TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION
Educational aids have evolved over the times. They are important accessories in administering education. Not all learners have identical cognitive structures. These differ from individual to individual. In some it is numerical while in others it is pictographic. Nevertheless, when any phenomenon is explained through a demonstrative simulation it is best understood by all. Technology has thrown open an entire universe of tools to effectively administer education. These are tools not just for tutoring but also for testing. E-learning has existed for almost a quarter of a century and has evolved over time. With hand held devices, it’s possible to administer education remotely with a high degree of penetration. Needless to say, technology has become the game changer in education.
As we can see, children today are exposed to hand held devices as early as 3 years of age. As they learn to speak they learn to handle hand held devices in parallel. This has made it possible to administer education even at the most basic level. During the COVID pandemic, it has been technology that has made it possible for schools and educational institutions to maintain the much needed continuity in administering education. Physical classrooms have now become virtual classrooms. Home schooling is the new normal and this is largely because of the availability of the technology necessary. Getting further into the depths of the advantages of technology, with channels such as youtube it has become possible to access multiple educational videos to demonstrate articulately anything that one wishes to learn. It’s all available on a click, right from the laws of physics to recipes for aloo mutter.
Learning has become easy and the kids today are technology savvy. There however is a flipside for which parental supervision is paramount. If as parents we are not careful, there always remains the element of misuse of technology. Apart from the addiction of hand held devices, there exists a lot of roguecontent available that would have a negative influence on one’s child to the point of causing serious psychological damage. There are predators located in different parts of the world targeting impressionable minds. As parents we need to follow strict guidelines to ensure that technology is used appropriately for child development.
Schools and educational institutions today are already using technology to administer education. Technology has brought in fundamental structural changes integral to achieving significant enhancements in productivity. Beneficial to both teaching and learning, technology provides digital learning tools.These include software and hardware. The software would include computer or mobile applications, learning content and videos. The hardware would include computers and hand held devices. The Dhruv Global School, Pune founded by the Malpani Group has introduced innovative methods in mentoring extensively involvingthe use of technology. These methods have successfully increased student engagement and motivation, and have significantly accelerated learning. Technology has the power to transform teaching through this new model of connected teaching. It links teachers to their students and to educational content, resources, and systems to facilitate their own instruction and personalize the learning process.