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Importance of Technology In Education

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In the past, learning and education simply meant face-to-face lectures, reading books or printed handouts, taking notes and completing assignments generally in the form of answering questions or writing essays. In short; education, learning and teaching were considered impossible without a teacher, books and chalkboards. Today, education and training have taken on a whole new meaning. Computers are an essential part of every classroom and teachers are using DVDs, CD-ROMs and videos to show students how things work and operate. Students can interact with the subject matters through the use of such web based tools and CD-ROMs. Moreover, each student can progress at his/her own pace.

The role of technology in the field of education is four-fold: it is included as a part of the curriculum, as an instructional delivery system, as a means of aiding instructions and also as a tool to enhance the entire learning process. Thanks to technology; education has gone from passive and reactive to interactive and aggressive.

Education is essential in corporate and academic settings. In the former, education or training is used to help workers do things differently than they did before. In the latter; education is geared towards creating curiosity in the minds of students. In either case, the use of technology can help students understand and retain concepts better.

Factors that help students learn better

Research has shown, time and again, that students learn best when they are engaged. Through the use of technology, students can become active participants as opposed to passive ones where they simply receive instructions or information. Trust is another factor that enhances the learning ability of students. With the help of technology, teachers can establish credibility in what they are teaching. Web based tools can be used for providing demonstrations and examples that can help students establish credence in what they are learning.

Technology allows distance learning

Perhaps the greatest impact of technology in the field of learning is its ability to help several people learn simultaneously from different locations. Learners are not required to gather at a predetermined time or place in order to learn and receive instructions and information. All one needs is a computer connected to a modem (or with a CD drive); these tools can literally deliver a ‘classroom’ in the homes and offices of people.

Technology allows group Learning

There are naysayers who argue that distance learning of this sort cannot help students receive the support of traditional group-based learning. For proving this theory wrong, technology has helped provide distance learners with online communities, live chat rooms and bulletin boards. All these allow students to collaborate and communicate even though they are isolated in their own space.

Technology allows individual pacing

Multimedia tools, on-line and CD-ROM based training have helped eliminate the need for an instructor-based lesson plans. Students who grasp concepts faster proceed and move along, without being held back by ones who need more time and help for learning. Such individual pacing is beneficial to all.

Technology helps lower training costs and increases productivity

Another benefit of using technology to reach many students in shorter time is lowering training costs. Corporate and academic Institutions can reduce their costs of delivering lessons to students on a per-student basis. Moreover, technology produces quantifiable results and allows students to put into practice this information quickly and with better results. Through the use of technology, students can considerably save time and increase their productivity. Both these points justify the higher costs of advanced technological tools.

Roadblocks in the use of technology in learning

Naturally, for education technology to have a positive impact on students, it should be designed and prepared well. Tools used for disseminating information must be developed with students in mind. There are also factors like lack of computer/technology literacy to be considered. Schools and businesses must bear in mind that education technology is simply a tool and its success depends largely on the amount of planning that goes into it. Using education technology can be a right choice as long as all such factors are considered.

Summary

When used properly, technology in the field of education can be a powerful tool that can help:

Engage and challenge learners

Provide students with practice

Include demos, feedback and avenues that can help students reflect on what they have learned.(source-http://importanceofmoderntechnology.com)

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How Technology Is Changing Education For Students With Disabilities.

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Some people see computers as little more than gaming consoles and shopping tools. Recently developed electronics, however, have revolutionized education for children with disabilities. If you know a child with disabilities who is struggling, you might want to explore some of these devices.

Technology for Kids With Autism

Children with autism often don’t develop typical communication skills. It takes years and years of therapy for some of these children to start using simple language. Just because a child cannot speak does not mean that he or she doesn’t have something to say.

That’s where revolutionary electronics come in. For years, counselors have used picture cards to communicate with non-verbal children. Now, they can use some of these apps that let autistic kids express practically any thought or feeling. They just load the app on a laptop of your choice so the kids can point and click their way to expression.

It not only helps the kids express themselves to get their needs met, but gives parents and counselors insight into psychological problems that they can address.

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Educational Technology for Deaf Children

Deaf children often have a hard time fitting into school because they have to use sign language to communicate with teachers and other students. Unfortunately, a lot of children don’t have the opportunity to learn sign language until they get to school. That’s an even bigger disadvantage that can make them feel out of place and ignorant.

With today’s technological tools, though, deaf and hard-of-hearing children can learn sign language at home, even without much help from their parents. These devices go far beyond showing children sign language videos.

The latest technology can actually respond to what children “say” while they sign. The computer reads the sign and offers responses, giving children opportunities to practice their conversational skills.

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Technology for Visually Impaired Children

Children who cannot see well often face challenges in academic environments. New technology gives them plenty of options that can make it much easier for them to learn and express themselves at school and home.

Most students learn math visually, so visually impaired children need a different method. Talking calculators made by companies like Independent Living Aids and AbleData allow children to perform mathematical functions without using paper.

Optical character recognition products also help visually impaired children. These handheld devices scan pieces of paper and read the content aloud so the student doesn’t feel left out.

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Technology for Children With Learning Disabilities

Children with learning disabilities can also benefit from technological advances. There are plenty of new devices that make it easier for children to overcome their learning disabilities.

A device called PenFriend, for instance, helps children with dyslexia. This software provides assistance for children who can get confused while writing. It also offers wording choices that they might want to consider. Given these functions, it could also work well for children with physical impairments.

With all of these amazing products, children with disabilities have more opportunities than ever to live their lives without limits.

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Apps To Help You Study & Get Through the End-of-Semester Stress.

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When December hits, students start to panic. Now looming are those dreaded deadlines they’ve been ignoring all semester, as they start preparing for final projects, papers and exams. Soon, weekends will be spent pent up in the library, and when someone screams “shots,” they’ll only mean of 5-Hour Energy.

Studying doesn’t necessarily have to be stressful, however. Thanks to technology, whether you need help taking your notes, organizing them or figuring out what exactly it is they mean, there’s an app out there to solve all your end-of-semester dilemmas. Don’t believe it? Here are six right here that could make your next two weeks more manageable, and take some of the stress out of studying.

Evernote — For those who hate lugging around their laptop, Evernote is the perfect solution. Any note, web clip, file or image you save can be made available on any device you use, from an iPhone to an iPad, or even your home computer. The free app (yes, you heard it: free), allows users to create notes, clip webpages, store PDFs and snap photos, all while using tags to organize the content into various notebooks. Perfect for group projects, you can use Evernote to share files with friends, as well as create schedules and to-do lists.

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Cram — With Cram, preparing for an exam has never been easier. You can review your materials using digital flashcards, and then answer multiple-choice questions to assess how much you’ve retained. Cram then grades and records your test performance, so you can track your progress, and even allows you to sync your notes up to your Mac.

Margins — Margin is perfect for those who prefer to take detailed, hand-written notes while reading. The app organizes all annotations by book and page number, and allows users to search for keywords, which is something that can’t be done with the traditional pen and paper approach. When taking notes, you can also leave a quote or a comment, so you know exactly what it is about a certain passage that caught your attention and got you thinking.

iStudiez Pro — For those who need a little help managing their hectic schedules, iStudiez Pro is the ideal digital assistant. Students can track their course load, lectures, due dates, grades and GPA. They can also sort assignments by date and priority, and synchronize their data between all of their iOS and Mac devices. With the touch of a finger, you can get a full overview of the classes you need to attend and what you need to prepare for them.

Wikipanion — Wikipanion uses a direct connection to the Wikipedia servers, making access to the site easier and much more accessible. Through autocompletion and an in-page search functionality, not only are you brought to the material you need faster, but you’re also given exactly what you need without having to look through paragraphs upon paragraphs of text. Through the app, you can also bookmark all of your favorite pages, or save particular articles to read and reference later.

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Dictionary.com — If you’re going to download any sort of dictionary app, use the one from Dictionary.com. Not only is it free, but it also provides full mobile access to Thesaurus.com, which is incredibly useful when you’re trying to write your final papers and have used the verb “to be” one too many times.