Maybe the technology used in our classrooms to facilitate educational goals isn’t quite up to the Jetson’s standard, but computers and technology are changing the way our children learn as we speak. Practical application of software, the Internet and multimedia makes education more fun, more effective and yes, a little bit Jetson like.
Consider for example the impact of the Internet on education. Sure, there are the now common online courses, but creative teachers are using the Internet in unique ways and teaching their students more effectively. Remember the old pen pal project that seemed to come around every few years? Students today are utilizing technology to bring pen pals into the new millennium. Teachers can build entire lessons including geography, history, computer science, social studies and the written language around an online pen pal program made more fun through the use of web cams, satellite imagery and online news. Research, testing, reading and more are all a part of having the Internet in the classroom.
Multimedia in the classroom is like taking the old slide show and supersizing it. Instead of just a simple set of pictures, teachers can include sound, animation, videos and more to create presentations that take learning from the past to the future.
Other technologies, like forums and discussion groups, provide the perfect opportunity for students to expand their horizons. For example, students in a current affairs class can participate in discussion with students from across the globe or students from an advertising class can use technology to create polls, develop ads and even test them in real life situations.
It isn’t hard to imagine the day when students will use eBook readers or tablets in place of textbooks. Technology and computer science is continuing to advance and as it does, the way it is used in the classroom will continue to change.