{"id":789,"date":"2012-04-25T19:41:27","date_gmt":"2012-04-25T23:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/?p=789"},"modified":"2019-07-17T10:09:22","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T14:09:22","slug":"the-technology-divide-in-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thevirtualinstructor.com\/blog\/the-technology-divide-in-education","title":{"rendered":"The Technology Divide in Education"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\nIt seems all educators hear about these days is “21st Century skills” and training students for the 21st Century. \u00a0The irony in this statement, of course, is that we have been in the 21st Century for over a decade. \u00a0I think this exemplifies the divide that we have in education. \u00a0This divide is evidenced in technology and its use in classrooms.<\/p>\n

There is a divide among most in education and the world of technology. \u00a0If this divide is not narrowed, traditional education will undoubtedly suffer.<\/p>\n

When you speak to some (often those that make decisions about education) about technology, you will most likely hear about PowerPoints or perhaps document cameras. \u00a0True, these are uses of technology in a classroom, but these technologies are already becoming antiquated. \u00a0Additionally, these technologies only make a teacher’s presentations more appealing. \u00a0<\/p>\n

They do little to really prepare students for a world dominated by the actual use of technology. \u00a0This is where we need to be focused as educators if we are truly preparing students for the 21st Century (again the majority of these students’ lives have been lived in the 21st Century, some entirely in the 21st Century). \u00a0<\/p>\n

Some teachers and districts have recognized this and are taking steps to really change the way information is consumed in the classroom. Unfortunately though, many are not.<\/p><\/div>\n

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Technology changes, it seems, overnight. \u00a0It is a daunting task to stay on top of it. \u00a0But we, as educators, owe it to our students and communities to<\/em> stay on top it. \u00a0We actually need to stay ahead of it, if we are to succeed in educating this generation of students. \u00a0We need to do more than just make PowerPoints and use document cameras in our classrooms. \u00a0<\/p>\n

We need to use or develop ways to help our students consume information in school in the same way that they consume information out of school.<\/p>\n

So how do our students consume information?\u00a0Apps, tablets, and interactivity.<\/p>\n

Apple has already taken a giant leap in the direction of preparing students with the iBooks textbook program<\/a>. \u00a0In this program, anyone can design an interactive textbook for the iPad. \u00a0Teachers can use this, design an interactive textbook for their class and give it away to students. \u00a0The limitation here, of course, is that every student needs to have an iPad. \u00a0But despite the limitation, it is a step in the right direction.<\/p>\n