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The computer and its related technologies are now such an integral part of everyday life that it must be an ingredient in educating for participation in the present and future society. For educators it is a tool for lesson preparation: research information on any topic – find activities to print and use – gather ideas used by other teachers for presenting lessons – using word processing, page layout and presentation software to produce activity pages and audio/video lesson presentations The internet in particular keeps teachers up to date when they join in on forums and blogs about teaching practices etc.
Online courses are also available for adding to teaching credentials. (This is a boon for those who are not living close enough to a large city centre where classes, conferences and meetings can easily be attended. ) For students, access to computer (and in particular internet technology) at school can be a great leveler. While most students are comfortable using the computer, those who do not have one at home are at a disadvantage for completing assignments that require research and producing a printed document.
The computer can be a tool for learning in many areas of the curriculum: – math teachers should take advantage of the opportunity to allow students to create spreadsheets to manipulate data – formal teaching in the finer points of using word processing and presentation software to produce polished presentations of creative writing or research reports would prepare students to meet the expectations of the business world – music classes can be dynamic when students are given the opportunity to explore composition using computer software – learn about varieties of music by listening to files available on the internet – set up pen pals in another city or country for their students to learn communication skills (also a great way for students who are learning another language to practise by “chatting’ with another student Teachers are constantly discovering new ways to integrate computers into their programs. In today’s education the computer has become the new pencil and paper, text book, library and in many cases ……. teacher.