Every area of our lives is being affected by the constant evolution of technology. The field of education is no exception, and in some ways the influence may not be completely beneficial. Nonetheless, the infiltration of technology is becoming unavoidable. For those who are involved in education, it is important to learn about the tools that are becoming available.
Students can spend a large portion of their time on the computer and on the Internet. For this reason, educational professionals at all levels have chosen to move some aspects of learning to the computer world. The new popular term is e-learning, which encompasses a broad range of ways people can participate in online education. Let’s take a brief look at how the changes have affected education at various levels so far.
Young Children
Today, videos have become a very popular means of entertainment among children of all ages. It isn't uncommon for children to spend much of their free time watching their favorite movies or television shows. Now that most videos can be viewed online, it is important to find appropriate educational materials for young children. Whether you are an elementary teacher or the parent of a child under 10, it should take only a little effort to ensure that everything your children watch is educational.
Also consider finding online educational games as well, to continue making learning fun for youngsters. Many websites have simple math or letter games that children will find fun and entertaining. Take advantage of the early years, when children learn quickly, and consider finding some online resources to get them started learning other languages.
Middle School and High School
Technology has an increased role in education when students are in grades 6-12. This age group of students can use a computer with very little to no assistance. Often, educators expect their students to be able to complete and submit online assignments. Some even give online evaluations or set up class websites. A new trend for English teachers is the use of online essay submission to check for grammatical errors and plagiarism.
Another way technology has been integrated is the use of websites such as Hippocampus.org. This site provides homework help in a large variety of subjects. In addition, they have video tutorials that explain specific concepts within a subject. Currently they have dozens of videos in the areas of math, natural science, social science and humanities—each with various subcategories. The videos are beneficial for students after school or for teachers to show as a visual aid during a class period. And these videos are free of charge because of donation from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Teachers can also create their own accounts on Hippocampus to share specific related videos with their students. Account moderators can narrow content based on the specific textbook being used and can create categorized video playlists. They can even add their own annotation notes to videos that students are asked to watch. Once the account is completely set up, Hippocampus will provide a customized link to provide to students.
College Education Online
Online college classes are by far the biggest change technology has brought to education. It has allowed people with busy schedules to finally work toward the degree they always wanted—enabling them to move up in their career, to better their future and potentially make more money.
Getting an adult online education simply starts by choosing your area of focus, and then finding colleges that offer those programs. If a college offers a specific area of focus, there will likely be an e-learning component.
Clearly, the increased accessibility of the Internet and technology is creating an entirely new way of approaching education. Knowing the available resources and taking full advantage of them is incredibly important for anyone involved in education, or interested in furthering their training and knowledge.
To learn more about the lessons available at Hippocampus, visit www.hippocampus.org.