Group items tagged

Distractions of games and videos Unmonitored social networking leading to bullying or predation Consumption (and creation) of inappropriate content Social status and stigma of devices

Personal computing changed the nature of human life forever

The impact of these devices on the lives of adults and children of today is amazing but it is only the beginning

a wave of innovation in digital assistive devices

devices like Google Glass

people are never without their smartphone and rarely out of range of a network connection.

human condition is radically improved by the immediacy of information and social interconnectedness that these devices enable

smartphone has become a seamless compliment to my human brain. With my brain and my smartphone on, I am more powerful

addictive

We are all more powerful beings armed with our devices

Whose responsibility is it to teach responsible use?

important to teach children how to use their other technology “brains” as it is to teach them to use their physical brains

So how are teachers and administrators to cope with the risks of unfettered online access with the responsibility to teach students how to leverage this irreplaceable technology?

Seek tools to manage content

Put policy and technology in place

Surround the access points with security

Leverage the speed of these new technologies to discover and participate in experiments with pioneering institutions in the digital world.

how are parents to cope with the risks of unfettered online access at school

supporting your local school in their efforts with BYOD and technology initiatives

Associating technology with learning in the minds of our children

These are not JUST tools for playing games.

both physical books and ebooks

read to your children

sources of interaction like ebooks

devices can be used for knowledge consumption and knowledge contribution

Show them how you manage your work life and home life with the help of your own devices

etiquette for email and SMS in the same way that you discuss the polite ways to interact personally

Eiffel Corp is an e-learning specialist and Light said that the lack of local understanding of the process makes it difficult to define the exact number of schools that have effective programmes in place.

some of the biggest barriers to schools having a successful e-learning ecosystem is the lack of a well-planned teaching and learning strategy that incorporates technology, a lack of funding to invest in online platforms to administer and deliver e-learning content as well as the complementary subsidising of network data and connectivity infrastructure at places of learning,” said Light.

In Gauteng, Education MEC Panyaza Lesufi has spear-headed the provincial e-learning programme in which the paperless education system is expected to cost around R17bn.However, the programme has had challenges with a number of devices stolen.

More than 100 smart boards have been stolen in our schools since the installation in July 2015 of the ICT programme in the Grade 12 classrooms in 377 schools

But a critical component is the training of teachers to manage the delivery of the curriculum through technology tools.

it should be clear that the training (perhaps we should call it up-skilling) of teachers is a massive task

expensive and a labour intensive

But unless it is done in tandem with the roll-out of technology devices in schools, there will be minimal return on the technology investment," Kobus van Wyk recently told Fin24.

Van Wyk is the chief executive of the Associated Distributors of Educational Supplies in Southern Africa and managed the Khanya Project for a decade.

“South Africa needs strong, committed national leadership and complementary government policy to foster innovation and direct efforts to encourage teacher skills growth in this area,” said Light.

Poll that revealed more than half of school children said they knew more than their teachers about the use of tablets and computers for learning.

for e-learning to be effective and assist with bridging the divide for all learners, it needs effective planning that integrates with sound, measurable academic practices, cheap and reliable data connectivity as well as committed, long term funding from government,” said Light.