Positive use of technology in education

                                            POSITIVE IMPACT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzi2RIt8_nk

 

In this video we can find some information on how new technologies are good for children's education :although it's just an advertisement on amplyfing systems I think it exposes the hints of modern education in a clear way. The video stressed technology is the future for the education system and quotes Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach when she said teachers will not be replaced by technology but teachers who don't use technology will be replaced by those ones who do.

 

According to the video (quite right in my opinión) the following reasons should silent the critics on the use of technology on education:

 

1. Students love it

 The fact is that, due to the 'cool' factor or to a genuine interest in technology, most kids are interested in using technology in a way or another, which makes them more easily attracted to learning and less pressured by the old claim of 'learning can't be fun'

2. It engages the four components of learning:

- active engagement

- participation in groups

- frequency in reaction

- feedback and connection to the world experts

Technology

3. Professional Development:

If the kids are improving their knowledge on something that's growing all around the world in the future they'll have better chances to become leaders in their respective fields of work, whenever they are linked to technology  in a way or another

4. Makes life easier for teachers

Whether on lessons, meetings or administrative work, technology can save a lot of time to teachers

5. Improves test scores: each student can learn at their own pace and this makes possible the convergence of different learning styles

6. Helps students with low attention spans:

the range of activities covered by technology in the learning process  can positively help students making them keep their interest in more intense way

7. Learn from the experts:

Internet gives access to many expert and free resources that could only consulted in the past when travelling to the right place.

8. Encourages completion of homework

Since kids are attracted to technology, it's becoming easier for them to complete their homework even within school hours, removing a lot of frustrations

9. Saves money

Technology needs an investment, but it's worth as soon as teachers and students can take advantage of it after just a few months. It can even imply the hiring of more selected teachers for different sectors of learning in the classroom

10. Removes obstacles

People who have trouble with hearing, or even with their eyesight or other discapabilities can benefit from improvements in this fields thanks to technology.

 

This video regards tablets, video games, digital video and Ipads as the main sources of new technology in the classroom, being personal computers and the internet the existing tools so far.





 

 

 

 



POST 2 : Videos

When Technology is too much or... missing

Video 1 

Description : This video is structured around two main narrative voices and a character illustrating what the voice-over says while a singer often simply repeats what's just been said.

The setting is a Christian home and church, so this particular context is particularly meaningful. We can notice on various occasions that the main character is addicted to high-tech products, mostly smartphones. He is shown as a family man unable to communicate with his wife, except through texting. He is also shown as a church-goer incapable of attending worship  without all his phones vibrating all the time, marking him look like he's full of the holy spirit.

Finally, he is depicted as a computer geek whose life has become extremely complicated instead of having been simplified.

 

 

Interpretation : Basically, this video means that high technology has become a religion for many people, even Christians who are not supposed to be materialistic. 

=> Then, in a christian lifestyle, quite a few church goers and believers tend to focus more on materialistic issues rather than spiritual ones. 

=> We can add that technology reigns supreme for many people who revere it as a God enlightening his followers. 

The question is, is this a real progress for mankind ?

Video 2 

Description : Two people are stuck on an elevator in a place that seems literally empty.

The man looks annoyed. He might be an office worker walking to his job.The woman claims that she is already late, so for her, this is the last straw. At one point, she's about to cry and asks for a phone. 

In short, they both look helpless and even hopeless.

 

 

Interpretation :  We can relate this situation to a fairly common one in real life : getting stuck on/in an elevator. The difference is, however, that in this situation, people have the right to fell panicky whereas on an escalator, there is no reason whatsoever to be panic. 

This video points out the increasing dependence of human beings on technology. If it goes missing, it is as if a crutch had been taken away from, so these two people cannot even climb the stairs which would be the normal thing to do. We could think  that technological progress makes humans lazy or at least less prone to taking initiatives by themselves.

POST 1 : A Fanatic Geek by Chappatte

A Fanatic Geek : By Chappatte 

This is a cartoon published in the International Herald Tribune.

The cartoonist is Patrick Chappatte, known simply as Chappatte, who was born in 1967 in Karachi, Pakistan.

He is a Lebanese-Swiss cartoonist who draws for Le Temps, Neue Zürcher Zeitung (Sunday edition) and the International Herald Tribune.

We have no clue as to the publication date but as the Cannes  International Film Festival is an annual event which usually takes place in May, we can guess that this cartoon was published in or around May, some time in the last few years since it deals with a current issue.

Indeed, the scene takes place in Cannes, in the south of France and the cartoon tackles a highly-debated topic, namely the spread of illegal downloading over the last ten years or so.

We see a number of artists climbing up the glamorous staircase of the Cannes Film Festival Palace, treading the well-known red carpet.

A crowd of fans are cheering and asking for autographs while the paparazzi are taking photographs. 

In the background, we can notice two stars waving at the crowd.

Meanwhile, a teenager wearing a tee-shirt printed with an Internet symbol (“@”) to portray him as a computer geek is getting an autograph from a famous actor or film director who seems to be in a bad mood/bad-tempered. 

The latter must be annoyed by what the teen just told him, namely that he loves his movies and has pirated them all, which means that the kid has downloaded lots of movies illegally. 

The actor/film director is escorted by a woman, probably an actress, who looks proud, arrogant, disdainful and haughty. 

On the other hand, the teenager seems to be delighted, even overjoyed.

What obviously catches the eye are these three characters drawn in the foreground, right in the middle of the cartoon,. 

 

The message of the cartoon drawn by Chappatte is put across mainly through the balloon in which the teenager’s words sound like an accusation/denunciation/criticism of illegal downloading from the Internet.

The boy claims that he loves the actor’s or director’s films, which is a nice thing to say, but what he adds suggests that he does not care at all about artists’ copyrights. 

Therefore, the cartoonist means that the Internet enables people to illegally download any film or music they want without respecting authors’ rights.

The actor/film director has a surly face, which is perfectly understandable because the kid’s illegal downloading habits are a violation of his author’s rights and deprive him of a lot of money. 

Thus, the cartoonist’s goal is to criticize this widespread practice by using humor. 

This teenager is probably representative of his generation insofar as most young people download music or movies illegally nowadays. 

He seems to consider this as normal and legitimate though it is not legal. He seems carefree and enthusiastic about what new technologies enable him to do.

 

We may approve of the cartoonist’s criticism of illegal downloading and indirectly of copyright infringement but we must admit that the Internet has allowed millions of people to have access to culture and knowledge which did not use to be at everybody’s disposal before the digital age.

Besides, the outrageously high price of CDs and DVDs before illegal downloading almost put an end to the music and film industry partly explains why so many people have resorted to illegal downloading, not to mention the fact that all these cultural goods are easily available on countless Web sites. 

 

Finally, it seems really difficult and even maybe useless to crack down on illegal downloading as Internet users will always find ways to circumvent the law.

That’s why artists and the show-biz industry must find new ways to make money out of their art. The huge increase in rock concert attendance, for instance, is one of the ways in which musicians can make up for the loss of a large part of their income due to the prevalence of illegal downloading.

Source : letsdreaminenglish2