Given
the demands of today's
society, educators have a great
responsibility to contribute to the formation of a creative generation able to
address and solve a variety of problems and
contradictions of the global
nature in our developing world.
Precisely the use of new technologies in the teaching-learning
process can greatly contribute to
this. These allow teachers more room for creativity because they are able to, not only select from a variety of existing tools, but also
to create their own to convey knowledge in a more attractive, updated, personalized
and practical way. For students, they feel more motivated and committed as they
find the information more attractive
and have more opportunity to become active and creative participants while they are learning.
Therefore, these technologies allow a highly interactive, inquiry-based
teaching and learning environment in classrooms.
Tech Tool link:
Encyclopedia of Educational Technology
Because
it is the case that I am far from an expert in
the use of the educational technology, I found
this website instructive and useful. The information
is very well organized into
categories and subcategories that make easier to find what you
need. The articles are short,
written in a simple language and an easy to understand style without
affecting the quality. The videos,
illustrations and examples contribute to a better understanding
of the information. Something that caught my attention is that this website
is constantly changing and updating
by authorized editors, which allows controlling the veracity and accuracy
of the information. Actually, by browsing this
website, I have not only learned, but also enjoyed it. As an example of this, you can watch this video.
Summary and
personal connection: Through
statistical data, expert opinions, and research results, this chapter presents
reasons why teachers should be motivated to use new technologies in the field
of education to improve the quality of teaching, communication with students
and achieve a more creative participation in and outside the classroom. For me
this was revealing because it helped me understand that I am among the “cautious
observers” regarding my interest and willingness to use new technology in
teaching. So, I still have a long distance to travel to become an e-teacher.
However, I feel motivated to leave my comfort zone and fight to get to know and
use the Web 2.0 tools properly.
