Parents Information Night.
A preview of the arguments for computers in education.
The purpose of the information night is to present to parents how and why computers are beneficila in education.
Computers are inherently beneficial in education. Computers can equip software to enhance the learning experience, allow students to communicate with other students from other schools and improve professional communication skills. Students either with disabilities or illegible writing can use computers and can therefore hand in neat and legible assignments. Computers offer access to a wide variety of information of a multitude of topics. Using computers in primary school allow students to acquire skills they will be a necessity later in life.
Students can rely on a computer to make assignments nea and tidy. assignments marked with the criteria of being legible, for those students who have difficulties with handwriting or disabilities, they may immediately lose marks, for something they may not be able to help. Not many primary school students can write a perfectly legible assignment or even a pargraph. By using computers, students can be guaranteed not only aesthetically pleasing assignments but also one that will be able to be read easily by those marking. Also, computers with the right software can give children with limited movement a way to interact and communicate with the class. For example, it is very hard to give an oral if the student has problems with speech, such as stuttering or even being mute or deaf. There is a variety of softwareon the market that can be used for pupils with speaking disorders. These programs aloow students with disabilities to function more like other students. According to P. Gunvall, "Increased access to computers as personal aids has given students with functional disabilities improved access to education, allowing them to carry out their assignments more independently." (Gunvall, n.d.) Whether it is an oral or written assignments, computers make it easier fro everyone in the classroom, from the students doing the assignment to the teachers marking the assignments. Computers in classrooms allow students with disabilities to become more independent, as well as handing in assignments as legible as the next student.
Students have easy access to a variety of information. In this day and age, information is more plentiful on a computer than in a library. With computers, many different media types can be utilised. There is the internet, where every topic imaginable has at least twenty websites. Some of the information is valid and authentic, sych as the informationon a university website, or an online dictonary. Government sites and associate websites can also be trusted, such as the website for taxa dn NASA. As well as everday internet, located on the internet are journals and articles that have been transferred from a print only copy to an online vrsin as well. The internet is designed for research, with its many various domain hosts and search engines, such as 'google', 'alta vista', 'yahoo' and 'yahooligans' for the younger people. Moreover, usinf a computer means students can use programs such as Encarta, or Briatannia for information. Students can use docmentaries, such as 'Walking with Dinosaurs' as many computers will play DVDs. While there is so much information, as mentioned before, the information may be suspect. Students can not use the internet properly and to its full potnetail until they are aware how to check for the authenticity of the information they are provided with. So, it is clear that computers provide a wide ramge of information.
Students are gaining life long skills at an early age. Students, no matter what career they may ultimately choose, will most likely be using computers on a day to day basis. it isthe technological era, and not knowing the ins and outs of computers will leave students sorely disadvantaged in the future. Even if the student is only interested in finishing school and working in a supermarket, computers will be a necessity fro tthe rest of schools life. As the students pss into each grade, the assignments become harder andlonger. if however, students wish to eventually have a career at the top of the food chain, knowledge of how to use computers will be essentail, even if for the first few years of their career consist solely of typing up letters. Computers are very important in life, whether it be because of reasearching, long hours of typing, or using it for a multi-media presentation. Some of these life long skills include typing quickly and accuarately , using power point to create a visually pleasing presenation and knowing how to use word processor, with these skills, students in the future have a better chance at gainful emlpoyment, than someone with no knowledge of computers at all.
As can been seen, computers are highly beneficial in education. Computers allow students with disabilities to become independent and hand in legible assignments, as well as provide students with a large range of information for the aforementioned assignments. Students who have day to day contact with computers, grasp the basics of using computers faster than students who use the computer once a week. These contact times allow students to pick up life long skill at an early age. All these thing are beneficial to the students and the studnts' future.
References
Gunvall, P. (n.d.) ICT in education for children with disabilities in Sweden. Retrieved April 14, 2006, from http://www.european-agency.org/ict_sen_db/national_pages/attachments/ict.html
Page created by: Melissa Whitechurch.
Last Updated: 28th May 2006.
Some Useful Web Sites
Fall Syllabus Computers In Education
Computers and Young Children
Education Queensland
Angelfire - Free Home Pages
Blog
