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

because of the myriad obstacles to widespread digital access in South Africa, some educators and experts in the technological field argue that e-learning is not viable for us. They believe that bridging the digital divide is too big a challenge.

in developed countries

technology allows them to engage more deeply with the subject matter, while – crucially, in today’s technology driven world – also allowing them to become comfortable with using digital technology.

Implementing e-learning programmes in South Africa is difficult.

that implemented properly, e-learning can assist in both equipping learners to enter a digital world, and alleviating what many see as a crisis in our education system.

proper implementation” lies in using educational technologies that span the online and offline worlds.

solutions

using educational technologies that span the online and offline worlds

Via Afrika

developing digital learning tools that require only limited Internet connectivity to work, and can be used both online and offline.

LivingPages app for Grade 10, 11 and 12 textbooks

interact with their textbooks using a smartphone or tablet

it enhances the printed page with extra digital content

can be streamed directly through the smartphone.

video

graphics

audio

Another

example

the Via Afrika eBook series for Grades 4–12.

e-textbooks can be read in the MobiReader app

allows for learners to engage with digital enhancements such as videos, slide shows and audio offline

Government is also making inroads into overcoming barriers to e-learning

Gauteng

its intention to introduce e-learning to the province’s schools, and distribute 88 000 tablets to schools that need them.

2014-03-05

broadband technology is also becoming increasingly accessible

Too often underprivileged learners who gain entry into tertiary institutions find themselves poorly equipped to work with the technology needed to succeed in these institutions.

If given the opportunity to engage with digital technologies from a young age, learners won’t have to face such challenges later on.

will only increase as cheaper smartphones and internet access become available.

creative educational solutions