“How’d you know what hardships we’ve been through during our times? We used to study under the candle’s light and look at you. You can’t study even if you have numerous facilities.” – an iconic statement of every Indian parent every kid born before 2000 must have heard. Alas! This humour won’t sustain for the newer generation to enjoy or relate to anymore. Have you ever pondered upon the factor that led to the world’s current situation becoming even a possibility after how it used to be decades ago? A spark of electricity discovered by Benjamin Franklin in the 1700s, and further the invention of the first light bulb by Thomas Edison in 1879, sparked the hope of lighting up every kid’s notebook even at two at night if need be (pun intended).
So, did Education give rise to subsequent innovation of technology, or did technology in Education open new avenues? What do you think about it? How far can we go into this estimation and analysis, as almost everything around us is a technological innovation?
Let’s flip the page and talk about transformations since they began, owing to the ingenious technological revolution in Education.
Technology in Education in Classrooms
Technology in Education has, from a teacher’s as well as a student’s point of view, made the process of granting and receiving knowledge easier. It connects them both on a base level of a common interest, technology, which each has something to learn from or about, hence, building up their relationship.
In an interview, Rajeev Singh, the Managing Director of BenQ India, told The Indian Express that a kid’s retention capability gets limited in the conventional way of learning, that is, through chalk and keyboard. Learning science revealed that if the same concept could be taught in a better multimedia manner, using videos and graphics of ideas and experiments, it would aid traditional teaching, not replace it. This could be brought about by using computer systems, an interactive whiteboard, and a projector, which make a conventional classroom a Smartclass. Students could then receive knowledge with a real-time practical learning experience and environment. Hence, now, classrooms can be used for much more than academic educational activities; more collaborative work among the students to enhance their creativity, explore their interests, and develop their social skills that truly matter, can be carried out.
These latest technological educational methods are being adopted mainly by the schools in urban areas, with more than 5 Lakh classrooms utilizing them to date.
Technology as a Classroom Supplement
There used to be times when knowledge, the most fundamental and vital asset and the utmost priority of any individual, was equally hard to gather. With access to only a limited number of resources (the teachers), learners would have the hassle of figuring out where to obtain the level of clarification they sought. In comparing this situation to the current scenario aided by technology in Education, to learn something, resources aren’t the primary threshold anymore and are certainly not as challenging to step on as they were previously.
Do you want to learn fractions? There are a thousand individuals ready to teach you, that too for free, through countless social and learning platforms, such as YouTube. Specialized computer or mobile applications designed to aid better learning experience have been developed, which include Byju’s, Akash, Unacademy, and many others. These applications or supplements aim to replace classroom learning with virtual, enhanced, remote, and more accessible learning experiences.
This way, knowledge isn’t just limited to the four walls of a classroom but reaches as far as technological availability is. Therefore, these recorded lectures are conveniently obtainable for that underprivileged child living on the outskirts of a city, willing to learn new things but can’t reach them. Virtual Education it is.
Technology in Enhancing Creativity
Creativity isn’t just unlimited but is also portable for curious, never-settling young minds. Have an idea? Could you take out your iPad and draw it? Saw a bird you want to get information about? Click a picture and ask google about it. Paint, doodle, and explore everything your mind runs to. Cartoon, caricature, graphic, animation, and digital sketch artists are the main jobs that have emerged lately during the century. Technology in Education also boosts creativity and innovation.
Moreover, instructional videos and tutorials for using these devices and applications are equally handy for anybody with the will to learn.
Technology in Building Social Harmony
People from different countries, regions, cultures, and backgrounds are now in harmonious relationships with each other. They learn about each other’s beliefs and cultural practices and even follow them. Remember the first time Halloween was celebrated in India and compare it to how people now go haywire after these festivities with the increasing reach of technological tools worldwide. Hence, diverse entities about a location get known by the people who haven’t even visited it. Consequently, automatically but willingly, they become a part of a supposedly-unknown community through collaboration.
Technology in the education system also educates people about events worldwide, such as protests or trends. When resonating with their vibe, those residing in other parts of the country or even out of it gain clarity of intent and confidence to pursue something similar.
Technology in spreading social awareness
Not just in classrooms, but technology is widespread in almost every imaginable working sector of the world, including governmental agencies and organizations. Knowledge about any governmental policy or scheme is just a click away. Government officials and delegates disseminate information through technological aids, following how extensively the nation’s citizens have embraced its existence.
Conclusion
In the end, technology in Education is constantly experiencing advancements, with the primary motive being to make it the most powerful asset for the educational sector. During the pandemic and post-pandemic time, everybody witnessed various tools that boosted technology in Education that nobody knew existed until then. Students and other office-working individuals experienced online meetings and sessions they were unaware of priorly. With the advent of technology in Education, students and the education system are never returning to how they were before the pandemic, as the ‘hybrid’ education system is the new normal.
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