What are the trends for Instructional Technology? This is a multi-faceted answer. My first answer is that we are a Global Community and schools will increase the interaction between classrooms across the globe. The public education system will need to acknowledge this concept and incorporate technology in everyday lessons to keep students savvy to current trends in the real-world. This will include lowering the ratio of child to computer. At this time the average ratio is nine children per computer. As the cost of equipment is reduced, it is hoped that every child has access to a computer. This reduction should cause the students to be more technologically fluent.
Another answer would be that the role of the teacher is rapidly changing to that of a facilitator rather than an 'all-knowing' giver of knowledge. One teacher change would be online courses. This type of homeschooling is allowing more and more people to take charge of their education and use the internet to gain their degree. I feel more and more people will use this avenue due to the ease of scheduling and the reduced need for fuel. In addition, teachers will use more project based learning rather than information based learning. This will cause education to become much more cooperative and collaborative. (Nellie Deutsch, 2004)
www.nelliemuller.com/Future_Trends_in_Educational_%20Technology.htm, www.setda.org
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2 comments:
In my school, there are 1660 students and 2 computer labs of about 25 computers each. Factor in about 20-30 other straggling computers in the school, and you have a ratio of about 1 computer in 20 students or so. Then factor in the fact that the computer teachers use the labs for class every period and that makes it nearly impossible for our students to even have a computer free to use.
I agree the availability is becoming greater, and I work in a district that is not poor to say the least... but how do I approach trying to get this same technology into my school when the school district themselves are not?
I think that the use of online learning is going to open many doors for students that were not previously there. My wife is from a small town in North Dakota, and had a high school graduating class of 7. There was very little opportunity to take any advanced or AP classes, so she had to be bussed to larger school for these classes. With online courses and the ability to have video distance learning the variety of courses offered to all students, no matter where they live, will open up many new opportunities for kids.
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