Writing about Life in the digital age

This is an interesting timeline that stretches from the past and then the present on to the future. What is interesting is that it makes an interesting prediction about how open content would be the need of the hour. What is encouraging to see is that technology will not replace the human factor, at least not the teacher although the roles will change, I guess with the teacher doning the garb of the facilitator and not the lecturer. As far as tablets are concerned, well it is interesting to note that tablets were first discovered by the Ancient Greeks and the Romans. In some ways at least, the future can only be a variation on the present, just like the present has been a variation on the past.

Somehow we all use technology, whether it is in the form of google forms/docs, and many of us use ppts. and so on. Teaching with technology is challenging mainly because you need to keep upto date with technology. Laptops are now passe, while tabs have most of the feature of laptops minus the weight!

This is a concern that we will always have when we press for more and more technology in Education especially in the form of I-Pads, Lap-tops, and internet connections. While no doubt, the intention might be to benefit the learners in the long run, the fact is that learners are smart enough to circumvent the safety measures that educationists are likely to place in the gadgets to prevent students from surfing internet sites which offer anything other than education based content. The question remains, how do we manage education based on Information Technology? If firewalls can be circumvented by enterprising young learners who are ready to open more and more "Pandora's Boxes', then what do we do? The fact of the matter is that students require constant adult supervision when they are working on their tablets and internet devices, the question is how effectively can one adult, a teacher supervise effectively thirty learners simultaneously working on the net for their projects without seeming to be breathing down their necks? The students in my school were given tablets for their D.A. test, and the moment they got the chance, they moved over to sites that were offering other things like music and free games, and this was observed not only in students of grade 8, but also science stream students sudying in grade 12. The question is, whether the use of unsupervised Information Technology is really worth the distractions it causes?

These are the world's top ten most innovative companies in education, and they provide food for thought for  those that are struggling. Ultimately innovativeness and success go hand in hand because of their ability to provide acceptible challenges and interesting ways of doing routine and dull stuff. Education is one field which has the greatest susceptibility to stagnate and a large number of employees in this sector reach their shelf life very soon. In many cases, innovative companies will provide the werewithal for recognition of exemplary work, better ways of doing routines stuff in a more interesting way, and yes, the opportunity to collaborate, and get some extra money too!