you give your children the best education. Here is how to begin the edtec discussion:
 

1. Is technology a top priority in the school and what specific goals does the school have?
   The school should be able to explain how technology is of top priority and what measures are in place to ensure that the school is in the front line as far as technology in learning is concerned. Parents should look out for specific ongoing or start up projects, for example measures should be in place to ensure that all teachers are well trained on technology.

 

2. How is information communicated?
   It’s of importance to find out how the school conveys information to the parents and community so as to be in the look out. Some modes of communication could be through email, the school website or through social media.

 

3. What type of devices will the child be exposed to and what is the access type?
   As parents, you will be required to know the type of devices your child uses in school so as to make efforts to provide the same at home. Every student should have easy access to technology devices.

 

4. Are there policies against cyber-crimes and are parents educated on how to raise digital children
   With the rising rates of cyber-crimes, it’s important to ensure that strict rules are put in place to curb cyber-crimes. Parents should also be educated to ensure there are no loop holes at home as well.

 

5. Are children allowed to bring personal devices and if so, what policies are in place?
   Parents should get information on whether to allow their children to come to school with personal devices and what rules to enforce, and should discuss the same with their children.

 

6. Does the school support a child with particular interests on coding?
   The school should have forums to expose students to things like coding. This will ensure that they improve on skills like innovation and problem solving.

 

7. How does technology ensure a better future for my child?
   The technology used in the school should be relevant and fit into the learning system.

 

8. How can I help at home?
   The school should have a platform for parents to continue teaching their children at home.

 
In this digital age, technology is important and so is the teacher. Technology has not come to replace the teacher but to act as an enhancement to learning. Technology is here to stay; so let us all embrace it and especially for the young generation.
 

 
The evolution of technology has brought about with it, several benefits the world over. Apart from enhancing efficiency, it has turned the world into a global village and made access to information quite easy. The education sector has also not been left behind in tapping into the deep resource-well of technology. The use of information technology in education has become more than just an option. For effective learning, the education sector stakeholders have found ways of integrating the use of information technology in the everyday learning processes.
 
Access to learning material
 
The internet is full of a lot of learning material that the learner can access and use to supplement whatever is provided for in the classroom. There are e-books, revision guides and past examination papers that are available on the world wide web and students can take advantage of these to improve their knowledge base. Learning institutions provide computers and internet that the students can use to this end.
 
Continuous learning
 
In the modern world, you don’t have to be in the classroom to learn. Using information technology in education has made it possible for students to keep on learning, irrespective of where they are. Teachers and professors can send assignments to students and they can complete and submit them even without physically stepping into the classrooms and so learning never has to stop. Students can keep on learning even when they are at home. This has greatly enhanced efficiency in the education sector.
 
Sharing of knowledge
 
Through online discussion forums, students can share knowledge, engage in intellectual debates and generally learn from one another. Using information technology in education has basically made it possible for students from all over the world to come together and share experiences, the geographical distances notwithstanding. Information technology in education has also made students to develop an appreciation for cultural diversity and in turn, create a more tolerant and unified world.
 
Using audio and visual material as learning aids
 
The use of information technology in education has made it possible for tutors to teach students much more easily. By using audio and visual materials, students can develop a better understanding of the topics being taught. It is now much easier to perform demonstrations and put some practical aspect to the theory taught in class. Slow learners therefore have an opportunity to catch up with those who had grasped whatever was initially taught in class.
 
Distance learning
 
To adapt to a changing population with unique demands, learning institutions have employed the use of information technology in education to cater for this new demographic. Online courses have enabled most of the employed and young population to go back to class and get second degrees or additional certifications. It is possible to attend a college overseas without even getting out of your home country and at your own convenience.
 
Proper record keeping
 
It is possible to keep student records in a more systematic and secure manner using technology. Unlike in the past when records used to be kept manually and there were many cases of lost files, the incorporation of information technology in education has made it possible for safe and proper record keeping. Retrieving of information has therefore become much easier.
 

 
Educational software has a lot to offer to learners. In our last article, we have already discussed how education softwares are beneficial to very young learners. Not just young learners, an educational software can create independent learners in students of all sections of an educational institution. Read, why should you use education softwares in your institution.
 

• One of the best thing about the use of educational software is that they definitely make both teaching and learning a lot more interesting than the traditional methods. Say, if you make your students use education softwares for maths, you can surely see an increase in involvement in learning among the students, through fun learning of math concepts. An increased score in maths is the outcome!

 

• When students learn using educational software in a computer or on an iPad, they actually make use of a lot of senses together. It stimulates a lot of thinking and promotes hand-eye coordination, a lot helpful to students to practice good handwriting.

 

• Many educational software includes games and puzzles to help students learn. And these games encourage students solve problems on their own. Thus, a chance of self-confidence among the students increases as they start figuring out things on their own.

 

• Creativity is another major factor promoted with the use of education softwares in schools. This is because, an educational software offer interactive learning which further helps students to explore more; instead of just reading through the pages of a book!

 

• The learning capacity for each student varies to a good extent. And to keep a control on the learning experience of students, education softwares can be the best guide to teachers. An educational software lets each of the students to learn at their own pace, under their own control.  If they are allowed to learn at their own pace and time, students can push their limits to learn things, without feeling down for being unable to do so within set time limits.

 
Technology is here to stay and is expected to bring about huge changes, as it is doing currently. Educational software is surely one such technology that’s enhancing the learning experience of students.