Directions (13-20): Read the following passage carefully and answer the questions given below it. Certain words have been printed in bold to help you locate them, while answering some of the questions. Although many people like to rely on traditional methods of teaching, the possibilities that open when technology is brought into the classroom are endless. For one, access to education has been significantly broadened as a result, including a wide range of learning styles and degree options. Even if you are not a student or an education professional, it is crucial to note the importance of technology in education. To really utilize these tools, teachers should ask themselves why students want technology in the classroom, not just why they need it. It can definitely help education professionals in the monitoring of individual development and innovative lesson planning; but the students who learn through technology can create a set of skills that will help them throughout their own future careers. Technology simplifies access to educational resources. Since students already rely on technology in their everyday lives, why not integrate it into the classroom? Children today frequently use their smartphones and tablets outside of school hours, and should be trusted with the responsibility during school as well. Many believe that it actually helps students stay engaged during class by using a familiar tool for academic learning. By incorporating modern technology like artificial intelligence, for instance, teachers can develop more creative and innovative lesson plans to hold the attention of their classes. Not to mention, as new methods of teaching develop, so does the need for specialized professionals both within and outside of the education field. Many believe that technology can enhance individual learning, removing educational boundaries that teachers may face. It enables online education, distance learning, and access to up-to-date information. Because each student interprets this information differently, technology can enable more research into subjects that are more difficult to learn. They can learn at their own pace. Thus, Educational Technology is a systematic approach to the processes and resources of teaching, educational technology, or EdTech, utilizes technology to improve the performance of students. It identifies the needs of individuals, adapting technology to classroom instruction and in the tracking of student development. It requires teachers to accurately reveal the needs of students in order to determine the relevant technology to apply to the curriculum and to track the results to determine the effectiveness of the measures. Educational technology is a fairly new field in the education sector, and not all teachers are ready to start implementing such technologically-driven plans. However, the cost of education has significantly reduced, with options like online degrees and by eliminating the need to buy physical textbooks. By accessing scholarly articles from your university’s database, for example, you can easily choose to continue your studies from another country or without leaving your home. Students don’t even need to enroll in a full degree program to learn from the best universities in the world. Typically, free for students, most academic journals will offer full digital versions of books originally produced in print. Even if you are not currently studying or involved in the education community, various articles, videos, etc., can be downloaded right to your phone, making the learning process both easily accessible as well as mobile. Because of technology, education is becoming more flexible and accessible. We have seen a growing popularity of online degrees and mobile learning, physical boundaries have been removed, and many executives have embraced technology to supplement the further education of their employees. Why do students need technology in the classroom? (I) It helps students prepare for their future careers (II) Technology helps the students to simultaneously perform many activities. (III) Technological goods help students stay engaged during class. |
