Embedding The Internet In Our Education System:It Is Not A Matter of Money, It Is A Matter of Mind |
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by Mario deSantis, February 7, 1999 |
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| technological changes are effective in business and they are debatable for education |
Quite often, I don't understand the work of many researchers and statisticians(1). For example, . there have been studies after studies debating the effectiveness of the use of new technologies in education and no definite conclusion was ever stated supporting the use of such technologies(2). . I am a simple man and for me it was not a matter of debate; I immediately embraced the new . technologies in business when, while employed with the Saskatchewan Health-Care Association, . I implemented the first microcomputer pension system to comply with the 1981 Saskatchewan . Benefits Act, and in education, when in the early 80's, while with the Medicine Hat College, . I proposed a business education program which included spreadsheet programming and . computerized accounting. I personally cannot see why technological changes are effective . in business and they are debatable for education; we seem to forget that one of the primary functions of education is to prepare the knowledge workers(3) of the future. |
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| we must be prepared of not being surprised of future surprises |
The many researches debating the usefulness of new technologies have been periodically
. conducted for the last 20 years. We are now in 1999, in an economic environment characterized . by ongoing information technological changes, and we make references to these educational studies which span years in the past(4) (5). We cannot look too far back in the past and . forecast what will happen in the future anymore, in our changing world we must be prepared . of not being surprised of future surprises. |
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| software, especially for education, is not expensive | Some educators and politicians question the Return on Investments of new technologies
. implemented in education, and others feel that such technologies divert resources from . teaching and learning the three Rs. We must not look into the past, but to the opportunities the present is bringing us. Computers and new technologies are not expensive anymore(6), training is not expensive anymore(7), software, especially for education, is not expensive . anymore. And, as the diversion of resources from the three Rs is concerned, I don't rationalize . how the use of wordprocessing, spreadsheet programming, Internet chatting, and proper Internet . browsing and researching, can have a negative influence on Reading, wRiting and aRithmetics. |
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| our classrooms resemble the assembly lines of a past industrial age |
We have entered the Knowledge Economy, and our classrooms resemble the assembly lines
. of a past industrial age: the students sitting side by side in rows of desks, and the teacher in . front of the students telling them to listen passively to his/her lectures. Our students use the . Internet for chatting, e-mailing, and getting immediate information on any subject, yet we have teachers imparting knowledge within a system which is embarrassing(8). Some people are blaming in some instances "high tech" education for the declining educational standards(9); . I agree that occurrences of misuse of computers is easy and widespread, but no use of them is presently a bigger problem(10). Let us reflect for a moment to the estimate by Forrester . Research that Internet Commerce in the US will grow from $48 billion in 1998 to as high as $1.3 trillion in the year 2003(11). No, no we don't require additional studies to confirm . the usefulness of the Internet and new technologies in education: just let us exchange the strap(12) for the freedom to have every classroom wired to the Internet. |
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| Some references and Endnotes: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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