Some of the Examples of ICT use In education are the digital whiteboard, tablets, interactive tables, digital books, educational applications and digital teaching platforms.
The incorporation of new technologies into our lives has changed the world in which we live completely. Among these modifications we find those that have occurred in the educational field, in which, at present, it is strange to see a class in which they are not used to improve the teaching-learning process.
Examples of ICT use in education
1- Interactive whiteboard
The interactive whiteboard is a tool made up of a computer, a projector and a screen that can be controlled by a pointer. There are different types of blackboard although the most used is the one we are presenting here, another is emerging, the tactile interactive whiteboard. It differs from the previous one in that it allows us to control the screen with our fingers.
The digital whiteboard allows us to do many activities in the classroom. Here we will explain the most frequent of brief form:
- We can project any information that comes from the laptop since the whiteboard becomes a great monitor in which we can hear and see in an extended way the contents of this one.
Among these contents, the most common are: general and educational programs, videos, music, web pages, presentations, documents, etc. In addition, you can interact with them in the same way as you would with the computer without a whiteboard.
- We can also project contents of the multimedia tools that we will present later if we connect it properly by means of a cable: CD, DVD, camera of photos...
- The blackboards incorporate their own tools and didactic resources that are intended for all ages and areas. On the other hand, we can also use the banks of images, sounds and music or if we prefer to use the portals and websites that exist in order to Meet our goals .
2. Interactive tables
Interactive tables are another tool that although they are less widespread, can be used with groups of children in the infantile stage. One of its advantages is that given its diameter of 27 inches can be used up to six children, which will work with digital content as if it were a digital slate.
This has been designed so that the students have a moment of reflection and debate between them thanks to the digital content that they are working. They usually like them a lot because they can touch the screen and all the games they incorporate are interactive.
Its functions are the same as those of any other digital tool. The difference is that in order to facilitate its use its height is adapted to the one of the smaller ones.
On the other hand, it also incorporates educational games with which children can learn while having fun intuitively and using their fingers. However, because of its high price and that only has capacity for six people, it is not very widespread.
3. Tablet
The tablets are small devices that is characterized by having an intermediate size between the laptop and the mobile phone. Some centers have incorporated them to work with him in some subjects because of its design, lighter and intuitive than laptops.
On the other hand, neither do they need accessories or accessories which unlike the laptop makes the centers save money.
The functions of this tool are the same as those of any device. The difference is in the interactivity through the screen, which can be handled with an electromagnetic pen.
For those students who have a visual impairment, it can be a very useful tool, since you can work on it so that you can adapt the letters and the environment of the device to your needs and even if you need to use the programs that exist for this type Of disability.
For the students of the last years of Early Childhood Education and the first of Primary Education is the function of writing on the screen, because it allows them to learn writing in a medium as motivating as the digital world.
4. Digital Books
They are tools with digital textual content for which a screen should be used. Usually its use in the classroom is accompanied by other types of content such as audiovisual or even online.
Its incorporation in the classroom has brought with it a lot of controversy in the educational environment, since some people thought that its use in the classroom was going to replace the paper in all the senses and that, therefore, it would be harmful to the children in the learning of Reading and writing.
However, like other tools they offer great benefits in the teaching-learning process.
5. Laptops
As we already know, it could be said that they were the first tools that came to the classroom after the cannon, television, video... Like the other tools, allows both individual and group work and motivates students in an excellent way in The activities carried out in it.
On the other hand, it is a good complement of learning for children to internalize what they have learned on any particular topic or even to expand it if they prefer.
As a playful instrument, children can not distinguish whether they are playing or working with the computer, but play or work, which is true is that they learn to use it and acquire new knowledge, so that in schools is increasingly Of more programs and educational applications of high quality to offer them.
6. Specific software for online applications or online activities
With the advent of new technologies it has also been possible to use different programs, educational platforms or pages where there are online activities that we can use to work in different areas of knowledge.
In this way we can make the learning of those subjects that can be more boring or difficult to understand become something fun.
Although it is always recommended that this type of activities be used once the main content has been explained, some teachers are already incorporating them at the time of the explanation to capture the attention of the students.
On the other hand, they can also be used in support of the duties that are sent to the children in paper format.
In many cases, our students will acquire better the learning if they handle some device to carry out this type of activities for being more interactive and dynamic the procedure.
7. The multimedia
Multimedia resources are those tools that have always been used in the classroom to make learning less monotonous. That is, the ones we have used since always before they arrived the more modern ones like those that we have been mentioned previously.
Some examples are: television, video, DVD, cannon... These are currently used as a complement to other more modern tools, however, I have thought it convenient to mention them because they have been the basis for the development of all others.
8. Virtual teaching platforms
Another well-known tool in the educational field for the amount of benefits it provides to students are the virtual teaching platforms, understood as that tool that allows the student Study the subject at a distance Without the need to travel to the training center.
This has allowed different modalities of study such as e-learning or e-learning in Spanish or b-learning or blended learning.
Advantages and disadvantages
All the tools we have presented above are characterized by their own disadvantages and advantages when used in the educational field. However, in general, they coincide in many of them, so here we present the most important.
Advantage
- Their use in the classroom increases the motivation of the students. It is a fact that since they began to be used in classrooms students are more motivated in the different areas they study.
- Renew learning methods and processes. At present, all education professionals have had to recycle to use these tools in classrooms and change the way they teach.
- It allows to use new educational resources. Thanks to the continuous evolution of new technologies, new devices that increase the quality of teaching are being incorporated into the classroom.
- More time is spent in class. With the multitude of online activities that exist, students can learn more content in less time.
- It involves the student in the tasks . Students learn by playing and without realizing the contents that are worked in class.
- Encourage collaboration among students. Some tools such as touch tables allow students to collaborate in solving problems.
- Digital and audiovisual literacy. They allow students to acquire the digital and audiovisual skills necessary for their future.
- Another advantage is: Stimulates creativity , Respect the learning pace of students, create curiosity and a spirit of research, can experience and manipulate them.
Disadvantages
- He price Of some of these tools is very high and prevent their generalization.
- Some can only be placed in a certain way within the classroom as is the case with the digital whiteboard.
- By Classroom features There may be a lack of light if there is light in the classroom or if the projector is not powerful enough.
- You can also project shades On the blackboard by students and teachers.
- May exist technical problems With access to the internet, computers or digital slate software, for example.
- It supposes one Time investment In the preparation of activities in teachers.
- It takes some Degree of knowledge For the development of own activities, so that if teachers are not recycled and do not know how to handle them properly can be a big problem.
- There may be a Excessive information For students in the use of these devices.
- Sometimes you can Distract students If you do not know how to take the class while using this type of technology.
In summary
There are many ICT tools that can be used in the classroom to motivate students and improve their learning. However, not because we use them all we will be good professionals and they will learn more content.
We need to be able to know which tools we will use and for what and for what purpose, since all will not be equally effective and effective for the understanding of a certain content by our students.
In this article we have presented some of them, however there are many more that can be useful in the classroom for the characteristics of your students.
And you, what other examples of tics do you know?
References
- Marquès, P. (2008). The digital board.Recovery from http: // www. Peremarchs. Net /
- Tapscott, D. (1997): Growing in a digital environment. Bogotá. Mc Graw-Hill.
- De Caso, A. M., Blanco, J., & Navas, G. TICS IN SECOND CYCLE OF CHILDREN EDUCATION.
- Area, M. (coord) (2001): Educating in the information society. Bilbao. Desclée.