Educational technology contributes to the development of the pedagogical process.
Educational technology is called the set of knowledge, applications and devices that allow the application of technological tools in the field of education . In other words: it is about solving educational problems through the use of information technology .
Thanks to educational technology, teachers can plan the learning process and optimize the teaching task . This is possible through the use of technical resources, such as computers , televisions , etc.
Advantages of educational technology
Although there are still teachers who consider that the so-called "traditional methods" continue to have validity and value when teaching students, there are others who are completely in favor of the use of educational technology. The latter consider that the use of computers, the Internet, mobile phones, tablets or digital whiteboards, for example, brings with it a long list of advantages, such as the following:
-It is a way for education to completely adapt to the present, to be in accordance with the technological era that we have lived in.
-It allows teachers to have at their disposal a long list of resources and tools on which to support their explanation of the subject.
-It gives students the opportunity to understand the content that the class is about much better, since everything is more visual and interactive.
-It also becomes a great way for children to delve into the themes and even reinforce them thanks to online games, treasure hunts, blogs...
For all these advantages and many others, the UN itself (United Nations Organization) encourages, supports and promotes not only commitment to new forms of teaching but, above all, to perfectly integrate technology in the field. educational.
The uses of educational technology are multiple.
History and implementation
Educational technology is not new: it has been applied in schools and educational centers in general for several decades. When a teacher projects a documentary or uses a screen to show presentations to his students, he is taking advantage of educational technology. The method was strengthened, in any case, from the rise of computing and the digital world .
The way educational technology is implemented has also changed over the years. Initially, institutions usually had a laboratory, classroom or office specialized in computing , with computers and other technological equipment. Then computers became portable and began to be integrated into everyday classrooms. Currently, educational technology even enters students' homes through the Internet .
Uses of educational technology in school
We can find the use of educational technology in different stages of the education process. Suppose a teacher projects an educational film in the classroom. Then give each student a DVD with more information. The educator finally asks the students to do practical work on what they saw, which they must publish on a website. All these activities can be developed thanks to the application of educational technology.
Currently within the teaching sector there are many proposals, workshops, classes and existing education forums that revolve around educational technology, as would be the case of "RELATEC", which is the "Latin American Magazine of Educational Technology".