ROLES AND FUNCTIONS OF

TECHNOLOGYIN THE 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION

BY : FLORAMIE DUNGOG

The following can be considered when deciding how education will look in our schools and classrooms.

INSTRUCTION SHOULD BE STUDENT CENTEREDEducation is no longer about listening to the teacher talk and absorbing the information. In this classroom model, the teacher would act as a facilitator for the students.In order to contribute to society, students will need to be able to : acquire new information as problems arise; they will need to connect the new information with the knowledge

they already have and apply it to solving the problem at hand. they need to have ‘learned how to learn’ on their own

EDUCATION

How can students be expected to work with people from other cultures, with

different values from their own, if they are not able to work with people they

see each day in classroom?

Students must learn to collaborate with others.

Students should be encouraged to work together to discover information, piece it together, and construct meaning.

Schools should also be collaborating with other educational institutions around the world to share information and learn about different practices or methods that have been developed.

SHOULD BE COLLABORATIVE

LEARNING SHOULD HAVE CONTEXT

Student-centered does not mean that the teacher would give up all control of the classroom. While students are encouraged to learn in different ways, the teacher still provides guidance as to the skills that need to be acquired. The teacher can make a point of helping students to understand how

the skills they are building can be applied in their lives. Students will be more motivated to learn something that they can

see the value in. Teach students the skills that are useful in any situation.

THE ROLE OF TECHNOLOGY

IN 21ST CENTURY LEARNING

1. TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS FOR 24/7 ACCESS TO INFORMATION2. CONSTANT SOCIAL INTERACTION, AND3. EASILY CREATED AND SHARED DIGITAL CONTENT.

IMPORTANT FUNCTIONS

OF EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY

ANALYSIS OF THE TEACHING-LEARNING PROCESS -Educational technology aims at analyzing the process of teaching-learning thoroughly. It tries to find out the different variables of teaching their interlinks effects upon each other, relationship etc. IMPROVEMENT OF LEARNING - Educational technology analyses the process of learning and the related theories. It facilitates more and more learning in less time

IMPROVEMENT OF TEACHING-Educational technology analyses the process of teaching thoroughly. It tries to find out the different variables of teaching, their interlinks, effects upon each other and theories of teaching

ENHANCING GOALS OF EDUCATION- Educational technology helps in finding out the right objectives. It also helps in

enhancing the right objectives in the light of the changed circumstances and changed environment.\

TRAINING FOR TEACHERS- Right type of training to the teachers is the need of the hour. Educational technology

can render its valuable help in the training of teachers also. DEVELOPMENT OF CURRICULUM- Curriculum is the total teaching-learning environment, which has to be modified and remodeled in the light of latest thoughts. Educational technology can do this job of developing a suitable curriculum appropriately.

DEVELOPMENT OF TEACHING-LEARNING MATERIALS- Teaching learning materials are also as important as anything else in the teaching-

learning process. They have to be in accordance with the environment of the learners. 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

DEVELOPMENT OF AUDIO-VISUAL AIDS- Audio-Visual aids need to be used according to the times. The software aids, the hardware aids, the computer and other such appliances have to be used in the present type of teaching-learning environment.

HELP IN OVERALL IMPROVEMENT- Educational technology helps in locating the

problems in the different areas of education. Evaluation of the teaching learning process is also made better.

IDENTIFICATION OF NEEDS OF THE SOCIETY- Educational technology identifies the needs of the community. It helps in providing equal education opportunities to deprived sections of the society.

THE END