The world has changed advances in
technology and communications are a reality with a strong presence in our life.
The global village in which we live seems to be smaller and more connected
every day. Having a thin and light weight device in your pocket or bag allows
you to know what is happening all over the world right when it’s happening
(real time), also allows you to talk with relatives and friends who live miles
away from you, share good a hard times
with them (not just listen but also see them). There are many that can’t think
of their life without his/her smartphone, tablet, ereader, or whatever new
electronic device.
Those devices came and came to
stay and if schools are called to help student fit and be efficient joining the
labor force in the future, be productive for the society, agents of change then
technology has to occupy an important place in education. Learning is a process
that isn’t just circumscribe to school, it is a life-long experience and if we
want to try innovative ways to motivate our students and foster quality work
then adopting electronic devices that are fundamental parts of their life just
sounds to me as a smart decision.
It is also a challenge because it
requires knowledge but also a will to learn from students and teachers a peers,
cooperative learning and even broadens the possibilities of sharing impressions
when we can participate in forums and discussion with people from many places.
Of course there are dangers that should be taken into account in order to
preserve the safety and security of the students but it is according to me a
risk worth to take compare with the infite possibilities that it offers. For
instance think of a kids in Barranquilla, Colombia who can go with his
classmates to visit a Museum in New York, Paris or Barcelona without moving
from his class, or can simulate physic labs, have an expert visiting his class
without him or the students moving, etc. The examples can go on and on,
possibilities are infinite and obstacles or risks can be just as many. It
demands responsible decisions, commitments, research and a planed work
exploring the needs and goals for each class, but knowing the important place
it has in the life of our students and in our own, I don’t see how anyone in
education can avoid the use of it with benefits and limitations implied!
