DIANA ACERO:
Concepts.
The concept of technology: echnology ("science
of craft", from Greek τέχνη, techne, "art, skill, cunning of hand"; and -λογία, -logia) is the
collection of techniques, skills, methods and processes used in the
production of goods or services or in the
accomplishment of objectives, such as scientific
investigation. Technology can be the knowledge of techniques,
processes, and the like, or it can be embedded in machines which can be operated without detailed knowledge of their
workings.
The human
species' use of technology began with the conversion of natural resources into simple
tools. The prehistoric discovery of how to
control fire and the later Neolithic Revolution increased the
available sources of food and the invention of the wheel helped humans to
travel in and control their environment. Developments in historic times,
including the printing press, the telephone, and the Internet, have
lessened physical barriers to communication and allowed
humans to interact freely on a global scale. The steady progress of military technology has brought weapons of ever-increasing
destructive power, from clubs to nuclear weapons.
Technology
is a body of knowledge devoted to creating tools, processing actions and
extracting of materials. The term ‘Technology”
is wide and everyone has their own way of understanding the meaning of
technology. We use technology to accomplish
various tasks in our daily lives, in brief; we can describe technology as
products, processes or organizations. We use technology to extend our
abilities, and that makes people as the most important part of any
technological system.
Technology
is also an application of science to solve a problem. But what you have to know
is that technology and science are different subjects which work hand-in-hand
to accomplish a specific task or solve a particular problem.
ICTs in Education: ICTs stand for information and communication technologies
and are defined, for the purposes of this primer, as a “diverse set of
technological tools and resources used to communicate, and to create,
disseminate, store, and manage information.” [4] These technologies include computers, the Internet,
broadcasting technologies (radio and television), and telephony.
In recent
years there has been a groundswell of interest in how computers and the
Internet can best be harnessed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of
education at all levels and in both formal and non-formal settings. But ICTs
are more than just these technologies; older technologies such as the
telephone, radio and television, although now given less attention, have a
longer and richer history as instructional tools. For instance, radio and
television have for over forty years been used for open and distance learning,
although print remains the cheapest,most accessible and therefore most dominant
delivery mechanism in both developed and developing countries. The use of
computers and the Internet is still in its infancy in developing countries, if
these are used at all, due to limited infrastructure and the attendant high
costs of access.
Moreover,
different technologies are typically used in combination rather than as the
sole delivery mechanism. For instance, the Kothmale Community Radio Internet
uses both radio broadcasts and computer and Internet technologies to facilitate
the sharing of information and provide educational opportunities in a rural
community in Sri Lanka.Similarly, the Indira Gandhi National Open University in
India combines the use of print, recorded audio and video, broadcast radio and
television, and audioconferencing technologies
The
use of Technology in English Teaching and Learning: As
the use of English has increased in popularity so has the need for qualified
teachers to instruct students in the language. It is true that there are
teachers who use ‘cutting edge’ technology, but the majority of teachers still
teach in the traditional manner. None of these traditional manners are bad or
damaging the students. In fact, till date they are proving to be useful also.
However, there are many more opportunities for students to gain confidence
practice and extend themselves, especially for ESL students who learn the
language for more than just fun. For them to keep pace with ELT and gain more
confidence they have to stride into the world of multimedia technology.
The Advantages of Information
Technology in Teaching English: Undoubtedly
teaching must go beyond the traditional classes that sometimes get boring. And
knowing about technology while being an English teacher is something essential
due to there are a lot of resources that facilitate teaching and they can get
involved with the classes but most of them require of pre-knowledge of
technology. Firstly it helps the teachers and students to get an easy access
wherever they are and check the material they need. Also having libraries
online help students to study in a very comfortable way, and of course it does
require knowing at least a bit of technology.
The
Impact of Using Technology: Some
years ago technology has taken a very important place in today’s human society
development; actually technology is advancing more than human beings. And taking
into account that now it lives among us, it is quite necessary to get used to
live with it. Ideally students should get some basic information about New technology which includes
communication techniques for language teaching in which personal computers have
an important role (Davies & Hewer, 2012). Anyway there are more resources
that can be used instead of a computer but in order to they can be able to use
these tools they have to be familiar with the usage of ICTs.
From my point of view to all of these concepts I consider that they are
very necessary for being an English teacher. Education has changed and we as
teachers cannot continue working in the old system, so that is the reason to
start including ICTs into the class. It helps to develop the class in a more
modern way and also that the material can be more didactic and it is within
reach either students or teachers.
References.
Badhana, B (2012).
Integration of Information and Communication Technologies in Enhancing Teaching
and Learning. India: Jammu.
Solanski,
D (2012). The use of technology in English language teaching and learning”: an
analysis. IPEDR vol.33.Singapore.
Rodinadze
& Zarbazoia (2012). The advantages of information technology in teaching English language.
Frontiers of language and teaching, vol. 3. Batumi, Georgia.
https://www.academia.edu/2464880/The_Advantages_of_Information_Technology_in_Teaching_English_Language?auto=download
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