What is technology?
Saturday, July 24th, 2010 | Uncategorized, education, technology
So what is this thing called technology that teachers are encouraged to use?
The word technology comes from the Greek word technologia:
• techno = craft
• logia = the study of something
This means that technology is the study of a particular craft or discipline – it includes the craft itself, as well as the tools and techniques used to practise the craft.
Knitting is an example of a technology. It is a craft and you need to study its techniques and practise using them. Knitting needles are your tools and unless you just want to knit a straight strip that can only be used to wrap around a mummy, you need a pattern to guide you to produce something that will fit the human anatomy.
The art of knitting won’t be of much use in the classroom – but educational technology will. What is it? When people speak of educational technology they have in mind modern, electronic tools that will fit a teacher like a pair of Levi jeans.
Technology in the classroom is not a new thing – you are already using some forms of it. The blackboard is an example of educational technology but it is an old technology, invented way back in 1801. Unfortunately, some teachers are stuck in a time warp while trying to teach learners of the twenty-first century.
Technology has advanced and many recent innovations are available to educators today. The possibilities of enhancing your teaching by means of modern technology are endless.
When we talk about educational technology in the early twenty-first century, we refer specifically to information and communication technology (ICT), commonly referred to as computer technology.
Are you serious about improving the quality of your teaching? If the answer is “yes” you will want to explore the extent to which technology can improve your life, as well as that of your learners.
A classroom without technology is like a football match without a vuvuzela.
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