Technology in the Classroom

There is no way to escape it. Technology is making a big splash in education. It will be coming to classroom near you if it is not there already.

Many classrooms are going digital by replacing old chalkboards with electronic podiums that teachers and professors can use, as well as the students when they are doing presentations.

At the click of some buttons, electronic screens can be lowered, projectors can be turned on and PowerPoint presentations of lesson plans can be displayed to the whole class. Many of these electronic podiums also have the capacity to show VCR tapes, DVDs, play audio from the Internet, hook up a laptop and hook up a video camera. Gone are the days of the slide projectors and green, black or white chalkboards that are still in some classrooms.

This technology is making it possible for all kinds of wonderful things to happen in the classroom. Many schools also have a system called Blackboard where it is possible to post previous lesson notes to students, register the grades, create discussion forums, perform podcasts and audio assignments. Things are a lot different for students now a days than they were when many of us who may teach were at school. Things are a lot different than they were for many of us who are paying for our children to go to school.

The advances in technology will not stop. There will be many more in the making as changes are happening all the time. Many people in schools are looking forward to the day when every classroom has access to computers for the students. Some people who teach do not like this idea because computers can sometimes be a disruptive element in the classroom. With the advent of Facebook, MySpace, MSN Messenger and other social networking sites, some students spend more time communicating with their friends online than actually listening to what is going on in class. Somehow a balance between the advantages and disadvantages of technology in the classroom will be struck.

Source: http://gminks.edublogs.org/2008/06/13/technology-must-be-transparent/

Digital Divide in Education

About 75 per cent of Canadians over the age of 16 were surfing on the Internet last year. This is according to a new Statistics Canada report. Factors such as age, income, education and where you live still contribute to a “digital divide” in Canada.

About 19.2 million Canadians aged 16 and older went online for personal reasons in 2007 the Canadian Internet Use Survey states. This is an increase of 5 percent from 2005 when the last survey was done.

Many of the Internet users searched the web from home, about 94 per cent. At work, 41 per cent said they used it, at school 21 per cent said they used it and about 15 per cent in libraries.

Still, in small towns or in rural areas, the Internet is not being used as much. About 65 per cent of those living in small towns and rural areas are using the web, compared to 76 per cent in urban places.

As well, education levels play a big role in how people are using the Internet. Those Canadians with at least some post-secondary education surfed the net at a rate of 84 per cent. Compare this to about 58 per cent of those who are less educated the report said.


Source: http://post-secondary.blogspot.com/2008/06/statistics-canada-report-reveals.html