INTRODUCING TECHNOLOGIES INTO

THE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

N. M. Narmukhametova, R. U. Latanova

(L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Astana city)

 

Some years ago, the arrival of new technologies, such as audio and video recordings, CD-ROMs, DVDs, personal computers, iPods, were followed by efforts to adapt them for educational purposes. Therefore schools are still investing in computers and connecting buildings and classrooms to the Internet at a rapid rate. Agencies from local school districts to state legislatures have designated funding for schools to acquire technology for information access to benefit teaching and learning. As a result of the infusion of technology into schools, many teachers are being asked to rethink their instructional methods to utilize these new tools.

Teachers need to learn how to operate the computers and integrate them effectively into their instruction. Understanding the process that teachers go through to infuse technology into their instruction is essential to help facilitate the successful integration of computers into classrooms.

The first step in selecting the appropriate computer hardware or software is to develop a clear statement of what you intend to do with the technology, in other words, necessary assessments. Once you know how the computers will be used you can search for the software that will do the job.

One of the greatest potential benefits of distributing computers to individual classrooms is to provide teachers and students with easier access to these educational tools. More specifically, having computers in classrooms can:

-                     Make it easier for teachers to integrate computer and Internet use into routine educational programs – but this cannot be guaranteed;

-                     Allow for spontaneous use of these tools during instructional activities;

-                     Permit teachers to organize students into a variety of learning activities, some using computers and others not; and

-                     Make it easier to individualize instruction and strategically integrate computer and Internet technologies into project-based learning [1].

Computer software can mix text, pictures, sound, and motion to provide a variety of options for learners. Multimedia software will not be the only classroom resource, but it can contribute richness and variety to student work.

Students can build on their own understanding by using computers as resource tools, as work stations for individual learning, or as communication channels to share their ideas with other learners. Individual understanding and experiences must be shared and compared to curriculum content. By uncovering students' individual understandings, teachers can determine the influence of students' prior knowledge and further their education through new experience.

Introducing technology into the learning environment can encourage cooperative learning and student collaboration. If they are allowed to converse, most students like to talk about their computer work and share their strategies. Classroom activities that are structured so that computers encourage collaboration build on learners' desire to communicate and share their understanding. It takes planning and intervention to build successful cooperative groups with or without computers, but groups that use computers as teamwork tools have a better start toward collaborative work.

Beyond the classroom, computer networking allows students to communicate and collaborate with content experts and with fellow students around the globe. Communication tools like e-mail, bulletin boards, and chat groups allow teachers to exchange lesson plans and teaching strategies and create a professional community.

What hardware and accessories are useful for the classroom teaching? They are: a laptop or a computer with built-in camera and wireless connectivity; SuperDrive (CD/DVD playing and recording); digital camera; thumb drive (for quick storage and information transfer); printer; projector for presentations.

The essential or invaluable software are: Print Shop by Software MacKiev is still top pick for creating cards, signs, and banners, but now a teacher and his students also can make newsletters, labels, booklets, business cards, gift tags, name tags, calendars, online greetings, and more. Smart Board is hardware for classroom use. Teacher can connect this board to TV system or VCR and have everything through one computer [2].

Still there are people who confuse hardware and software and cannot explain what items belong to the certain group. Hardware is anything you can see, kick, drop or fall over, in other words the computer itself – which is a collection of electronic circuitry and other bits and pieces housed inside a case – and the essential devices you attach to it, such as the monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, the printer. Your home is full of hardware of a more familiar variety: a vacuum cleaner, a television set, a wi-fi set, a washing machine, etc.

Opposite to hardware is software that is a generic term describing all kinds of computer programs, applications and operating systems. Software is not tangible, being a set of instructions written in a Programming Language comprising a set of instructions that the computer executes. Software can conclude online or offline dictionaries and encyclopedias, chat-rooms, computer games and puzzles, electronic books, some films, cartoons, news, etc.

Favorable possibilities make hardware and software for organizing students’ individual work at the English lesson. Students can use computer to learn separate themes and also to self-control acquired knowledge, to be able to revise any tasks, to get right answer and at the end of each topic for automatization of forming skills. At the elementary stage of teaching English, in the process of setting aims and tasks introducing knowledgable activity of students, teacher participates spontaneously. Spontaneous setting tasks to students are realized by hardware. Teacher must take an active part in forming teaching programs, defining spontaneous action of students to decide this or that task. But in realization of the most important psychological pedagogical function of teaching-selfing and acquiring students, aims and tasks in academic perceptional activities in computerizing conditions pungent deficit is possible by spontaneous communication between teacher and student, teacher’s alive words.

Internet suggests different information’s and resources to their users. Basic collection of services may include:

-                     e-mail;

-                     usenet;

-                     videoconference;

-                     access to informational resources;

-                     possibility to publish own information;

-                     create own homepage and to advertise it on web-server;

-                     reference books;

-                     searching systems;

-                     chat.

 

Computers and technology are still a source of fears and insecurity for many teachers everywhere in the world despite the latest advances applicable to language teaching such as specialized websites, blogs, wikis, language teaching methodology, journals, and so on. Although many countries have done institutional efforts to modernize their equipment, spent large amounts in technology, proved the positive effects of integrating computers in language learning and so, many teachers still miss the appropriate interest, strong will to learn and a challenging attitude towards teaching with computers. Besides, institutional organizations, district and national educational boards, and even publishers are doing important institutional efforts to strengthen the presence and evolution of distance and online education. As a consequence, computers should no longer be a little more than a way to typewrite, send messages and, when lucky, to browse out for information on the net. Therefore, one major concern that is commonly shown by both teachers and education boards is how to motivate and instruct teachers to integrate computers and ICT into their classes [3].

The use of real world tools, relevant experiences, and meaningful data inject a sense of purpose to classroom activity. Part of the mission of educational institutions is to produce workforce-ready graduates who can, among other things, manipulate and analyze raw data, critically evaluate information, and operate hardware and software. This technological literacy imparts a very important set of vocational skills that will serve students well in the working world.

Technology has allowed schools to provide greater assistance to traditionally underserved populations. Assistive technology such as voice recognition systems, dynamic Braille displays, speech synthesizers, and talking books provide learning and communication alternatives for those who have developmental or physical disabilities. Moreover, computer-mediated communication can ease the social isolation that may be experienced by those with disabilities [4]. Computers have proved successful in increasing academic motivation and lessening anxiety among low ability students and learning disabled students, many of whom simply learn in a manner different from that practiced in a traditional, non-technological classroom.

Since new classrooms has been filled with technology geared towards keeping students engaged and interested, but, with computers, laptops, and tablets at their fingertips, young people find it hard to stay focused and teachers are suffering the consequences; internet browsing, online games, and various social media have become a means to pass the time and to tie-up any attention needed to succeed.

There are some programs which give teachers a possibility to watch the desktop of every learner’s computer in his/her classroom on their own, central computer [5]. It means that, all of them: teachers and students see what is on track, and also see if someone is in need of help or has a question.

To sum up, we come to realize that new technologies can support the variety of ways learners construct their own understanding. Students who gather information from the Internet can be self-directed and independent. They can choose what sources to examine and what connections to pursue. Depending on the parameters set by teachers, the students may be in complete control of their topics and their explorations.

 

 

References

1.                 Kuang-wu Lee “English Teachers’ Barriers to the Use of Computer-assisted Language Learning”

2.                 Jean W. Leloup and Robert Ponterio “Second language acquisition and technology: A review of the research”, CAL digests, December 2003.

3.                 http://www.sedl.org/pubs/tec26/cnc.html

4.                 Asta Kubartaite “Impact of Modern educational Technologies on Learning Outcomes”.

5.                 http://dwb.unl.edu/Diss/SGay/SGayDiss.html