MODERN TECHNOLOGY - A TOOL IN THE HANDS OF DISTANCE TEACHER

• Everyday man is using technology in various aspects for all his works. It is technology that is evolving every second somewhere in the world. People have to update themselves for surviving in this hi-tech world.

• Today technology is widely used in educational sectors. It can be used as a supplementary tool for enhancing teaching methods in a classroom.

• As the conventional chalk and talk method seems to be monotonous and boring to the students, therefore teachers bang upon the latest technologies for keeping the pupils awake in their classes.

• A distance education teacher needs to be capable of interacting with these techniques.

• The effect of technology has become huge in teaching and learning in addition to the instructor's role.

• In other words, the role of the instructor together with the technology can lead to advanced learning results.

• Learning and developing confidence with the new technologies, thinking about how to integrate them into the teaching is to be the goal of every teacher.

• Every lesson developed should be an experimental one and project-based in order to address the interests and needs of the students.

• As an experimental class it calls for unusual flexibility, independence, dedication, and creativity.

• It is true that one of the ultimate goals of techno based teaching is to promote students’ motivation and learning interest, which can be a practical way to get them involved in the learning process.

• Context creation should be based on the openness and accessibility of the teaching materials and information available on the internet.

• During the process of optimizing the techno based teaching, students should not be too dependent on their counselors, but will be motivated and guided to communicate with each other online.

• The term Modern Technology includes communication techniques for teaching in which the personal computer plays a central role.

Technologies

• There other technological tools that can be utilized in distant learning programmes beside computers. Each technological tool has its specific benefits and application.

• technologies that enable students in understanding and grasping their contents are

Computers

• the use of the computer as a tool in learning is much more motivating for the student than the process of traditional classroom set up.

• The learner can highlight a specific part of the written text through underlining, bolding, italicizing, or changing the font size and color of the text with the aid of these programs.

• Computers can also be used to correct answers for the learners, and to simulate tests in an easy to understand manner.

Video Tapes/ CD ROM:

• they are still be utilized in certain cases and are attached with some lessons. Compact discs (CDs) can be used to store large amounts of information digitally, all the articles published in one newspaper for one whole year can be stored on a single CD.

• Lectures, assignments and examinations can be saved on these audio CDs for later use by the distance student.

• A method of capturing learning content on tape or as a digital file for viewing on-demand can be used as the sole means of content or as part of a blended approach.

• Often used to capture a real time event and is an effective distribution medium that supports high-resolution images and video.

Pod casting/broadcasting• Podcasting allows students to use their tech-

based entertainment systems for educational purposes.

• Podcasts enables students and teachers to share information with anyone at any time.

• A student can download the podcast of recorded lesson and is able to access the missed counseling sessions.

• They could also access lectures of experts which may not otherwise be available because of geographical distance and other reasons.

• Listening to educational programs broadcasted on TV and radio is another technical way for developing the understanding ability.

• Podcasting is a relatively a new addition to the educator’s technology.

Video Conferencing

• Video conferencing systems are often used for distance learning, linking distant teachers and learners for instruction delivery.

• Some of the ways the technology is used for achieving this goal, bringing benefits to teachers, administrators and students, include the following:

• Students can take classes offered online.• Learning institutions can offer classes during off-hours

and to students who cannot attend traditional classes.• Teachers can team-teach with remote teachers, sharing

subject matter expertise or a unique approach to a topic.

• “Master teachers” in particular subjects can be made available to a larger audience of students of wider geographic reaches. Students can meet with tutors for enrichment, remediation, or a helpful bit of personal attention.

• Students can communicate first-hand with experts in many fields to enhance understanding of a subject they are studying. This real-world contact can heighten interest, improving motivation and retention.

• Teachers and students can collaborate and exchange information with others in areas such as peer counseling, bilingualism, and student government.

• Students can communicate with video pen pals to experience diverse cultures and ways of life, both economic and ethnic.

• Online contests, discussions among students– debates, spelling bees, or research conferences – can take place via two-way video.

• Video conferencing can facilitate distributed cooperative learning, where groups at distant sites take on a learning task and teach remote peers.

•The most notable point in video conferencing is that the students can post questions immediately and get their answers at once.

Video Library

• Video Libraries are most essential in our fast and modernized world.

• This is helpful for the students to those who miss some interesting session.

• In this process the teaching of the faculty will be recorded and made available to the students. The students can view the tapes in their leisure hours.

• The advantage in this method is that students can replay it when there is a necessity.

Quicktionary

• a simple dictionary that is the size of a large pen can offer assistance to students reading documents or newspapers. I

• t is a pen-like device, which allows the reader (visually impaired) to easily scan the word and get its definition and translation on its own LCD screen.

• Technology such as Sound-Editor enable learners to adjust the speech rate of listening materials to assist their comprehension, and present spectrum of speech waves and visual depictions of mouth and tongue movement to ease the learning and refine pronunciation.

Quick Link Pen

• Quick Link-Pen can be used to scan over text like a highlighter and it will store up to 1,000 pages of text which it can read aloud or upload it to a computer, Smart Phone.

• It allows reading the notes on the bright LCD screen, or hearing them read through a built-in speaker.

• One can even plug the included headphones into its audio jack for private listening.

• A dictionary is installed inside this clever device, one can easily get a definition of an unfamiliar word from within the scanned notes.

• Quick Link Pen allows learners to copy and store printed text, Internet links. It helps to transfer the data to computers and enables the reader to get the meaning of the word from a built in dictionary. Accessing this type of machine seems to be a more convenient method for the distance learners.

The Web

• Computer-learning networks have the potential to empower students in well-designed learning environments. This mode of learning reinforces the students' skills in problem solving.

• It can support synchronous oral interaction between the instructor and remote students at multiple locations as well as supporting a Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) or webinars.

• Web enables synchronous audio or Web conferencing, text chat, audio, video, document and application sharing, whiteboards, presentations, etc.

Use of Internet Voice Chatting

• Chatting is the process of voice communication between the speaker and the listener through the internet. This process may be very beneficial to the learner if the expert speaker is on the other side.

Use of Internet Text-Chatting

• Text chatting is another important technical method for developing writing ability. It provides an on-line and quick tool for writing and expressing thoughts, transferring ideas, and responding instantaneously with the other side writer.

Use of Electronic Dictionaries

• Another modern way for improving the vocabulary of the learner focuses on the utilization of electronic dictionaries designed specifically for English language learners.

• These dictionaries have several built-in functions and tools that are not provided in book dictionaries.

Electronic dictionaries are also easy to use and represent quick tools for vocabulary acquisition.

Writing E-mails

• Students can be made to use E-mails to learn how to respond to the incoming messages using some formal statements and meaningful language.

• They can communicate with their students via a two-way audio and text chat or by means of an online whiteboard to share text or documents.

• They can conduct one-to-one live sessions. • The online environment grants the tutors more

flexibility to employ various teaching styles.

Educational Satellites

• In the college we can create Educational Satellite lab, whereby satellite programs of educational value like UGC’s country wide classrooms, Anna University programmes and other worldwide programmes are recorded and students are given access to the recording either through big screen or small monitor.

• It allows for the live traditional classroom to be transmitted to a remote site while synchronous oral interactivity is supported by audio teleconferencing or student response systems integrating audio and keypad technology (data interaction).

• A virtual classroom is a medium for delivering live quasi-classroom sessions that can be accessed by tutors and students at their convenience

• Tutors, virtual classes display a fine array of online teaching management tools, and tutors can fix a session online via a calendar at their convenience.

Blogging

• A blog (short for weblog) is a frequently updated website that often resembles an online journal.

• It's so easy to create and update a blog –• it requires only basic access to the Internet,

and a minimum of technical know-how.• Blogging guides students to online resources

appropriate for their level.

• It increases the sense of community among the students and encourages shy students to participate.

• It stimulates out-of-class discussion.• Nowadays, blogs can also display photos and

some people are using them with audio and even video.

The Tutor Blog

• is run by the teacher of a class. The content of this type of blog can be limited to syllabus, course information, homework, assignments, etc. In this type of blog, students are normally restricted to being able to write comments to the teacher's posts.

The Class Blog

• is a shared space, with teacher and students being able to write to the main area. It is best used as a collaborative discussion space, an extra-curricular extension of the classroom. Students can be encouraged to reflect in more depth, in writing, on themes touched upon in class. Students are given a greater sense of freedom and involvement than with the tutor blog.

The Learner Blog

• is the third type of blog and it requires more time and effort from the teacher to both set up and moderate, but is probably the most rewarding.

• It involves giving each student an individual blog. • The benefit of this is that this becomes the

student's own personal online space. • Students can be encouraged to write frequently

about what interests them, and can post comments on other students' blogs.

The Ipod

• is designed perfectly to read and listen at the same time. It’s like having amazing teachers in your pocket everywhere you go. If you can get in the habit of listening for 30 minutes per day, even if that means 3 separate 10 minute study sessions, you will improve very quickly with this application. You will find so much more study time without disrupting your day.

Conclusion

• This paper has reviewed briefly how the technology can be utilized in developing the skill of self learning among the learner we believe that it can fully improve students’ practical skills, which is helpful and useful to ensure and fulfill an effective result of teaching and learning in distance education.