Education, Technology and ELT

This blog is a part of Thinking activity given by our sir (Dr. Dilip Barad) , here is the blog link of him click here. In the this blog task, we have to watch the video which is given in sir's blog and have to think and write.

We all are using technology in one or another way.
As know that technology is center part of everyday lives. We all are using technology in one or another way. Students love to use technology. They are interested because they are using. Technology is important in classroom because its open different ways of communication in our modern world. Today, we have massive amounts of information  are available at one’s fingertips through the Internet, and opportunities for formal learning are available online worldwide through the Khan Academy, MOOC, podcasts, traditional online degree programs, and more.  Following are some videos in which you can see that how technology help us in a different way and many other important things.

Sugata Mitra :

I watched two videos and both are interesting.

1.Build a School in the Cloud
2. Future of lerning

In the first video he talk about present day schooling and where it came from. He also talked about Victorian era. If we observe our education system, then we comes know that there were some schools in which teachers can not use technology. Our education system is not bad but we may don't need it. Every teacher has to use technology in the class. Present day schooling has to prepare students for future. He think about those child who living in slum eras. He was interested in knowing that they are interested in technology He had an interest in knowing whether they are interested in knowing new things or not. He put one computer there and observe that they are interested. He observed that they are browsing and teaching each other how to do. So I found this interesting. As we know that they have no idea what is English language or Internet. So they are learning and technology helps them.
After that he also work on pronunciation that how they can do this. So he give them a speech to text engine in computer and told them keep talking into it unless you know. So here you can talk with native speakers and improve your pronunciation.
He also talk about following points.

1. SOLE : self organised lerning environment
2. Self learning through computer
3. Threats - punishment and examination
4. Encouragement

David Crystal :

David Crystal is a British linguist an& author. He has also written plays and poetry. He also edited 120 books on a wide variety of subjects such as Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language, the Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language, the Cambridge Biographical Dictionary etc. His focus is on English language and for that he wrote many books. In his one of the  article "What is Standard English", he give Crystal hypothesizes. As we know that technology has many languages. If you want to learn something, you can just type in Google and you get many sources as well as some applications. Printing was arrived in 15th century. But with the arrival of the telephone, It's easy to read and communicate. People don't even know how to use it but those people themselves learned. With the phone you can talk to anyone at your home no need to go out to talk. For some, it is disaster.
He also talk about Broadcasting. Broadcasting came in the 1920s. Broadcasting has introduced variety of the languages. For example now we have television. Crystal give the example of Sport commentaries. After that he talked about Internet. With the help of internet, you can do or complete your work as soon as possible.
After that he also talked about blog which  arrived in 1997. This is a kind of our diary in which you can shear your thoughts and you can shear with everyone. Facebook and twitter are example of new technologies. As we know that technologies influence the language in a specific ways.Crystal give the example of Stephen Fry.
So nowadays, we use various tools like internet, google, email, blogging, Facebook for communication.

In The Biggest Challenge for English Language Teachers in the times of Internet, he talked about Language and Facebook, Globalization of English language, American and British English etc. We know the American and British English because of films and television. But have no idea about other English such as Indian English, Australian English, Nigerian English etc. We know the language that is famous.
Then he talk about following two important jobs.
1. Translating and interpreting
2. Language teaching

He also said that texting is 'Good' for English Language in this video. We also have to think a lot while texting. We can also improve our language by texting. He talk about following myths
1. Some people believe that taxing is not an good idea. Taxing is done by kids only.
2. Text messages with abbreviations entirely abbreviate these messages.
3. Messaging is invented by the kids, its a modern thing.
4. Kids don't know how to spell
5.There is generation of illiterate because kids don't know how to spell correctly.
We can not say that it is only done by kids but Adult does too.

Marc Prensky: Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants:

In this video he talk about some interesting points. Old generation has no idea how to use technology but new generation has. They know how to use it and how we can develop ourselves. They spent their time with technology like they are watching videos and playing video games, spending emails, watching TV etc. So today's students think in a different way from their predecessor.
Different kids of experience lead to different brain structures as Sugata Mitra also said this. Dr. Bruce T. Perry said this. So student brains have physicality changed. Than he talk about digital immigrants and native speakers. They said that our student today are all native speaker of the digital language of computer games in the Internet. It is very easy to listen or to see the native speaker's language that how they are speaking because of technology. Sugata Mitra also did this. Some of the Immigrants don't believe in this but it is possible. Some educator might ask that how do we teach logic in this fashion and content. There are two kinds of content.
1. Legacy content
2. Further content
He also talk about traditional curriculum.  We have to prepare our students for further.

Salman Khan : Let's use Video to reinvent education 

Salman Khan who talked about the reinvent education. The Khan academy is known for its collection of more videos. There are many students who are interested in his videos as well as they are watching or also give him comments. In the video first he shere his experience and how he Started his new journey. Obviously when you think to do something new you have to struggle to achieve it or to achieve your goals. He uploaded his all videos in you tube and got positive results. He also got the comments of teachers or parents that our students or child are watching your videos. Then he started Khan Academy.
Yes it is possible, you can watch the video and you can learn. I realized this when I joined the Department of English. Our sir always encourage us to do something new. He always tell us to watch the video and come with questions. Like if you don't understand some point while watching tje video or if you want more discussion related  to the specific topic then you can ask sir. This is a best way of teaching and learning. This is a blog in which we have to watch the video and write.

so we have to adopt new things.If we thing that can technology replace teacher, no, Technology and teachers both are important. Technology has everything but the teacher has what technology does not have. No one can take the place of anyone.