Technology MediuMs in educaTion

Table of Contents

• Part 1: The Internet in Education-Hunting and Gathering Information-I Can Haz Teaching?-Quiz Time!

• Part 2: Television in Education-Tonight At 11-This Week On Truth Hunters-Quiz Time!

• Part 3: Computers in Education-In My Office Now!-Hard-Wearing Hardware-Quiz Time!

• Part 4: Technological Advances• Part 5: Toward The Sun• Part 6: Works Cited• Click at any time to return to this page.

Part 1: The Internet

““The internet isn’t a place you can just dump stuff, it’s not a big The internet isn’t a place you can just dump stuff, it’s not a big truck. It’s a series of tubes!” truck. It’s a series of tubes!”

– – U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, 2006.U.S. Senator Ted Stevens, 2006.

• There are many ways that people use the internet today. To connect with friends, to order products, or to entertain themselves and others. However, despite the many uses of this system of networks to play games and transmit images of cats with humorous captains, the internet has always had one purpose: information.

Hunting and Gathering Information

• Muthu Kumar, senior officer for the Centre for Research in Pedagogy, writes “The Internet enhances students' knowledge acquisition by facilitating students' access to resources from the outside world including experts in the field, as well as interacting directly with them” (Kumar). In simpler terms, the internet is a useful tool for students to research information gathered by experts and masters.

Through social tools like Twitters, Myspace, Facebook, etc., students can also discuss these subjects with said experts. Should a student want to research the Big Bang Theory, he can not only find articles through a search engine, but can email the authors to ask questions he may have that weren’t answered, or expand upon what has been written. Similarly, as libraries connect to the world wide web, card catalogs are open to any one who logs on to a library’s database, providing even more articles and books on any subject the student wishes.

I Can Haz Teaching?Of course, students aren’t the only people with a use for the internet. As the world is heading toward a paperless future, with information transmitted through e-mail and instant messaging services, teachers have taken advantage of the conveniences of modern technology. In most colleges, syllabi and announcements are sent through e-mail, or services such as Oncourse. This can also be used to send lecture notes or grades, just to name a few examples. Even in class, teachers can get help from online resources. Services like YouTube, DailyMotion, or Blip.tv can host videos containing helpful information or old documentaries that could normally be impossible to find. Teachers can use these to teach themselves, or show it to their students to provoke a discussion with new information and a new viewpoint.

Quiz Time!

• What is meant by Muthu Kumar’s quote?

• Name at least two social networking tools.

• Name at least one video hosting service.

• What utility does IUPUI use for teachers to contact students and post grades and assignments?

Part 2: Television

• Referred to as “the idiot box” by some, the television is mostly used as a form of entertainment for sitcoms, talk shows, and cartoons. However, outside of the typical Saturday morning blocks, a world of perspectives and education exist in the “boob tube.”

Tonight At 11

• Beside the internet, television is the most commonly used medium to deliver news on current events. Fox News, CNN, NBC News, all of these are instrumental in keeping people up-to-date on the world outside their homes. Thanks to this, students are also kept in the loop of information, and multiple perspectives are given through numerous broadcast stations, allowing a student who’s looking for information on a certain subject, such as a current war or debate to gather as much information as possible before deciding his own stance of the subject or presenting it to his peers.

This Week on Truth Hunters• Unfortunately, news programs tend to Unfortunately, news programs tend to

only deliver information on current only deliver information on current events. For history and documented events. For history and documented science, however, there are science, however, there are documentary programs. Channels like documentary programs. Channels like Discovery and Animal Planet provide a Discovery and Animal Planet provide a healthy amount of trivia and relevant healthy amount of trivia and relevant data to its viewers in many, many data to its viewers in many, many different subjects. These different subjects. These documentaries are popular and documentaries are popular and effective methods of information effective methods of information gathering because of how they’re gathering because of how they’re presented. Most documentaries like presented. Most documentaries like Mythbusters or Dirty Jobs. Mythbusters or Dirty Jobs. Documentaries, as I discussed Documentaries, as I discussed earlier[turn this word into a link], can earlier[turn this word into a link], can be presented by teachers to promote be presented by teachers to promote discussion.discussion.

Quiz Time!

• What is the television commonly, cynically called?

• What kind of Television shows can be used for education?

• Name at least three news channels.

Part 3: Computers

In My Office Now!

Hard-Wearing HardwareHard-Wearing Hardware

Quiz Time!

Technological AdvancesTechnological Advances• With the world advancing as it is, many With the world advancing as it is, many

applications have been toward the applications have been toward the entertainment industry. However, I’ve been entertainment industry. However, I’ve been amazed at how even these applications can amazed at how even these applications can be used in education! be used in education!

• Photoshop utilities are usually seen as a way Photoshop utilities are usually seen as a way to create funny images or comics, but the to create funny images or comics, but the application as a teaching tool is obvious, in application as a teaching tool is obvious, in retrospect. The ability to create an image as retrospect. The ability to create an image as a visual aid to help students understand an a visual aid to help students understand an idea is extremely helpful in a visual world.idea is extremely helpful in a visual world.

• Musical technologies have a surprising place in Musical technologies have a surprising place in education. Remember back to my own education, I education. Remember back to my own education, I was taught the States, multiplication tables, and was taught the States, multiplication tables, and months with music. With programs simplifying the months with music. With programs simplifying the creation of music, teachers can create catchy creation of music, teachers can create catchy melodies help students understand and remember melodies help students understand and remember important information.important information.

• Even video games, once panned as mindless Even video games, once panned as mindless entertainment, have a place in the educational world. entertainment, have a place in the educational world. Educational games have become more common, Educational games have become more common, being an excellent way to catch the attention of being an excellent way to catch the attention of children, while teaching them in a way they enjoy. It’s children, while teaching them in a way they enjoy. It’s surprising that a form of media once condemned has surprising that a form of media once condemned has become a great way to supplement classroom become a great way to supplement classroom education at home.education at home.

Toward The Sun

• The advancement of science and technology seems never ending. Every time a new piece of technology like the mobile phone, the laptop, or the MP3 player is created, it’s seen as revolutionary. And, in retrospect, these products are fairly simple. In the future, more fantastical computers and handheld devices are expected and many of these have a place in the classroom just as much as in the home.

• As long as we make progress, we’ll find new As long as we make progress, we’ll find new ways to learn and to teach, and until the world ways to learn and to teach, and until the world itself dies, technological progress will never itself dies, technological progress will never cease. While some may find this a scary cease. While some may find this a scary thought, imagining a thought, imagining a TerminatorTerminator future of future of technological rebellion, I feel much more technological rebellion, I feel much more optimistic, opting to imagine a future where an optimistic, opting to imagine a future where an IQ of 150 is considered the norm thanks to the IQ of 150 is considered the norm thanks to the utilization of advances devices to increase utilization of advances devices to increase productivity and brainpower. Until then, we’ll productivity and brainpower. Until then, we’ll look to the North and run as fast as we can look to the North and run as fast as we can toward that never-ending finish line that is toward that never-ending finish line that is technological perfection and we’ll have fun technological perfection and we’ll have fun doing it.doing it.

Works Cited

Kumar, Muthu. (2004, September). Learning With The Internet.

Retrieved January 22, 2009, from the New Horizon website:

http://www.newhorizons.org/strategies/technology/muthukumar.htm