Thursday, 28 March 2019

Thinking Activity : Introduction to Education, Technology and ELT

Hello readers,


This blog is part of my academic activity. To get more information click here.

1. Why is it necessary to use Technology in Education?




Take a moment and think about your surroundings. Think how you have circled by technology. Today’s world is world of technology. The curiosity and education is the path through which these all technology is travelling. Now if we can live with technology then why we can’t study with it.

Technology has become essential and inseparable part of our life. It is necessary to use technology in education. Technology has given new way to the life, same it will give new vision to the education. The whole world is now on our fingertips, any information we can get in no time. This shows technology is speeding up the world. We should speed our education and knowledge system also. Technology can be great help to the students and to the teachers. It does not have boundaries. It is proven fact that visuals helps to remember information for longer period of time and also in effective way. Not only visuals but with technology students can learn using all their senses, and this will make the knowledge store in mind.

The world is moving towards new things, so does education should. With technology, the competition is no more with only classmates, it is now with the learners around the world. To keep our feet on the ground, we must have new weapons. We can not keep fighting with old ones. Technology is that new weapon which is now necessary in education.

2. What is the difference between 'using' and 'integrating' technology?

The difference between using and integrating technology is, to using technology means to be spectator but to integrate technology is, to be performer. This is very big difference. Everybody knows how to use technology but hardly some of them are integrating technology in their life.

We can take simple example like, mostly people takes their basic information from Wikipedia, they know how to use technology. But only few create their own Wikipedia page to give information to the world. These people have integrated technology. Our teacher used to tell us that, “Now from downloader, be uploader.” When one is only take advantage of technology, they are using it. But when they started giving advantage to others through technology, they are integrating it. This is the difference between using and integrating technology. For now as technology has become part of humans’ life, we should all integrate technology.

3. How can we integrate technology? 




As I have said before when we become uploader from downloader, it means that we have integrated technology. We have talk about using technology in education. When teacher use technology to teach students and also make students use technology to learn something. This can be called integration. For example, writing this blog is also can be the part of integration of technology. Our teacher has taught us something and, then we have asked to reflect our views on blogs. This is the way of integrating technology.

4. Can technology replace teacher? (Read this)




First of all there are two types of teacher. One, who only think giving information is teaching and the second, who gave new ways of thinking. There is no question rises to replace the first type of teachers because they are already has been replaced. With the help of technology students can get more information that that teacher can give. Because without doubt google has more information than one teacher.

But to replace the teacher who provides new way of thinking with the information provided by technology, in my account it can not be replaced. Technology can only give information. It will not give the new way of looking towards that information, or to connect that information with other similar one. Now this is what a teacher in era of technology do. They tell their students to get information on their own and then guide them to use it in many different ways. These teachers can not be replaced by technology.

5. Write in brief on David Crystal's views on 'effect of new technologies on English language', 'biggest challenge for English language teachers in the times of internet', and 'texting is good for English language'.


1) Effect of new technologies on English language





Here David Crystal has talked about the changes in English language after arriving of certain technologies. He has given example of printing, Telephone, broadcasting, and internet. He says that every time with new technology, new language also introduced to suit that technology. He also talked about the text messages and twitter. He refers to the short length of messages and tweet and says that has bring the abbreviation of the words in use. People tend to think that this abbreviation will ruin the English language but he says that it is not so. These abbreviation of is only 10 percent in the text. Other 90 percent remain the standard English or any English which is used by people. So he basically throws the light on how with the arrival of new technology, people also think and write in new way. Technology bring the new aspect of language, or new way of writing language.




2) The biggest challenge for English language teacher in the times of internet





Language teaching is hardest job according to David Crystal. We all will agree on that. He also has given reasons that why it is the hardest job. First he says that because the language which teacher use and the language which students use are different. In the time of internet new words can be reach to the people in no time. Because of this the students will have different vocabulary then the teacher. Now in this time pf internet teacher should also need to keep pace with the changing world. Teachers have to knew the new words same as their students do. They have to keep all the information which is spreading widely around them. This is the challenge which language teacher has to face. Secondly he says that there is variety of English language and its accents. Teacher should teach students to listen the other accents which are not RP. Teacher should make their students ready for the differences. They can not say that this is the only correct pronunciation. This is another challenge or rather say duty of teacher to make their students accept the differences.



3) Texting is good for English language





Here he talks about the benefits which texting is giving to English language. He also talk about the myth of texting that kids use abbreviation in text and because of that they don’t know how to spell correct word. David here says that kids do abbreviation because for them it is cool to do it. Secondly he says that if they are shortening the word in first place they know the full word. Another myth about texting is that kids will use their abbreviation in other writings also and they will fail in the exams. Here David says that he has gone to school and ask to kids that will they use text abbreviation in exams and he says that kids are smarter these days, they say that it will make them look dumb. Then he talk about that how it is good for literacy. The person who can read and write is called literate and it will be perfect only by practice. Here David says that texting is making people literate because they are practicing reading and writing. By all these things he says that texting is good for English language.

6. Name one web-tool which can help in development of all four L-S-R-W skills. If possible explain how it works.




In this digital era there are number of tools which can help in development of all four basic skills, for me it is YouTube. This is the best tool according to me to improve four basic language skills. We can watch the video in any language we want on YouTube. This will improve our listening skill. The more you listen, the more it affects your speech, so it will help to improve speaking skill. If one will decide to upload their own video and for that they have to write their script and also they read from other descriptive videos. This will improve their reading and writing skill. So this is how YouTube will help in development of basic four language skills.

Thank you. 

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