Texbooks or technology?

As mentioned before in my blogs, technologies are becoming more and more advanced, and are being used and encouraged to be used in the classroom to help and assist students’ learning. An article from the MultiMedia & Internet@Schools in the May/June 2008 series, ‘Are textbooks becoming extinct?’ by Dave Fontaine, talks about some of the views that technology have brought into the classroom.

Many can see that technologies such as computers are being used more and more in the classroom rather than textbooks. In this article it mentioned that the role of textbooks is going to change, as they will be the integrating force between the technologies. With the expanding of different levels of students’ skill in a classroom, teacher need alter their teaching so that they are able to wrap all the different skill levels of students.

With the Web 2.0, teachers and students are able to teach and learn more collaboratively. Fontaine also mentions, which I thought was really proficient, is that teachers don’t need to give students the information. As information can easily be obtained from the web, however, it is important that students are being taught and give “the skills to evaluate, organise and apply that information”.

Using the tools and other softwares and programs to help enrich and enhance students’ learning and education. Another issue that Fontaine mentioned, which I strongly agree with, is that adding applications such as video, podcasts, edu-games, audio and other simulations, teachers are able to reach students across all skill levels. They can also encourage and motivate students’ learning.