TYRELL

Importance of Information and Communication Technology in Schools

The internet has become an integral part of every individual’s life. Our nation has become known for it, Fedena’s current home is in a city that has been bolstered by the internet industry in the last few decades, and social relationships have revolutionized in its wake. So, it is no surprise that the use of the internet, even in school, has increased at a rapid rate. ICT, or Information and Communication Technology, has given wings to scholars, educators, and allied staff in a multitude of ways. Software in schools has empowered them to uplift their communities through the use of technology related activities in the world of education. But there still remains a negative image of management software in the minds of many people.

Educational institutions are key to eliminating these misconceptions through the reasonable implementation of educational management software in schools. They do this by implementing ICT to create positive outcomes for their most visible of stakeholders – their students.

Nowadays, when schools are increasingly transforming themselves into smart schools, the importance of educational technology also increases.

This rising ubiquity of ICT has meant that we must monitor its role in education. It is necessary for decision makers like education ministers, school administrators, and educational institutions to be sufficiently insightful about methodologies that enable the implementation of information and communication technology in schools. Latest technologies can sprout novel education activities in addition to enhancing existing education systems. At Fedena, this is what drives us. We have spoken extensively about the role of information technology in education.

Let’s take  a look at the challenge of Information and Communication Technology in schools

The rapid rate of technology growth in schools means a shake-up of the educational framework it occupies space in. To take full advantage of school management software, it is important to understand how they work. It is not enough to merely show on paper that educational technology is an option offered to students – efforts must be made to integrate its use into the current way of doing things at your educational institution.

There is a huge impact of the internet on students’ lives. Learning exercises have to be reoriented and reformulated, shifting the focus from obsolete and constraining manual sources to dynamic open source ones. For this to be realized, the broad utilization of web access has to be a strategy that is thought through and implemented by the powers that be at school. Implementing a technology as simple as Fedena can make a world of difference. When you decide to take this step, Fedena integrates well into existing systems at your school while also playing well with others.

MY LEARNING ABOUT EMPOWERMENT TECHNOLOGIES

During my re-education, I've discovered that I do not want to ever stop the learning process.  I want to be a lifelong learner.  The more I learn and explore, the more I see that looks valuable and interesting that needs exploring. Thanks to technology, there are now so many new ways to explore and learn.  But more importantly, I have also discovered that it is not just about me and my learning process. Rather, the true importance becomes how I am able to inspire and motivate others (my students) with learning that uses technology as a catalyst.

Empowerment comes from finding multiple ways to show students that technology can help them to perhaps learn more easily and on a higher level. This in turn helps them to develop their own love for lifelong learning.  The empowerment continues as I create situations for learning in such a way that students decide what they need to learn and how they will go about learning it. The use of technology creates many opportunities for self-directed learning. 

I have come to understand that learning is dependent on interaction with others. Hearing and seeing the ideas and experiences of others, sharing my ideas, discussing and learning from each other produces a richness of truth and learning.  Technology helps to foster this interaction among many learners.

Technology And Learning

Consider how technology has become such an important part of learning. Technology allows for a finer, more individualized degree of interactivity in order to customize the learning experience based on the needs of the user. Technology provides new resources for learning that overcomes distance and time. The addition of this valuable tool, technology, into our education system is a slow process. It begins as one single idea of how to use technology in education. That one idea soon becomes noted as a meaningful addition and so more uses of technology are developed across more curriculums. Technology becomes integrated in multiple ways for instructional purposes. As a new technology is developed, educators think and reflect on how that too should become incorporated into their classrooms. Sometimes these insights arrive one idea at a time. At other times, there is a wild flurry of growth and activity while technology is added to support teachers' instruction and students’ learning when the conditions are right. It takes funding and committed support of all parties involved (administrations, boards, parents, students, teachers) to develop appropriate projects for the integration of technology into our education systems.

One area of education impacted by technology is with our "special needs" students.   Many useful assistive technologies and advanced software programs continue to be developed helping students to overcome physical or emotional disability.  These students may be able to utilize a computer quite easily where using pencil and paper or classroom participation is a greater struggle for them.

Technology adds sensory depth to topics. It may be as simple as playing music at the beginning of a class in order to set the mood for learning.  It may be as powerful as hearing a noted author read his own poetry.  Or viewing videos of historic moments in our society. Technology adds great value to the learning experience for some types of learners allowing them to see or hear what in the past was only to be discussed or imagined.

Another important use of technology is the creation of opportunities for repetition and practice.  Individual students may use simulations or specialized software to assist their learning of facts or practice of skills as often as needed until the concept is mastered.  These types of programs are tireless tutors.  They free up the time of the teachers that in the past may have been spent in individualized instruction and can now be spent in planning new learning opportunities for many students.

Technology is changing how teachers instruct and deepening the learning experience for students in other ways.  No longer must students rely only on the information that the instructor presents.  The teacher should not be considered the sole source of information for students.  Students must learn how to do research, evaluate their findings, and then assimilate their learning.  The Internet is a powerful tool for research and a springboard for this type of active learning. It provides many opportunities for authentic learning experiences.

Technology is being used to help students collaborate with other students. Students no longer need to learn in isolation. By using chat, discussion threads, and even hand-held computing devices, students can share what they learn with others. Students can share with other students anywhere whether it is within their own classroom or somewhere across the globe in another state or country.