Here is a link to a refreshingly thorough discussion of Technology in Education. I am so impressed with Al Jazeera. I do not agree with all that is said, but good questions were asked and the people interviewed were given time to give interesting answers. The footage of school in India is also really interesting.
Are technology and education inseparable? - Inside Story - Al Jazeera English
One thing that does not get said enough in these discussions about the value of technology in education is that technology is something that will influence the lives of all of our students. Those who do not have technology still grow up, still can get jobs. However, the good jobs will go to the students who have learned to be successful masters of technology.
The interviewer several times asked if it was worthwhile for India to invest so much in this device as compared to buying more books and hiring more teachers. I think that this view is really shortsighted. There certainly are problems with the roll out of something this big and there are dangers, like the poor getting overlooked and the middle class or rich getting richer.
I think that India will benefit in two ways from this project. First I think it may open up new possibilities for learning for students. Second just the process of doing this has already moved India up to a more important place in the world. The spin offs from this design will influence what is designed later and India will be ahead of the curve.
Thursday, October 06, 2011
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment