What Does Educative technology Mean
Educational technology refers to the set of knowledge, applications and devices that allow the application of technological tools in the field of education . In other words, it is about solving educational problems through the use of information technology .
Thanks to educational technology, teachers can plan the learning process and optimize the teaching task . This is possible thanks to the use of technical resources, such as computer (computers), televisions , etc.
Although there are still teachers who consider that the so-called “traditional methods” continue to have validity and value when teaching students, there are others who are in complete favor of the use of educational technology. The latter consider that the use of computers, the Internet, mobile phones, tablets or digital whiteboards, for example, brings with it a long list of advantages, such as the following:
-It is a way for education to fully adapt to today , that is in accordance with the technological era that we have had to live.
-It allows teachers to have at their disposal a long list of resources and tools on which to support their explanation of the subject.
-Gives students the opportunity to understand much better the content the class is about, since everything is more visual and interactive.
-It also becomes a great way for children to delve into the themes and even reinforce them thanks to online games, treasure hunts, blogs ...
For all these advantages and many more, that is why the UN itself (United Nations Organization) encourages, supports and encourages not only betting on new forms of education but, above all, for perfectly integrating technology in the field educational.
Educational technology is not new: it has been applied in schools and educational centers in general for several decades. When a teacher projects a documentary or uses a screen to show presentations before his students, he is taking advantage of educational technology. The method was strengthened, however, from the rise of computing and the digital world .
The mode of implementation of educational technology has also changed over the years. In the beginning, institutions used to have a specialized computer lab, classroom or cabinet , with computers and other technological equipment. Then the computers became portable and began to be integrated into the classrooms of daily use. Currently educational technology even enters the home of students through the Internet .
We can find the use of educational technology in different stages of the education process . Suppose a teacher projects an educational film in the classroom. Then give each student a DVD with more information. The educator finally asks the students to do a practical work on the seen, which they must publish on a website. All these activities can be developed thanks to the application of educational technology.
Currently within the teaching sector there are many existing educational proposals, workshops, classes and forums that revolve around educational technology, as would be the case of "RELATEC", which is the "Latin American Journal of Educational Technology".