Today's rapidly changing technological landscape is shifting the way youth communicate with one another. With information and communication technologies (ICTs) becoming ubiquitous in communities worldwide, social interactions are more frequent and moving beyond national borders. Technology creates forums where learners can share information, engage in dialogue with peers the world over, and contribute to diverse perspectives.
In a world increasingly shaped and defined by technology, it is imperative that ICTs feature prominently in our education systems. However, rather than learning to use technology for technology’s sake, or learning about ICTs in isolation, the use of ICTs is best integrated across subject areas and educational experiences. The immersive use of ICTs gives students the experience they need to be able to appropriately apply technology to a wide range of situations and outcomes. It will also enable students to benefit from real-time collaboration and the latest insights and research available, anytime, anywhere.
At the Eastern Townships School Board in Quebec, Canada, which began providing students with individual access to laptops in 2003, dropout rates have dropped 17.3% from 39.4% to 22.1%, and they have jumped from 67th to 23rd in provincial rankings as of December 2012. A 2011 study from the Université de Montréal also found that using computers as a teaching tool led to increases in concentration, reinforced motivation, and facilitated the development and autonomy of students.
Yet, classrooms are moving very slowly to embrace this shift. As one youth notes, "At school, you do all this boring stuff, really basic stuff, PowerPoint and spreadsheets and things. It only gets interesting and exciting when you come home and really use your computer. You’re free, you’re in control, it’s your own world." Bridging the gap between how students live and how they learn not only makes education relevant to today’s learners, but it may also encourage the development of skills needed to adapt to changing global conditions. We have an opportunity to help students use their voices, amplified by technology, to create change needed by our global society and to help them drive new forms of economic activity.
Today's rapidly changing technological landscape is shifting the way youth communicate with one another. With information and communication technologies (ICTs) becoming ubiquitous in communities worldwide, social interactions are more frequent and moving beyond national borders. Technology creates forums where learners can share information, engage in dialogue with peers the world over, and contribute to diverse perspectives.
In a world increasingly shaped and defined by technology, it is imperative that ICTs feature prominently in our education systems. However, rather than learning to use technology for technology’s sake, or learning about ICTs in isolation, the use of ICTs is best integrated across subject areas and educational experiences. The immersive use of ICTs gives students the experience they need to be able to appropriately apply technology to a wide range of situations and outcomes. It will also enable students to benefit from real-time collaboration and the latest insights and research available, anytime, anywhere.
At the Eastern Townships School Board in Quebec, Canada, which began providing students with individual access to laptops in 2003, dropout rates have dropped 17.3% from 39.4% to 22.1%, and they have jumped from 67th to 23rd in provincial rankings as of December 2012. A 2011 study from the Université de Montréal also found that using computers as a teaching tool led to increases in concentration, reinforced motivation, and facilitated the development and autonomy of students.
Yet, classrooms are moving very slowly to embrace this shift. As one youth notes, "At school, you do all this boring stuff, really basic stuff, PowerPoint and spreadsheets and things. It only gets interesting and exciting when you come home and really use your computer. You’re free, you’re in control, it’s your own world." Bridging the gap between how students live and how they learn not only makes education relevant to today’s learners, but it may also encourage the development of skills needed to adapt to changing global conditions. We have an opportunity to help students use their voices, amplified by technology, to create change needed by our global society and to help them drive new forms of economic activity.
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