During your children’s education, you may be reminiscing about the “good old days” of your schooling. The days spent doing homework, working in the library and doing extensive research on projects and papers due any day now. Seeing how far technology has advanced in recent years may leave you pining for the microfiche experience for your own children, and wonder if they are getting the full experience with constant access to everything. Are they truly learning in this regard?
The Learning Experience
It can be hard thinking back to how difficult it was in finding out the simplest information about a person or time in history, while nowadays it can take seconds to find out the same information. Days spent at the library are dwindling in today’s world, being replaced with faster and faster Internet connections instead. Having to dig deeper into books and encyclopedias lends itself to patience, and a feeling of satisfaction at the end of the day in having to research a certain topic. With information becoming more readily available online, it may have decreased the amount of time you had to spend on a project, making the process more streamlined. Did it have the same feelings of accomplishment as spending more time with your nose in a book? The learning experience of kids is ever-changing, becoming even quicker and faster in more recent years.
The Times Are Changing
With technology only going to increase in efficiency and availability, the time it will take for projects to be complete may almost be obsolete. Children should always be learning and completing certain projects and papers, but if the sense of research and retention isn’t there, the process of learning may change as well. The ability to learn information faster and easier for students today won’t necessarily take away from the learning experience, as long as it’s balanced. Getting to the research materials will be easier for students, but also confirming that the information they are receiving is accurate and real is another matter. Even though a click of a button can give you a plethora of information in seconds, it’s not always going to be the most efficient way of getting answers. Students may still rely on libraries and other hard copy means of learning in order to improve their researching skills and confirm that the info they are receiving is true and accurate. This still gives students learning opportunities to hone their research and make their projects or papers shine.
Looking to the Future
Education and learning are ever changing, no matter how you look at it. The way information and technology is constantly updating is only the beginning. This also lends itself to requiring different learning methods to continue staying relevant in today’s world. Online learning is only going to increase, as well it should, and help students reach their full potential. This shift in learning will help students gain the knowledge necessary to put their best foot forward.
Katie Kyzivat