Education, Technology and ELT

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Education, Technology and ELT

Q1- Why is it necessary to use technology in Education?

- Using technology in education brings a huge change. It is a shift from Theosis to Praxix. Means with technology we can become more aware about the practical outcome rather than remaining only on the theoretical basis. Whatever we are learning must need some kind of practice. For example, earlier there were computer classes in  schools. But it was totally theory based, there were no practices on computer screen, even  the exam was given in the answer sheet by making charts of keyboard and other functional things. Hence, education fails because when student come in contact with the computer at job place they were not able to start it or work on it. With the moving of time technology and its use becomes the base of education. One cannot completely rely on old traditional method of teaching. The student learn easily with technical tools, like laptop, projector, mobile. They get things properly without much revision. If we see students who are learning in traditional method, then we can find that they are not able to catch things with one reading, but if the same thing is taught by showing them video then they can get it at one sight. With technology we can learn more things than with books only because technical tools can search worldwide example at the same time of our reading. Books were not able to do changes regarding the present time on the spot. These all things make technology useful in the education field.

Q2 and 3- What is the difference between 'using' and 'integrating' technology? How can we integrate technology?

- Integration always requires equal participation from both the side, teacher and student. A teacher can use technology while teaching in class, but it makes no difference with traditional method if it is not integrated by the students. For example, a computer teacher came with her own laptop and taught student about some functional key by doing practise as herself only, not allowed students to touch. Then students cannot learn things properly there is need of integration and for that students equally required to do practice, to learn things as their own, it is good if they make error, at least they are learning something. But one side use can only harm the education system.

To integrate technology at the schools and colleges one need technical tools for both, teacher as well as students, like computer, projector, mobile generally. Mobile provides all the basis facilities like one can learn through video resources, flipped learning, blogs, web sources through mobile. In this modern age all are using mobile phones, but all are not integrating it for education.

Q4- Can technology replace teacher?

-Technology can replace teachers to some extent. Means we can search almost anything on web tools regarding our curriculum. Even there are some questions which are not answered by teachers but can answered by technology on web sources. But the point is who has put everything on websites?, who has given answers to the laptop?, who is the guiding agent?. The answer of these all questions is common that is human mind. It is human being who has made laptops, it is human who has made search engines and who has put the answers of all questions. So we can learn anything on net but we cannot understand everything by our own self, for better  and deeper understanding one must required teacher. Technical tools can only answered the questions which were asked by our self but teacher will give answers generally by connecting it with all aspects of life.

Q5- Write in brief on David Crystal's view on "Effect of new technologies on English Language", "Biggest challenge for English Language teachers in the times of internet", "Texting is good for English language"

- The Effect of New Technologies on English

-Technology and its development is ongoing process. From very ancient time we are using technology in one or another way. Like the era of change begins from the discovery of Telephones. We use to communicate with peoples who are living far away. Broadcasting introduce new varieties of language, like the language of news reading, weather report is different. We use various tools like internet, google, email, blogging, Facebook for communication. These all new technologies developing new style of English language. They have distinctive English style. Like each tools includes different numbers of characters, it differs from text messaging to twitters for various purposes.

- The Biggest Challenge for English Language Teachers in the times of Internet 

- To pace with language change is a biggest challenge for teachers because language is changing so fast with the help of internet. The teachers are not familiar with the new talent because their generation is over. The other problem is Globalization. As if teacher only rely on one kind of English that is British English and taught accordingly to their students then, the students were not able to get other languages when they come in contact with the global market where people from different region speaking different language with different accent. There is vast majorities with varieties of accent and dialogues. There is need to improve listening comprehension and reading from the very beginning.

- Texting is 'Good' for English Language

- Texting is a kind of language, and it is never bad to improve language through texting. But peoples are holding varies myths regarding texting and consider it bad the reasons are:-

i) Texting is done by kids only.
ii) Text messages with abbreviations entirely abbreviate these messages.
iii) Messaging is invented by the kids, its a modern thing.
iv) Kids don't know how to spell
v) There is generation of illiterate because kids don't know how to spell correctly

These all reasons are just reflecting the narrow mindedness of the people. These are not facts. It is not only kids, but mostly things are done by adults. More than half generation are using mobile and everyone is doing messaging. Literacy is important, and it needs more and more practice which technology provides. The more we text the better our literary skill improved.

Q6- Name one web tool which can help in development of all four L.S.R.W skills. If possible explains how it works.

I will go with Blogger, which can help in improving all four basic skills. As firstly it helps to write as our own. We think a lot and then we write or type and made digital diary of events. For further reading we also prefer to read someone's else blogs. In blogs we can embed video also, in this way we can improve our listening skill too. Speaking is most important and it is obvious that before writing anything we speak a lot with our ownself, during watching videos also we do the same. In this way Blogger helps a lot in improving all four basic skills.