The Tech Drive

Education or teaching is no longer taking place within the four walls of classrooms. The challenge lies in exploring all the realms of life where learning occurs.. at home, in the playground, in the park, cinema halls, in theatres, hotels, music room, with friends, with relatives, neighbours etc. Every aspect,  every action, every place, every thing in life  has something to teach.  But how often do we realize that learning is taking place?


In today's global education, we find technology replacing teachers or instead we  can say that teachers are now playing a different role as mentors or instructors. The way we work, and the world in which we work, is changing. To cope with these changes the methods of teaching should be changed, in order to help students face the challenges more confidently. To meet this requirement, the solution that comes to our rescue is technology. E-learning or technology based teaching is one of the emerging trends in education. Much of the formal coaching and peer support can no longer be assumed. E-learning can provide the skill development needs of the day. 

Our new generation is emerging characterised, in part, by people who are young enough to be technologically competent. They are comfortable with the online world and understand the need for life-long learning. There is almost no facet of working life - from email communications, knowledge portals and information databases - that has not been touched by the Internet and/or technology.  The greatest challenge for teachers today is to prove themselves they are tech savy and keep in pace with the generation in providing the information they need at any time and any where. So, the call of the hour is to blend our learning process with technology for better transfer of knowledge and enhancement of skills. Let us take an example of how reading can be improved by embracing technology. 

For example, computers can increase the interest level for students while keeping the text simple and easy to read. Benefit of using computers for reading instruction is that the computer offers immediate feedback on performance. They also can provide added practice when necessary.  According to Case and Truscott (1999), students have been able to improve their sight word vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Computer based reading instruction also allows for "increased interaction with texts, attention to individual needs, and increased independence through an ability to read texts they would not otherwise be able to read" (Case & Truscott, 1999). 

Technology can also be used to improve parent involvement in their child's education while improving the parents' literacy as well. Landerholm, Karr, and Munshi (2000) created a three year program in Chicago with four specific goals to help parents: become involved in the school community and become comfortable on campus, enjoy reading and writing alone and with their children, understand science and computer technology, and improve their own literacy. This project was as much for the parents as for the child. The computers were the drawing factor for the parents to become involved in the program, though they were not used initially. The program began by using other forms of technology such as photographs. 

Photos taken at field trips along with the special activities conducted can enhance and retain the learning experience. Parents and children can create a memory book using the photos and written text about the pictures. This leads to scanning the photos and typing the text onto the pages. The experience can be both thrilling and  interactive. While creating book reports on the computer, children's creativity can be explored. 

Students can be allowed to use softwares that allows them to incorporate video clips, sounds, images, photographs into their reports. ... amazing !

It is important to recognise that  technology aids in effective teaching and learning happens when teaching instructions are structured and guided by effective teaching methodologies and  techniques. 

Happy E-learning!