Continuing the 7 part “Technology in our Lives” series, today is definitely my favourite so far. Don’t get me wrong, the advances in transportation technology and the increase in our quality of lives has me quite excited but todays topic affects me more directly at this moment in time. Today I’m talking about how technology has changed the educational system. What advances have happened and what could happen in the future.
I find this topic interesting because I’m currently in my third year of University and I have seen how technology has changed the way we’re taught in a classroom first hand. I don’t remember all the way back but in grade 3 or so I remember learning about history. We had a massive map on the side of the classroom and the teacher would gather us around to look at where countries were located.
Back then classroom learning was done with chalk boards and paper. If you had to do an assignment it was most likely written or drawn. There weren’t many computers in the classrooms and when there was a computer it had a simple word processor with no internet connection. Things have changed a lot since then. School kids now have a lot of things that I didn’t have even ten years ago. I recently saw a kid in grade 6 or 7 who was typing away on a laptop during recess, picking up his schools wireless connection. These things just didn’t exists back then.
What has changed?
So what has really changed over the past few years with our educational system? I think the main thing has been the large shift from pen and paper style of learning to a more digital style of learning. Schools are now putting course information onto websites, assignments are being submitted online and students have the ability to surf the web from class. This shift has changed the way some teachers interact with their students. I had the ability this year to take a course that was done through a video. You would go to a class like normal but instead of having a professor in front of you, you would have a video monitor and a tape of the professor talking.
Is it better?
Whether or not this change in the technology of our educational system is better or not is really in the eye of the beholder. But since I’m the one writing this I’ll write in my own thoughts. Technology has made the educational system easier and more convenient. The ability to submit your articles online means that you don’t have to go to school to do it. You can do a lot of things from the comfort of your own home. I personally think things are a lot better than they once were. I enjoy being able to read all of the professors notes online and submit everything online. I think it’s easier but that’s just my opinion.
Whether technology has changed the educational system for good or for bad is really your decision so what are your thoughts on the matter?
Entries (RSS)