It is the duty of every teacher to educate and inform their students on the advancements and transformations going on in the education landscape but to be able to do that, you need to be informed and kept abreast of things because, restricting your students’ digital awareness and enlightenment is a failure on the part of a teacher who is supposed to equip and prepare students to be technological literate in a world where digital transformation has engulfed every sector including education, agriculture, industry, and even everyday life.
As with every concept and subject, understanding comes from starting at the beginning. In education, for numbers, it’s 1 & 2 and for alphabets, its A & B. Technology is no different. There is a starting point for digital literacy in education and it has its A & B which we will be looking at in this article.
ALTERNATIVE INPUT DEVICES ensures individuals with mobility impairments can now use a computer and perform their work perfectly as others do. Special features have been made to accommodate a variety of limitations with some modifications and extra features to make it very user-friendly. Users can use their breath E.g. sip-and-puff systems developed by companies like Microsoft where computer functions are activated through inhaling and exhaling or their feet, head, eye, mouth, a single finger/thumb or whatever suits them better. Some devices are triggered by motion, nerve, muscle signals, optical tracking and even mind energy to perform computer functions.
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY is a term that describes products or equipment tailored for people with disabilities whether bought or customized specifically to compensate and improve learning and purposeful capabilities of individuals with disabilities. Example of such in the classroom are education software like automatic page-turners, book holders, and adapted pencil grips, which provides cognitive assistance and supports participation in educational activities.
ADAPTIVE TECHNOLOGY describes technologies that are specifically crafted for persons with disabilities and would rarely be used by non-disabled persons. This is mostly an upgraded version of already existing tools or devices, modified to provide enhancements or alternative means of accomplishing a specific task. Often referred specifically to electronic and information technology access. E.g. Digitized text, Computers with voice output, Computers with a visual output, Electronic mail Word prediction software, Alternative types of keyboard and mouse etc.
BLENDED LEARNING is a perfect alternative for part-time studying especially for students who work and wouldn’t have the time or opportunity to navigate the waters of regular classroom style. This hybrid learning that combines modern online technology and traditional face-to-face teaching technique is gaining momentum in its approach. However, it is changing the way teachers have historically instructed and interacted with students, and students feel separated from the classroom world without the support and personal relationship with classmates. Yet this digital online-learning option is becoming quite popular as it fosters digital literacy among students and greater confidence, especially when using new technologies to study and learn.
BLOG is usually a website with information and discussions posted periodically as photos, videos or comments, usually for instructional or entertainment purposes. Technology is transforming and causing changes everywhere and even in education, certifications are issued out on a daily basis from reputable institutions and organizations to individuals from the comfort of their beds and offices, people are desperately hungry for information, knowledge, and updates on events around the world as they happen live. Blog is becoming a hubbub of education innovation in Nigeria, blogs like:
Pass.ng: Helps students prepare for JAMB, WAEC and other examinations in Nigeria with trending news and information on education.
Nairaland Forum: This has an education section with contents that have been generated by thousands of users in the country and beyond. More often than most, your questions on any subject have already been answered on this blog.
Myschoolgist.com: Gives the latest news and campus gist on education in Nigeria. It covers NABTEB exams, Polytechnics, and College of Education news.
Mychool.com.ng: One site especially for admission seekers you can’t ignore as a Nigerian. Another feature is the CBT Challenge that offers monetary gains for winners.
Block and blocking is the answer to teachers and parents who are constantly worrying about the contents their kids are exposed to online and in school. This special software limits internet access to certain websites such as pornography are not available to the student when they are online thereby putting control in the hands of the teacher. Another name is internet filtering, content control or parental control.
Blocking also serves as a social media police that prevents someone from contacting you through a social networking site, such as Facebook, your email system or another student who might be sending out inappropriate content or simply being a distraction.
Thank you for reading.
