Emerging technologies have a potential impact on the educational field of society. Day by day our education system is developing with the support of technology. As Rai (2014) commented technology revolutionized the educational field and created a new paradigm in teaching and learning processes. In this 21st century, it is significant to know why we should use technology in education and exploring the various concepts, possible purposes and processes of technology.
There are many frameworks, theories and models underpinned with the education system. Integrating technology along with those practices can able to modify the learning experience of the child as well as the educator. The benefits of integrating technology in education is countless. According to Isabelle and Lapointe (2003) integration of technology not only pace students learning but also improves teachers’ confidence and professional development. Teachers’ knowledge in technology based teaching, will improve the student learning process too. Otero et al (2005) recommended that in developed and developing countries, technology based curriculum help to foster students’ achievement also, promoting to develop a critical thinking and problem solving skills in students.
Imagine the classrooms with systematically arranged benches and literally a teacher standing in front of the students and delivering lectures inside the room. In those situation where students are passive learners and teacher act as a prime source of knowledge but, in reality, the teacher might be far behind the contemporary practices, critical thinking and problem solving skills. Despite, students push down to relay only on teachers knowledge whereabouts. Research signifies that teaching is a complex activity in this modern global world (Mishra & Koehlor 2006). In spite the teacher is a knowledgeable and capable person, it is not worth for a student solely depend on teachers’ perspective, knowledge and ideas in this competitive world. The potentials and capabilities of each person is different so getting completely knowledgeable and capable teachers are rare in the education system.
It is widely recognized that
It is widely recognized that learners are motivated and purposefully engaged in the learning process when concepts and skills are underpinned with technology and sound pedagogy. The TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework helpfully demonstrates that there is a complex interplay between Technological Knowledge, Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge and Contexts (Mishra & Koehlor, 2006). Technology is not forcing the educators to try and determine one best way to do things rather than it gives an idea of how integrating technology can work best when teachers are aware of the component; content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and context.
We are living in a fast track digital world. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has an impact on every aspect of our lives – from working to socialising, learning to playing. The digital age completely changed the life of new generation people such as communication, networking, seeking help and advice, accessing information and learning process. Most of our children, young minds, adults and even old age people access technology through a variety of means such as computers, TV and mobile phones. As technology becomes more and more embedded in our culture, we must provide our learners with relevant and contemporary experiences that allow them to successfully engage with technology and prepare them for life after school. Nowadays education sector promotes advice on resources for practitioners, parents and pupils to engage with the technologies in order to inform and enhance the learning experience.
learners are motivated and purposefully engaged in the learning process when concepts and skills are underpinned with technology and sound pedagogy. The TPACK (Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge) framework helpfully demonstrates that there is a complex interplay between Technological Knowledge, Content Knowledge and Pedagogical Knowledge and Contexts (Mishra & Koehlor, 2006). Technology is not forcing the educators to try and determine one best way to do things rather than it gives an idea of how integrating technology can work best when teachers are aware of the component; content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge and context.
We are living in a fast track digital world. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) has an impact on every aspect of our lives – from working to socialising, learning to playing. The digital age completely changed the life of new generation people such as communication, networking, seeking help and advice, accessing information and learning process. Most of our children, young minds, adults and even old age people access technology through a variety of means such as computers, TV and mobile phones. As technology becomes more and more embedded in our culture, we must provide our learners with relevant and contemporary experiences that allow them to successfully engage with technology and prepare them for life after school. Nowadays education sector promotes advice on resources for practitioners, parents and pupils to engage with the technologies in order to inform and enhance the learning experience.
It is pleasure to explain my involvement in technology assisted learning process. I started using technology during my postgraduate studies in India. I believe the cultural and socioeconomic factors somehow affected my entry into the world of technology. The power point presentation and smart classrooms I have experienced only in my late life classrooms. Fortunately, the technological bloom opened doors to me, catch up the world outside India. Afterwards, the main medium I am using in learning process is computer technologies including social media and various applications to support my learning process.
As Scott (2010) describes social media is a platform where people can share the ideas, thoughts, creativity and content in online. Social media includes social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube and WhatsApp. Now a days these technological applications are quite common in our place and recently I have known more about Twitter and Blogs and started to use those platforms also for my personal development and collaborative learning.
In the year 2013, I started to work as a science teacher in a private school in India. I have realised that the school environment and teaching methods had changed a lot from the past years. Many of the schools started to adopt different technology based learning programmes inside the classrooms. Among that the use of smart classroom with the support of information and communication technology was quite exciting for me too. Since I was a victim for traditional and direct teaching methods. The classroom was equipped with a computer and an interactive white board. Teachers had got special training classes before commencing the academic year for how to run those systems inside the classroom as well as it was a new and innovative approach in the entire school. During induction training teachers got practical sessions about the content included in the system such as interactive videos, online quick quiz regarding each lesson and topic, virtual experiments and so on.
Teaching the subject chemistry was not an easy process for me especially dealing with year 11 and 12 classes because there were a lot of confusing and hard content such as atomic structures, chemical structures and reactions. Normally, those topics are hard to follow and learn for the students. It was even a difficult task for me to impart the real concepts to the children. But the smart classroom helped me to get over from those hardships. The smart classroom computer was equipped with the support of various applications hence it enriched my class with informative videos. The video clips and some animated visuals created a high positive understanding in students. Some virtual experiments created extended understanding about the theoretical concepts. The online quiz after each topic created competitive as well as enquiry spirit among children. Children was highly motivated and enthusiastic during my class.
Many times the smart classroom alerted my students with real-world issues that are related to the class curriculum. By using the Internet students gets exposure to real issues happening at that moment in the world outside. Still I remember the online interaction with a nuclear reactor functioning centre and my students eagerly enquired about the functioning and how to remove the highly radioactive reactor wastes. Similarly, while teaching the topic of polymer students understand the issues and uses of plastic with an interactive video. Those lessons could be taught refers to real problems and real people. It was an amazing experience for students and myself as well.
Another features of technology I have practiced in my class was simulation and modelling. Simulation software helps me to bring the real activities to the classrooms. The specific simulation tools allowed to provide better knowledge about how to conduct various experiments. Likewise, modelling helped the students to see the dynamic characteristic of models. The below mentioned link introducing seven best molecular modelling software for chemistry.
The following websites providing great simulation opportunity for students and teachers to engage with science subjects in the classroom.
https://www.yenka.com/en/Inorganic_physical_chemistry_simulation/
The second innovative technology now I am using for learning process is smart phone. There is various applications and social networking sites which are available to me in a finger touch distance. Among that use of WhatsApp and Facebook groups connecting me in a quite useful way with other teachers. It helped the teachers to know each other and build up collaboration and belongingness. Similarly, the online groups, webpages connecting the teachers as well as students at the right time anywhere around the world. Those who are belong to the groups for example, students can receive feedback from their teachers and clarify doubts about their concerned topic. The online forum post is highly beneficial to the students and teachers. By reading and listening to others feedback students reframe their ideas thinking and building up higher levels of comprehension. Teachers are also motivating and gaining new insight through those open discussion forums.
Nowadays I am using various applications in my mobile phone especially for promoting autism related learning process. I am interested to find out the latest research and programs for children with autism since currently I am doing special education. Through my mobile device I have downloaded various group activities and programs running by different organisation or government for people with autism. Through those social media groups I will get knowledge and recent research in autism studies. For example, ASPECT, Ladybug, I CAN network are updating their activities and recent ideas regularly for promoting learning of children with autism. The uploaded new games and exercises in those sites are helpful to induce children with autism to get more concentration. The below mentioned websites are highly useful for the carers or people with autism spectrum disorders.
https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/
It is clear that technology has a great impact on educational field. In this modern world we cannot forget the relevance and necessity of modern technologies. Being aware of the significant role of technology in our life, especially in the educational activities, education authorities should be wise enough in implementing the strategies to empower technology in supporting the teaching and learning process in the classroom. Technology is not just the bloom of the educational activities, but also it will be a wonderful option to improve the effective and meaningful educational process. Rather than viewing digital devices and Internet spaces as a threat to our practices, let us consider them as unexplored areas of growth for all the people across the population.
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It is clear that technology has a great impact on educational field. In this modern world we cannot forget the relevance and necessity of modern technologies. Being aware of the significant role of technology in our life, especially in the educational activities, education authorities should be wise enough in implementing the strategies to empower technology in supporting the teaching and learning process in the classroom. Technology is not just the bloom of the educational activities, but also it will be a wonderful option to improve the effective and meaningful educational process. Rather than viewing digital devices and Internet spaces as a threat to our practices, let us consider them as unexplored areas of growth for all the people across the population.
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Reference
Barak, M., & Levenberg, A. (2016). Flexible thinking in learning: An individual differences measure for learning in technology-enhanced environments. Computers & Education, 99, 39-52.
Mishra, P., & Koehler, M. J. (2006). Technological pedagogical content knowledge: A framework for teacher knowledge. Teachers college record, 108(6), 1017.
Isabelle, C., & Lapointe, C. (2003). Start at the top: Successfully integrating information and communication technologies in schools by training principals. Alberta Journal of Educational Research, 49(2).
Otero, V., Peressini, D., Meymaris, K. A., Ford, P., Garvin, T., Harlow, D. & Mears, C. (2005). Integrating technology into teacher education: A critical framework for implementing reform. Journal of Teacher Education, 56(1), 8-23.
Rai, A. (2014). ICT in teacher education.International Journal of Languages, Education and Social Sciences,13, (1). ISSN: 2278-3970
Scott, David Meerman (2010), The New Rules of Marketing and PR, 2nd edition, Wiley
In the year 2013, I started to work as a science teacher in a private school in India. I have realized that the school environment and teaching methods had changed a lot from the past years. Many of the schools started to adopt different technology based learning programs inside the classrooms. Among that the use of smart classroom with the support of information and communication technology was quite exciting for me too. Since I was a victim for traditional and direct teaching methods. The classroom was equipped with a computer and an interactive white board. Teachers had got special training classes before commencing the academic year for how to run those systems inside the classroom as well as it was a new and innovative approach in the entire school. During induction training teachers got practical sessions about the content included in the system such as interactive videos, online quick quiz regarding each lesson and topic, virtual experiments and so on.
Teaching the subject chemistry was not an easy process for me especially dealing with year 11 and 12 classes because there were a lot of confusing and hard content such as atomic structures, chemical structures and reactions. Normally, those topics are hard to follow and learn for the students. It was even a difficult task for me to impart the real concepts to the children. But the smart classroom helped me to get over from those hardships. The smart classroom computer was equipped with the support of various applications hence it enriched my class with informative videos. The video clips and some animated visuals created a high positive understanding in students. Some virtual experiments created extended understanding about the theoretical concepts. The online quiz after each topic created competitive as well as inquiry spirit among children. Children was highly motivated and enthusiastic during my class.
Many times the smart classroom alerted my students with real-world issues that are related to the class curriculum. By using the Internet students gets exposure to real issues happening at that moment in the world outside. Still I remember the online interaction with a nuclear reactor functioning center and my students eagerly inquired about the functioning and how to remove the highly radioactive reactor wastes. Similarly, while teaching the topic of polymer students understand the issues and uses of plastic with an interactive video. Those lessons could be taught refers to real problems and real people. It was an amazing experience for students and myself as well.
Another features of technology I have practiced in my class was simulation and modelling. Simulation software helps me to bring the real activities to the classrooms. The specific simulation tools allowed to provide better knowledge about how to conduct various experiments. Likewise, modelling helped the students to see the dynamic characteristic of models. The below mentioned link introducing seven best molecular modelling software for chemistry.
The following websites providing great simulation opportunity for students and teachers to engage with science subjects in the classroom.
https://www.yenka.com/en/Inorganic_physical_chemistry_simulation/
The second innovative technology now I am using for learning process is smart phone. There is various applications and social networking sites which are available to me in a finger touch distance. Among that use of WhatsApp and Facebook groups connecting me in a quite useful way with other teachers. It helped the teachers to know each other and build up collaboration and belongingness. Similarly, the online groups, webpages connecting the teachers as well as students at the right time anywhere around the world. Those who are belong to the groups for example, students can receive feedback from their teachers and clarify doubts about their concerned topic. The online forum post is highly beneficial to the students and teachers. By reading and listening to others feedback students reframe their ideas thinking and building up higher levels of comprehension. Teachers are also motivating and gaining new insight through those open discussion forums.
Nowadays I am using various applications in my mobile phone especially for promoting autism related learning process. I am interested to find out the latest research and programs for children with autism since currently I am doing special education. Through my mobile device I have downloaded various group activities and programs running by different organisation or government for people with autism. Through those social media groups I will get knowledge and recent research in autism studies. For example, ASPECT, Ladybug, I CAN network are updating their activities and recent ideas regularly for promoting learning of children with autism. The uploaded new games and exercises in those sites are helpful to induce children with autism to get more concentration. The below mentioned websites are highly useful for the carers or people with autism spectrum disorders.
https://www.autismspectrum.org.au/
BLOOMING TECHNOLOGY 