In today's fast paced world, if you blink, you will miss the latest technology boom and be three versions behind before you even know something has changed. This doesn't only put you behind, it puts your company, school, organization, and employees behind as well. The world is going towards a technology focused business model that allows for many companies to do business (whether internal or external) globally without any extraneous costs associated with it besides the cost of the high speed internet and phone.
This advance in technology is not only effecting businesses though. It is effecting schools as well. This is a good thing however. Just imaging learning about global cultures, business fundamentals, and our history and being able to speak face-to-face with people from that particular culture with online tools such as Skype. Just imagine the amount of real and authentic learning that can take place in our schools.
In today's business world, it is all about collaboration. Through the use of the many technologies available in today's classrooms, teachers are able to provide students with an education that is not only comprehensive of the entire curriculum but one that is collaborative with the students inside the class and possibly from around the world.
Today, teaching is not just standing in front of a classroom preaching knowledge to students. It is allowing them to take hold of what they have learned, what they want to learn, and allowing them to work together to solve problems. This is what they will be doing in the real world, why not in the classroom as well.
Here is a link to a website that will provide teachers numerous ways to incorporate technology into their classrooms: The Super Book of Web Tools for Educators
Nice Post. You had the same idea I did by using Skype in the classroom to have face-to-face encounters with people from a different part of the world. I also agree with teaching is no longer standing in front of a room preaching what they should know for their grade....let them get their hands dirty and work with others to solve isuues.
ReplyDeleteSkype is an amazing opener and I am sure is one of the truly amazing advancements in allowing our students to become global. What better way than to share classroom to classroom with each other and actually be able to see them face to face. How fun and authentic! It is agreed that teachers of today are now more guiding the learning and allowing their students to take hold of their own experiences to "show what they know". It is a great time for us to be in education and I hope we can keep pushing forward using technology to engage the learners of tomorrow.
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