The Roles and Functions of Educational Technology in the 21st Century

Submitted by:Fajardo, Melona F.BSED-Math 2

Submitted to:Ms. Pretzel Ann RedInstructor

Here we are to talk about technology and the role it plays in 21st century education .

GLOBALIZATION has opened up the world and allowed people to connect in new and exciting ways.

These skills and themes are not new to educators. We expect them to be a part of any good teaching practice. The challenge is to be more explicit in their inclusion in core content, incorporating real world problems to bring them into focus for students and drawing on digital tools and resources that can support them.

Concerned about preparing today's children for tomorrow's world, the Partnership for 21st Century Skills and Society for Technology in our Education have drafted frameworks and guidelines that outline what our students need to know to meet the challenges of the modern age. 

1. Instructional should be student-centered.

Provide substance and arrange activities in line with the learners

Provide training in thinking proces, management, how to face various situations

Enable to learners to think critically

Both learners and teachers may learn together

Individuals need to learn an in all times

2. Education should be collaborative.

Collaboration should be dynamic.

Students should learn how to recognize the different strengths and talents each person can bring to a project, and changes role depending on the attributes.

Not only students but also the schools should also be collaborating with other educational institutions

Encouraging students to reach out to one another to solve problems and share knowledge not only builds collaboration skills but leads to deeper learning and understanding.

3. Learning should have context.

The reason that context is of particular interest to teachers and school administrators is that it may actually contribute to the achievement gap between students.

Why Is Context Important?

1) Context Helps Us Understand Students2) Context Helps Us Frame the Learning3) Context Helps Us Define (or Redefine) Success4) Context Helps Us Become Better Educators

TECHNOLOGY is a tool, a way fact-based learning and allows students to do a lot of the research using the Internet and various tools. And at the same time these students are learning very valuable research skills, which they can transplant skills at high level of education at universities and beyond.

The Role of technology in21st Century Learning

Technology allows for 24/7 access to informationConstant social interaction and,Easily created and shared digital content.

EDUCATORS should leverage technology to create an engaging and personalized environment to meet the emerging educational needs of our current generation.

There is a call for action to integrate technology as a fundamental building block into education in three broad areas:1) Use technology comprehensively to develop proficiency in 21st

century skills. Use comprehensively, technology helps students, develop 21st century skills.

2) Use technology comprehensively to support innovative teaching and learning .

Use comprehensively, technology supports new, research-based approaches and promising practices in teaching and learning.

3) Use technology comprehensively to create robust education support systems.

Use comprehensively, technology transforms standards and assessments, curriculum and instruction, professional development, learning environments, and administration.

Important functions of Educational Technology

1) Improvement of TeachingEducational Technology

analyses the process of teaching thoroughly. It tries to find out the different variables of teaching, their interlinks, effects upon each other, relationships, theories of teaching, phases of teaching principles of teaching, maxims of teaching etc. By developing the theories of teaching, it helps in improving the quality of education.

2) Analysis of the Teaching-Learning ProcessEducational Technology aims at analyzing the process of teaching-learning thoroughly. It tries to establish better relationship between teaching and learning.

3) Improvement of LearningAnalyses the process of learning and the related theories. Facilitates more and more of learning in less time. Helps various empirically established generalizations from psychology, sociology, physical sciences, and engineering.

4) Enhancing Goals to EducationThe objectives of education are being reviewed and revised with the passage of time. Helps in finding out the right objectives. Helps in enhancing the right objectives in the light of the changed circumstances and changed environment.

5) Training to TeachersThe changed type of environment with new curriculum and new materials is to be handled by the teachers. Educational Technology can render its valuable help in the training of teachers also.

ANALYSIS ENHANCING

6) Development of CurriculumKeeping in view the objectives of education, which have been finalized by education technology thereafter, comes the question of developing right type of curriculum. Only a suitable type of curriculum will help in the attainment of goals.

7) Development of Teaching-Learning MaterialsTeaching-learning materials are also important as anything else in the teaching and learning process. They have to be in accordance with the environment of the learners. Everything in the society including values of life need to be reflected in the materials. Only right type of materials will able to modify the behavior of the learners suitability making him a fit person for the society.

8) Teaching-Learning Strategies: A strategy plays an important role in the hands of a teacher in every teaching-learning situation The strategy has to be the right one, which should be according to the materials and is able to bring about effective teaching-learning. The knowledge of those strategies is a must for every teacher.

DEVELOPMENT

9) Development of Audio-Visual Aids:Audio-visual aids have always played an important role in the teaching-learning process. They need to be used according to the times. The software aids, the hardware aids, the computer and other such appliances, equipment etc., have “to be used in the present type of teaching-learning environment” Computer assisted instructions will help the learner as well as the teacher to achieve the goals of education more conveniently.

10)Help in Overall Improvement:Helps in locating the problems in the different areas of education. Helps in remedying the draw-backs. Evaluation of the teaching-learning process is also made better because through feedback, things are improved thoroughly and there is better control over the process of education. Educational Technology can revolutionize the whole process of teaching-learning.

11)Identification of Needs of the Community:Identifies the needs of the community. Helps in providing equal education opportunities to backward people, disadvantaged students and deprived sections of society. Aims at identifying the needs of the community from time to time. Tries to improve the community in every possible way.

References:Educational Technology Workbook by Maria Estela

Teo-Balbuenahttp://www.Google.comhttp://www.edudemic.comhttps://www.edutopia.orghttp://

edtechreview.in/trends-insights/insights/277-role-of-technology-in-21st-century

*credits to the source for the content of the presentation :)