Thinking Activity : Education and Technology

Sugata Mitra

In first video, Sugata Mitra talked about the school period of today and also told about the history. He talked about Victorian Era. In our school system we can find that some teachers are not using the technology. Our education system should be changed according to technology. And also focused on the slums’ poor children.  He could find that children are interested to know about the use of technology in education. He gave a computer to them and observe about their interest. He observed, how they used browser and how they teach to each other?  Poor children do not aware at English language as well as technology. So he tried to teach them and also taught the proper pronunciation. He also talked about some points like:

·        SOLE : Self Organised learning environment

·        Self learning through computer

·        Threats – punishment and examination

·        Encouragement

David Crystal

David Crystal is a British linguist and an author. He has written plays and poetry. He edited 120n books on a wide variety of subjects such as Cambridge Encyclopedia of  Language, the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, the Cambridge Biographical Dictionary etc. His main focus on English language that’s why he wrote many books.  He talked about broadcasting which came in 1920s.  Through Broadcasting  different languages can be introduced. He gave the example of sport commentaries. Then he talked about internet. Nowadays internet is very useful in teaching learning process. Through internet anyone can learn or teach anything . people can access any information through internet at anywhere, anytime.

Then he talked about blog which arrived in 1997. 

Blog is very important webtool for teaching learning process. If we had any good or bad experience or any good or bad ideas , we can write it in the blog and share our experience or ideas.

Nowadays, Facebook and Twitter are very popular webtools for teaching learning process.

In present time, after coming the period of TV we can differentiate the American Language and British Language. He also talked about some myths:

·        Some people believe that taxing is not an good idea. Taxing is done by kids only;

·        Text messages with abbreviations entirely abbreviate these messages;

·        Messaging is invented by the kids, it’s a modern thing;

·        Kids don’t know how to spell

·        There is generation of illiterate because kids don’t know how to spell correctly.

Marc Prensky :  Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants

Marc Prensky talked about old generation and new generation. Old generation don’t know how to use technology but new generation know about the use of technology. They spend their time with technology through watching TV, videos, playing video games, sending emails. Different kinds of experience lead to different brain structures as Sugata Mitra said it.

Salman Khan:

Salman khan talked about the education. He shared his experience about his struggle when he started his journey. Everyone has to face struggle when they started their journey. He uploaded his all videos in you tube and got positive result. Then he started Khan Academy. I had personally experience about the learning process through Khan Academy.