Ibrahim O
Technology has become a vital part of our lives. It has helped in the creation of entire industries such as the computer and IT industry and also helped to improve the efficiency, productivity, and effectiveness of existing industries. For instance, most of the tasks in manufacturing industries are now automated thanks to technology. Similarly, automated medical devices have been developed that are more accurate and have fewer chances of error. Technology is here and it isn’t going anywhere in the foreseeable future.
A major misconception regarding technology is that it is seen as a part of the adult world and this is something that needs to be changed. These children of today will be adults of tomorrow and they need to be fully aware of the technology to be fully prepared for the upcoming future. Technology is helping to prepare students for the future, as we will discuss shortly but only if it is implemented in classrooms and students are given easy access to the technology.
Below is how technology prepares students for the future:
Teaches New Technological Skills
The addition of technology in the classroom teaches students about new technology skills. Technology is constantly evolving, right in front of our eyes. As technology is evolving, we are seeing the opening of new jobs, especially in the field of coding and artificial intelligence. The introduction of technology in the classroom can make students familiar with the fields of AI, IT, and other STEM fields.
Several schools across the world have now started teaching coding to students at an early age, starting with the basics. Many schools are offering special AI courses. The whole point of making students learn such things is that in upcoming years, it is estimated that AI will be taking over a huge chunk of jobs but students of now will be adults then and they will be well-prepared for this transition. Instead of being replaced by AI, they will be important problem-solvers who will be able to guide AI where needed.
Teaches Responsibility
This is very important for students and children to learn. When students are alloted technology by a school or institute, it is usually school owned and it becomes the responsibility of students to take care of the devices. The students are usually handed a code of conduct and a list showing consequences for losing or damaging the device.
Such use of technology teaches students about ethics. Ethics are something that is slowly fading away from society. The use of technology in schools not only provides various learning opportunities but also allows students to learn about ethics, which is very important, especially in professional life.
Prepares For Adapting To New Technology
The tech world is a fast-paced world that is constantly changing and evolving. There was a time when computers were available only in labs and now you can find powerful computers in your hands in the form of smartphones. Technology is rapidly changing and for students to adapt to new technologies, they must be aware of different technologies that are currently being used. Awareness of different technologies in the current world and how to use them is very important to adapt to new technology.
If students are well-aware of previous technologies and know how to use them, they would easily adapt to new technologies, whereas if students don’t know how previous technologies work, they would struggle to adapt to technological changes. Scrabble players who were familiar with computers and technology were able to quickly learn Words With Friends, an online game very much similar to Scrabble, whereas those who weren’t familiar, struggled in the start.
Teaches Them To Leverage Tech To Their Benefit
Technology allows students to learn things outside the classroom as well. Through technology, students can get enhanced and better learning of the subjects they are already learning, which can benefit them in the long run, especially in making a career. For instance, if a student is enrolled in a business course, with the help of technology he can learn various things about starting a business from scratch and taking it to new heights. Since modern-day business depends on tech nowadays, he can learn how to create a website for business, develop a mobile app, maintain a social media presence to increase sales, etc.
Students of today need to learn how they can leverage technology to their benefit in the future and the introduction of tech into classrooms helps with that. Early exposure of students to technology allows them to make better use of technology and learn essential tech skills that can help them succeed in their careers. Even for Scrabble players, exposure to technology can lead them to a world of helpful programs like Scrabble Word Finder that they can use to learn word-matching skills.
Helps With Critical Thinking
Technology also helps students with critical thinking. Through technology, students get to connect to various tools and resources but to be able to use these tools and resources, they must first understand them. The role of technology here is that it only introduces students to useful resources and tools, the rest is the job of students to understand how these work and what will be the use of these resources & tools in various situations. This helps them to develop critical thinking and to find various solutions for getting the job done using various tools & resources.
