Technology in the classroom

Educational technology is the sum total of the activities that make the
person modify their external environments (materials) or internal
(behavior). A systematic application of scientific knowledge of the process
you need individual resources to acquire and use knowledge. When
superficially speaks of "new technologies", we are incorrectly using an
adjective, since the new confundimos it with the latest, 'the rage in
techniques'. In education, technology first as we have said on several
occasions, should not confuse machines or devices with application of
technologies that have more to do with the means and resources with the
same media organization. The resource has no why passing fashion or use
while this last as usual to do. A resource can be eternal if the mind that uses
it has appropriate planificadora creativity to make it useful. The Socratic
method we are still using it, with different content, as we use the
Whiteboard, or book. An encyclopedia on CD-ROM does not lose its
character of encyclopedia; that changes its method of use, ease and speed
in management, quality, mobility and sounds of his illustrations.

Uses of multimedia
Today we can not express ourselves in relation to the audiovisual
technologies related to the media without referring to the 'cross-media' or
'multimedia' consisting of the simultaneous or successive use of several
audiovisual resources. Currently the term "multimedia" seeks to reduce to a
set of computer equipment of including an operational unit. Sense, is so
restricted confusing the part with the whole. We must not forget that the
term multimedia, already in the year 1965 treaties referred to any joint use
of audiovisual media. We are still far of classrooms for all computerised
means, and we must in addition, recourse to the analog and to digital,
video, the sounds and the CD-ROM. A realistic application of the concept of
'media' is preparing teams for various types of materials that develop a
specific topic. The computer contains disks, magnetic tapes, slides, prints,
films, brochures, etc. even three-dimensional objects, recordings and
laboratories for training psychomotor or teaching of foreign languages. The
slide shows are multimedia use sound and image from multiple projectors,
retrotransparencias, etc. This type of presentation you can currently using
projections from software, but we must not forget very creative systems of
some years ago, but not for new technologies must lose validity. Planning
and programming for this class of presentations is moreover very
demanding so succeeds only in the case of very careful preparation.
Technological advances in education
Ten years have been extremely rich in technological changes applicable to
education in order to provide the best and most important experience for
students and extending this to a number more. It is absolutely proven that
the use of the 'multimedia' improving student learning and at the same time
reducing instructional time and education costs. Students need for their
future professional use of technology, as they vary greatly in their ability to
perception and learning; therefore, individual training requirements. Some
learn quickly and easily through oral or printed information, and with a
minimum of more direct experience. Most require more specific experiences
that include the audiovisual media. There are many cultural factors that
affect learning; therefore the students need a wide range of experience that
includes real-world aspects, Visual representations and abstract symbols.
The new needs and job prospects that the student has advised greater
participation in learning through active research and testing methods.
Educational programs need to be appreciated in terms of power and
flexibility of personal application time, and resources available. Employment
demand requires a preparation which obliges the knowledge of all things
having to do with the information society, new technologies, the multiplicity
and professional variation, interaction resource and at the end of everything
that facilitates labour and professional insertion. Teachers, using new
technologies may be released for guidance work. The new training patterns
which take account of new technologies and the media to improve learning
are new features of teachers. It is Professor which must provide the
information, since this may be be more effectively by appropriate means,
either to provide large groups or to each student expand it itself individually
or to be used in a small discussion group. Teachers as individuals, as
computers are freed of routine work and can do the job really creative, and
professional guidance of students had neglected so far. This work
orientation and guide is: broad participation in the planning and production
to match the needs of groups or individuals that are intended for audiovisual
materials. The use of technology to improve communication requires
change by other more agile routine methods to achieve the educational
goals. Heavy-duty teachers to these changes is that break with the routine
disrupted a common situation. Also, inexactamente is believed that new
media deshumanizan education, move to teachers and education
accordingly will automaton without human quality that gives the teacher-
student communication. Today, with the increase in the disciplines of study
of them, specialization and the increase in professional demand content
what is really happening and what educators, usually forget is that the true
humanization and personal seal can only achieve using appropriate
technological resources released Professor routine work and the mere
transmission of information, so that you can do the job counselor and
guidance in the formation of his students.

Education taking into account technology

planning
New training patterns described above require a careful and detailed
planning that is often neglected in traditional procedures. Now, should
address not only the subject, content, and individual differences in students
but many other factors that influence the success of the learning process.
Bringing together all these elements, we can develop a planning or
systematic design education. One of the essential elements of the design is
planning, organization and production of teaching resources. The use of
media specialists should work with teachers to help them develop plans or
instructional designs for their daily classes, work units, or an entire course.
The success of these educational designs requires careful planning and a
face with realism many problems must be solved. This is not achieved by
chance and improvisation; but it is a rigorous way the teacher knows that
what must act, take appropriate decisions and consistently performs the
action. The means that should be used in "the design" are requiring the
objectives, content and methods. Media are not supplementary education,
or their support: are the same stimulus. In the light of this concept the
obsolete media design cannot be accepted as auxiliary aid. Should it be
determined what means, how and when will provide lessons and more
effective for students. As well as different goals require different kinds of
learning, and also to be adequate resources need to correspond to the tasks
required. Some of the media may be better than others for certain purposes
(sound or print; film movement, CD-ROM, Internet). In other cases, use of
the available equipment, convenience of costs and many other factors can
be the determinants of the election. This approach to teaching and learning
that develops "specifically" in relation to the objectives of behavior and to
address the specific needs of students. Wanting to produce all the materials
needed locally is impossible by the expense and time lost. In new
technologies, for example, CD-ROM, etc., are sorely lacking still much richer
video availability of educational programs. Perhaps in the future producers
try to develop carefully planned materials having the flexibility to adapt to
different general topics, and with minor modifications in their use of local
circumstances. But it will always be open to the production of material with
specific purposes and application.

The media are more than mere auxiliary

teacher
The audiovisual media relating to them, the media in general, based on
information technology, are much more than simple helper. Such media are
often the forefront of educational progress and when used with property
affect the structure of plans and programmes and what is more, come to
modify the intimate structure of the learning process. These media are
essential for effective communication in education to large groups and are
the only means of teaching communication in many programs to individual
teaching or independent study

Why many teachers do not use the media in

the classroom
Most teachers do not understand or accept the educational value of audio-
visual resources. Many believe that if they are not to the class, speaking,
exhibiting or acting; learning does not occur. Others are refractory to the
use of the image, in one way or another it as a "degradation" of academic
dignity, dignity in his view can be sustained only by oral communication and
reading. This attitude is understandable since 'one teaches as it was taught'
and teachers, with a few exceptions, have received an education based on
the verbalismo throughout his life, and especially in their professional or
college preparation. The use of auxiliary Visual had its difficulties in the
past. Both the material and equipment should be requested in advance. The
machines were difficult to transport and operate; it was necessary to
completely obscure classrooms etc. For these and similar reasons not worth
often use film or slides. The contents of the commercial materials, often left
much to be desired with regard to the specific needs of teachers in a given
time or circumstance. The typical educational film was too full of concepts.
The students could not retain such amount of material or in cases in which it
was related to the immediate situation. Possibly only a small part of the
movie contained the topic that was being considered, but it was difficult to
prepare in advance the part that should be used; and to this part appeared
it as the Professor would have wanted. Finally, misleading advertising or too
enthusiastic and premature audiovisual materials made by vendors and
some teachers, joined the consumerist philosophy of our society, without
having carried out a careful assessment and testing, has been adverse
effects for the acceptance and subsequent use of these resources. For many
teachers, unfortunately, audiovisual materials have been auxiliary,
accessories, to be used if extra time and always after having given the
verbalista class and having studied texts. On many occasions, making true
the Spanish saying that it is best enemy of the good to use the best, we
forget the good, i.e. to the technological rage not use application multitude
of possibilities that creatively used can be ideal source of learning.

Training in the third millennium approaches to learn learning to know, to

penetrate the meaning of the information to do, learning to prepare for work
and leisure and learning to live together with others, unemployment times
posed some attitudes and behaviour of respect, some dialogue, and listen,
tolerance and understanding of different cultures practice. Learn how to be
oriented towards the construction of personal identity and included as a
basic ingredient to the search of the sense to live and live learning. Learn to
critically read information, icons, fixed and mobile images, images
generated by computer, virtual reality, and anything that, in addition to the
print culture comes from the world of new technologies