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The Evolution of

Technology in the

Classroom

MODULE 1

TEACHER’S GUIDE ON VIRTUAL REALITY IN SCHOOL EDUCATION FUTURE SCHOOLS USING THE POWER OF VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY FOR EDUCATION AND TRAINING IN THE CLASSROOM

VR@SCHOOL ERASMUS+ STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS FOR SCHOOL EDUCATION PROJECT

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Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1

Main objective of the module ............................................................................................... 1

General Description ............................................................................................................. 1

1.1 The evolution of technology and the learning environment ............................................. 2

1.1.1 In what relation between the current technologies and education? ............................ 2

1.1.2 Distance education vs internet education .................................................................. 4

1.1.3 What are the benefits of web-based training? ........................................................... 6

1.2 The evolution of technology and the digital students ...................................................... 8

1.2.1. How has Information and Communication Technology (ICT) been integrated into

education? ........................................................................................................................ 8

1.3 The evolution of technology and the role of the teacher ................................................ 11

1.3.1. Educational policies in the technological era ......................................................... 12

1.3.2. Difficulties in integrating digital technologies into education ................................ 13

1.3.3. The teacher and technological innovation in the 21st century. Perspectives ........... 13

1.4. Conclusions ................................................................................................................. 14

Bibliography ...................................................................................................................... 15

Answers to the questions addressed in the module 1 ........................................................... 15

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Future schools using the power of Virtual and Augmented Reality for education and training in the classroom

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Introduction

Since the beginning of the 21st century, WWW technology has become a part of everyday life. It was imposed slowly but surely so that today we do not conceive its absence. The influence of technology on the labour market has led to the emergence of new trades (specializations) that impose a certain profile for employee training. In order to obtain a highly skilled workforce, it is necessary that the training from the primary classes is done using the new technologies to familiarize the students with them. The new technologies had to face the reluctance of the teachers in the first phase but the efficiency of the teaching made them quickly integrate them.

The first steps were taken in the first years by using the Internet. In the first phase of teaching sequences with media content from the Internet were introduced. The students were interested in deepening the subjects taught by using the Internet. The technology has evolved and the teachers have also evolved, through periodic trainings, since the requirements increased. The media content was no longer sufficient. It was necessary to personalize this content according to the needs of each student but also the possibility to interact with this content by expressing their own opinions.

Main objective of the module

As technology is increasingly present in the day-to-day activity of our lives, we must begin to

prepare children for the future, taking this into account. Students already turn their attention to

technology, in this case, the role of teachers is to guide children correctly to the intelligent use of the

online environment. Students need to be encouraged to turn their attention to technology. It is the

future, it represents the majority of jobs, it is the one who supports sustainable development. In

addition, students are already familiar with many of the platforms and gadgets they can learn from.

This makes the education process much simpler, since the stage of familiarization of children with

technology is not necessary. Moreover, the fast connections that can be made between schools,

students and teachers, increase the pace of teaching and learning. This module aims at describing

the elements necessary for integrating technology in the classroom, namely the students, the role of

the teacher and a brief history and evolution of WWW.

General Description

This module will highlight the benefits of integrating technology into the educational process

from many points of view. It is important that this rate of change brought about by the technological

process is also maintained at pedagogical level, so that the teachers embrace this change and evolve

with the environment in which they live. Schools are increasingly starting to focus on technology and

thus better preparing generations for the future.

Module key elements:

World Wide Web Learning environment Technology Innovation

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1.1 The evolution of technology and the learning environment

The mere fact that technology accompanies us everywhere, is

a good enough reason to try to change the way young people

assimilate the information provided during the courses. In many

European and American states, IT companies, together with

governments, have successfully implemented thousands of projects in

educational institutions. In order to facilitate access to information

and courses, interactive classes, based on software programs created

for education, have greatly improved not only the relationship

between students and teachers, but also the relationships between

parents and students and the student assimilates better the subject matter.

Children represent the future of a society, which is why it is

important for them to acquire the necessary skills in a consumer-based

society. As technology can be a source of distraction, the programs

implemented in schools aim to provide the student with an interactive,

rich and varied learning experience, at the same time becoming more

disciplined and more informed.

1.1.1 In what relation between the current technologies and education?

Between the technologies of today and education there is a close relationship, of mutual determination and mutual empowerment: technological advancement is a consequence of the strength and breadth of education, but education also specifically subsumes these benefits. Any educational process is related to the technical component not only through a training of the students in this direction, but also by exploiting the technological valences for the

benefit of the training. From a procedural perspective, education also involves a series of concrete-material elements that are converted into educational factors that induce success and quality through their simple use. From this point of view, education has subsumed for any specific purpose any technical advance, this track being one of the keys to success in the training plan. As expected, the new means of information and communication could not be bypassed, especially since there is a closeness between the two universes, the education being based and training communication, and the communication also assuming a formative commitment.

The educational function of the new technologies is twofold: on the one hand, they facilitate and help education, if they are carefully integrated into educational practices; on the other hand, they predispose and oblige new configurations of competences that are intended to be formed by educational institutions, leading to continuous finalist, curricular and strategic reforms. At the same time, the integration in education of new technologies leads to a recalibration or adaptation of traditional teaching methodologies, through recontextualizations, modernizations, innovations and at strategic level. The objective aspect (the new medium of education) will affect the strategic dimension imminently. The material support not only reserves a neutral status, but interacts imminently and obviously with the strategic aspect. The technology "forces" the didactic methodology to new settlements. As in a system of communicating vessels, what is won on one side

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will reverberate positively on the other. This is not to contradict the old and the new, to minimize or exclude one of the variants, but to enhance them both, by means of necessary correlations, adaptations or updates. The new does not exclude the old, but invokes it, summons it, challenges it - but otherwise. So, teaching sequences based on exposure or didactic conversation, for example, can happily co-exist with the activation of cognitive or creative dimensions due to computer-based training.

The relationship between technology and education is becoming more and more dynamic. On the one hand, we are witnessing a permanent evolution of the technical supports, a renewal from one day to another, which obliges, on the part of the users, to the formation of new skills, behaviours, attitudes. On the other hand, the degree of absorption or permissiveness of the technician in relation to the demands of the educational perimeter evolves at an alert rate. Thus, the relationship between the two "dynamics" becomes much more complex. It is often the case that some technical innovations enter the school space as such, in a "natural", naive way (computer, tablet, phone), sometimes they are modelled from the beginning for an explicit didactic use (see interactive board, virtual educational platforms, etc.)Current information and communication technologies are building a new learning benchmark, one that is transmitted or "created" by the virtual world. This is no less important than the classic contents, many of them

being "duplicated" by virtual variants. Paintings from a large museum can be explored on the spot, but can also be "inspected" from multiple perspectives, from a distance, via the Internet (VR technology). Both variants induce different types of representations or experiences with formative connotations that complement but stimulate each other.

The outside world is technicalizing and artificializing at a very fast pace, and the school, to a certain extent, must keep up with this dynamic. To an extent, it has to absorb and use them for its own benefit. At the same time, it must also preserve areas of naturalness, give students direct knowledge by observing the real world, create a situation of normal action and interrelation (by practicing manoeuvrability, by operating directly with objects, by stimulating psychomotor skills etc. ). We wonder if, at some point, given these developments, the school will be forced to intentionally preserve or create "oases" of normality, of "real" situations, as a "defence" reaction in relation with the increasingly artificial socio-technological existence. In an increasingly computerized world, education for and through the performance or knowledge of real life can acquire new meanings!

Analyzing the educational systems, rated as the best in the world, we notice that they place great emphasis on the use of technology in the educational process. The educational field evolves with technology, integrating it at all levels. It is normal to keep up with this evolution and adapt to the times in which we live. For some time now, technology has begun to make its presence more and more felt in the classrooms that are evolving, in the teaching methods that evolve, in the lives of the students who are increasingly anchored in the virtual reality. Therefore, it is necessary to resort to this area in our endeavor to provide a modern, comprehensive education to children.

An important role that technology involvement has in the educational sphere is that it helps students to increase their self-confidence. Working as a team, but also individually, in some cases, helps children connect with each other, collaborate and even compete. In addition, the assessment of the students is no longer done according to their age and year of study. Through the technology,

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the students' voice is heard equally and the assessment is made according to their achievements, thus eliminating, from the evaluation process, the subjective component. Even with technology, students can be differentiated. Each one has a side that can be further developed. Whether it is the artistic, visual, musical, practical or mathematical side, there is no uniformization. Each child has the opportunity to choose how to express himself better, what his learning pace is, as well as the method.

Technology has no limits. Its development is continuous. The use of technology in schools, in

the field of education, offers students unlimited possibilities of learning and evolution. The

limitations of resources and reduced access to information disappear with the introduction of

technology in the field of education. In addition, teachers can come up with various new ways to

attract students and keep them captive. Some schools do not have the material and educational

resources needed to provide students with valuable learning experiences. But technology replaces

these shortcomings by unlimited access to information, access that can be done at reduced costs.

1.1.2 Distance education vs internet education

Distance education is a complex reality, imposed by the evolution of society. Distance

education already has a long tradition and co-exists in parallel with traditional education. If

traditional education takes place primarily in the form of direct contact between teacher and

students, distance education is characterized by a significant diminution of the "face to face" contact

between teacher and students. The learner integrated in a distance education program can choose

the time and place of study; also, he will be able to study at his own pace, being permanently guided

and receiving assistance from the instructors. These characteristics make distance education the

most accessible form of learning for those people who, for various reasons, cannot or will not pursue

a traditional form of education. Distance education uses different methods or technologies

(correspondence / printing, audio, video, computer networks) to provide instruction, which involves

the physical separation of education actors (instructor-trainee), who feel this process

as a specific teaching experience. - learning, trying to supplement the physical absence with a series

of strategies to encourage interaction between the instructor - learner, learner - learner, learner -

content. Depending on how the information is transmitted to the learner, several types of distance

education can be listed:

a. Correspondence education. Printed courses and postal services were the basis from which

all the other systems of remote delivery of instruction evolved. With the advent and mass

use of new information and communication technologies, the delivery of information can

also be done electronically (CD-ROM or directly by e-mail).

b. Radio education had a lower popularity, being used with the extraordinary development of

this new information carrier and dissolving in the other functions of mass media

communication: promoting culture, information, socialization and even entertainment.

c. Television education is maintained as a pedagogical alternative that benefits from the

advantage of familiarity and is implemented through TV shows of general educational

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character or, as an alternative form of education, through programs designed and realized

according to school-type programs that have specific characteristics.

d. Internet education is a new type of distance learning-learning, which is gaining ground every

day, due to the amplification of the multimedia character of the World-Wide Web space, in

the conditions of a higher access to the Internet both quantitatively (as number of people)

but especially qualitative (as a transfer speed). The most used IT resources for teaching-

learning activities are educational software products (didactics), applications that contain a

teaching strategy and that are addressed directly to those who learn by helping them

acquire information or acquire skills through demonstrations, examples, explanations,

simulations.

Another type of resource for the didactic activity is the electronic

books (eBook) for which significant progress is announced considering the

reduced production costs compared to the printed books, but especially

the reduction of paper consumption and consequently the protection of

the environment. Along with educational software products and e-books, in

the instructional-educational process an important informational

contribution is provided by educational multimedia applications such as

encyclopedias, multimedia dictionaries or different types of athletes.

The interconnection of computers has had major consequences in the field of education, the

possibility of communication and sharing of resources, which, by exacerbating the need for lifelong

learning, has led to the development of web-based training systems, also referred to as eLearning

platforms. The evolution of these platforms is the consequence of the continuous increase of the

capacities and the flexibility of the new computer technologies with applicability in the educational

situations, doubled by a continuous decrease in the cost of the equipment. The use of new

technologies in education requires from the teachers a set of knowledge, skills and attitudes that

allow them to use and capitalize on new technologies in the didactic activity. In other words, it is

necessary to form a certain computer culture, understood not only as a specialized knowledge and

skills, but also as a new orientation and relation to reality. Teachers must have the ability to identify

both pedagogical situations and appropriate IT solutions, with beneficial effects for education and

training. The conversion of new technologies into training and education strategies has already been

imposed as a reality that characterizes educational systems, having a great impact on increasing the

efficiency of educational activities. The continuous improvement of the information and

communication technologies, the increase of the degree of use and the continuous adaptation to

the requirements imposed by the development of the institution make of these technologies an

optimal environment for the transmission of the information, a necessary but not sufficient

condition for ensuring the success in the educational process. The effectiveness of the training also

depends on the way selected for the communication of the content, and the choice must be

influenced by the content and not by the technology, each environment presenting advantages and

disadvantages. The possibilities of rendering information in computer-assisted training are more

numerous, compared to traditional training. Graphic representations have been used since the

beginning of human existence to convey certain messages, eloquent in this sense being the rock

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drawings. In the current stage you can use thumbnail images (clipart), digital photos, diagrams and

even 3D images to illustrate data and trends, to describe concepts, to match descriptions or just for

decoration. Replacing explanations with an eloquent graphic representation can better structure

information and have a greater impact for the user. The main advantage of using graphic

representations is the ease with which an image is retained that can express quite a lot in a confined

space, the visual memory being considered superior to the lexical one by many psychologists. The

animation can be used to draw attention, to add colour and to relax the presentation or to

demonstrate and exemplify the development of various processes that are difficult to reproduce

through text alone. In the latter situation, each animation must be interrupted and resumed at any

time. Live (live) images can be used for educational purposes both for observing various aspects of

the real world, and for removing the feeling of isolation that a distance learner enrolled in a web-

based training process can feel. The presentations represent the digital alternative of the slides used

in the traditional training as a way of organizing the information and its visual presentation. The

computer facilitates the use of this teaching technique. In a presentation both transition effects

between slides can be established, but also animation effects associated with the different

components present in the slides. Hyperlinks are one of the components of computer-assisted

training that are not found in traditional training methods, which become available after the advent

of Web technology. Not only does it give the trainee the opportunity to actively participate in his /

her own training, but it also leads to a deeper understanding of the information presented. These

can be used for further explanations, for reference to examples, generally providing opportunities to

explore additional information that will facilitate understanding of the material.

Email, discussion forums, chats alleviate the sense of isolation of learners involved in

distance learning, a feeling caused by the elimination of classical interaction. Discussions, problem

solving, interaction with colleagues and instructors are just a few of the activities that will provide

the learner with an opportunity for social interaction channelled to learning.

1.1.3 What are the benefits of web-based training?

Web-based training mitigates the consequences of physical isolation of the learner through

asynchronous (email and discussion forums) or synchronous (chat rooms) communication. The

discussion forum is an asynchronous communication tool that allows trainees and instructors to

exchange information about the course modules,

proposed topics but also opinions about the course. An

educational software application or educational

software product is a program designed in relation to a

series of pedagogical coordinates (behavioural

objectives, specific content, characteristics of the target

population) and technical (ensuring individualized

interaction, sequential feedback and formative

evaluation).

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The use of educational software products in the education system is a necessity dictated by

the demands of today's society. In this context, it is important for the school to teach young people

how to learn, promoting autonomy in work, flexibility of thought, ability to cooperate and dialogue,

anticipating change, adaptability, stimulating self-instruction, maintaining a balance between

individualism and socialization. Advances in information and communication technology create new

opportunities for communication and interconnection of citizens and organizations, leading to a

radical change in human behaviour and the way organizations work. A portal, a discussion forum, a

chat for synchronous communication, a weblog are enough web tools to develop a simple virtual

community based on a topic. The transformation of a simple community into a community of values

occurs when the simple use is replaced by active participation, the members identifying themselves

with the goals of the community of which they belong. Virtual communities have emerged and are

developing as a result of increasing confidence in the major role that the Internet plays in the

information society. In the educational field, the need for information and communication is

frequently realized, collaborative learning begins to make itself felt, and communities of interest can

play strategic roles in the evolution of education systems. Harmonizing the innovations in education

with those in technology, the development of an educational software product must firstly seek to

ensure the quality of the educational process, to satisfy the teaching principles and to remove the

rigidity of the classical education systems, the technology being used as a means and not as a

purpose. Thus, in the field of education and education, the computer finds its full applicability,

paving the way for the fundamental transformation of the learning system. The introduction of

computer-assisted training systems allows for the development of a personalized form of training

appropriate to the skills and possibilities of each individual, which replaces the traditional, uniform,

system of collective education. The educational programs are oriented on levels of preparation,

appropriate to the training system based on the human capacities that give the possibility of each

individual to progress from one level to another, regardless of age, in a rhythm that is specific to

them. In such a system of self-learning, as the main form of education, teachers will conduct a

consultancy activity, which will allow the most appropriate orientation of the education of the

students, paying the highest attention to the training levels focused on the creative capacities of the

individual.

Given the major changes in the technological field in recent years and the extraordinary

progress in the field of communications, the accentuated use of modern technologies and implicitly

of elearning in the didactic activity could become one of the important achievements of our century.

The use of modern information technologies gives new dimensions to the teaching-learning-

evaluation process. In several countries, also in Romania, national strategies and programs are

elaborated regarding the implementation of ICT in the education process at all levels, including the

imposition of digital textbooks and computer resources as the main material resources in the

classroom. Successful integration of ICT in the teaching activity is part of the natural evolution of

learning and is an opportunity to integrate the latest technological discoveries with the interaction

and involvement offered by the traditional mode of knowledge. Recent studies (2009) show that the

priority areas supported by ICT are: mathematics (87%), English (77%) and sciences (62%).

(Harnessing Technology Review, 2008). Computers are especially useful for adapting learning

activities for students with special needs or learning difficulties; facilitates the teaching activity and

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has a special impact. Modernizing computers and connecting high schools and high schools to the

Internet is an important achievement, but their impact is limited by the small number of computers.

Recent government initiatives to introduce the internet in rural schools could lead to the use of

modern technologies in schools and could produce changes in the intellectual, emotional, social

behaviors of students, materialized in aspects such as: increasing interest in learning , increasing the

frequency at hours, obtaining a better concentration and stimulating teamwork, improving school

results, developing communication skills, optimizing project management, as well as developing

problem solving ability. Besides the formative valences of the use of ICT, modern IT means could

significantly increase the attractiveness of the educational process.

1.2 The evolution of technology and the digital students

1.2.1. How has Information and Communication Technology (ICT) been integrated into

education?

It is considered that each generation has its own values, goals, attitudes, challenges and models, and the characteristics of a generation are defined by exposure to common experiences and influences. Even if the experiences are different from one cultural space to another, contemporary sociologists and psychologists speak more and more about generational traits as about benchmarks that help us to better understand young people, and not least, to adapt communication strategies so that processes training to achieve its goals.

The human personality is the result of a long modelling process and is presented as a synthesis of the purchases that the individual makes (social component) and his personal possibilities (psychological component). The image we form about facts and events, the way of interpreting them, of thinking about everyday reality, this form of social consciousness has received the name of "social representation". In general, people act according to the image they have formed about a reality, decipher situations and contexts with the help of a valorizing apparatus, which they perfect with each new social experience. Each one has a "reading grid" of reality, constructed with the help of the meaning of the acquired concepts, the attitudes and opinions formed, the assumed beliefs, etc. in a different way.

This is why in the construction of such a grid of the man of the information society the contribution of the technical means is significant. It goes without saying that these means did not exist or did not have such an impact five decades ago, which is why the young people of today, the adults of today, had a completely different social representation.

What is meant by the term of social representation?

In N. Ficher's view, social representation is a process of perceptual and mental elaboration of

reality that transforms social objects (people, contexts, situations) into values, beliefs,

ideologies, allowing the understanding of aspects of ordinary life.

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In the act of establishing this social representation, the connection between the learning

process and digital tools seems to be very deep. Wim Veen, in Homo Zappiens, a famous work in the

educational community, noted that young people have a lifestyle that is retouched by new

technologies, which radically changes their learning behaviors (compared to those of their parents).

From this perspective, the teacher's insistence on requesting a discipline of intellectual work

according to the linear model of knowledge leads to a guaranteed failure to communicate with the

student and even to block the learning.

Symbolically, the Dutch professor assigns to the two generations the labels HOMO SAPIENS and HOMO ZAPPIENS respectively. Their characteristics are distinctly different, and in the table below we show, in comparison, these significant differences:

HOMO SAPIENS HOMO ZAPPIENS

Works at conventional speed Works at high speed

Pay attention to a single work task Pay attention to multiple tasks

Use linear approaches Use nonlinear approaches

Start learning using reading skills Start learning using iconic skills

Learn in isolation Learn in community (connected with others)

It's competitive It's collaborative

Learn by absorption Learn by search

Separate learning from playful activities Learn through play

Learn by internalizing reality Learn by externalizing fantasy

Who is Wim Veen?

Wim Veen is a renowned professor at the Technological University of Delft, The Netherlands.

Together with Ben Vrakking, he launched the homo zappiens theory and identified effective

learning strategies and means tailored to the needs of digital natives.

What do we mean by homo zappiens?

By this term, Wim Veen identifies the inner profile of young people in the contemporary period,

extremely proficient in handling technology, being more accustomed to the "windows" of the

computer than to those of his own. This young man has grown accustomed to operating with

discontinuous information flows and has no problem digging from one channel to another on the

television, carefully filtering the relevant data. Also, he has no difficulty communicating on the

mess with several friends at once, talking on the phone and buttoning on the computer at the

same time. Children and young people today are the generation of Zappiens - they use

technology for a variety of purposes and develop their cognitive acquisitions, through immersion,

following the computer game model.

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If we add to this comparative analysis the forecast that by 2025 two billion people will

belong to the technologized generation, it is obvious that the contemporary society is going through strong changes and the educational act must take them into account.

These generational traits are the subject of numerous researches. Here are, in fact, in the opinion of the specialists, these generations:

Matures / Lost (persons born between 1925-1945)

Baby Boomers (1946–1964)

Gen X (1965–1980)

Millenials / Gen Y (1981–1995)

Gen Z (1996–2010)

Obviously, our interest is focused on Generation Z.

Today's young people spend a lot of time in a virtual world, playing, writing or reading blogs,

visiting and creating. All these activities did not take place a generation ago. Generation Z interacts

with technology using one or more virtual identities, to publish information, photos, to socialize or

to express their views. The intensive use of technology influences the cultural horizon, the organism,

the way they think or socialize, ultimately, the way they are.

Their technology skills are very high, growing with real-time innovations. It is the first time in

history that children / adolescents know more than adults about something important to society,

such as technology. I am the generation that educates and informs itself. Use the online and social

networks to do homework at school. They are smart and independent and want to do things on their

own.

There are those who want to change the world. We do not know yet if they will succeed, but if not,

they certainly prepare the ground for the next generation Alpha. They are more mature than

previous generations, they are masters of them. I do not believe in the American dream because

they were raised by Generation X, which shows a very small percentage of credibility in this theory.

Who are the individuals belonging to Generation Z?

Broadly speaking, Generation Z includes individuals born between 1996 and 2010. The term was

implemented in sociology by William Strauss, American playwright and historian. Other names:

«digital person», i-Generation, «domestic generation». Together with Neil Hove, Strauss

developed the theory of generative cycles, each of them - with its own particularities. It is a new

generation that was born in the age of technology. Among the most obvious features of these

young people are the ability to work with any information and to grow quickly, to do more things

at once (write a message, listen to music, play computer games and prepare topics) and

orientation for a quick result.

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They have an intense entrepreneurial desire, considering that they were the witnesses of the

difficulties faced by those who raised them. I am open-minded, I am the most tolerant generation so

far, loyal, responsible and very determined.

Obviously, this strong contact with online media and social networks does not exclude

certain dangers that education must mitigate. For the youth of Generation Z, the negative

consequences of the excessive use of technology are translated by:

decreased patience. Young people want immediate answers and quick results, they do not have

patience to verify the accuracy of the information and the credibility of the sources, considering that they have all the answers;

isolation in the virtual world, which deprives the young person of social interaction face to face, affecting the development of social skills;

dependence on technology, which is manifested by the need to be permanently close to the preferred device;

Generation Z does not like working in an organization with a hierarchical vertical system. The balance of work-free time inclines in favour of free time.

Excessive use of the left hemisphere diminishes the capacity for empathy. Educational processes need to be adapted to take advantage of the beneficial effects of new technologies, but also to offset the negative effects associated with them. It is important to develop programs that stimulate the right hemisphere of the brain of educators and develop young people's emotional intelligence (EQ), with all the components that they involve: self-confidence, self-control, motivation, empathy and social skills. For a balanced development of the new generations can be one of the most important challenges of this millennium.

1.3 The evolution of technology and the role of the teacher

This chapter introduces a topical theme, namely

the difficulties encountered in integrating ICT in teaching-

learning experiences, the opportunities that open for

teachers but also the inertia in adoption. technology.

With the development of technology, traditional

teaching-learning methods have been brought about by

new interactive strategies and resources. This direction

has generated, in the educational space, numerous

debates, theories and questions:

a. What kind of pedagogy do our children need in the context of the pedagogical revolution?

b. Do we have to rethink pedagogy?

c. Do we have to develop new pedagogical practices or, in fact, have to identify ways to

understand the period we are going through?

There are opinions that the traditional education systems will not succeed in competing with

the change of the learning paradigm, with the changes requested by the students and the new skills

of the 21st century, with the need for new methods and learning situations. There have also been

fears that these new technologies will replace the teacher, that the expectations generated by

innovative technologies are overestimated. That they can be a catalyst for changes in education, at

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different levels, but they do not in themselves determine the direction of change or the most

appropriate type of change.

1.3.1. Educational policies in the technological era

In the 21st century, along with the unprecedented development of technology and

globalization, the need to reform educational policies has emerged, in the sense of orienting

towards the creation of innovative learning environments, which can

lead to the formation and development of the skills / competences of

the century in which we live. . The first digital educational policies,

which appeared at the end of the last century, were mainly oriented

towards the development of the infrastructure, in the sense of

equipping with computers and ensuring Internet connectivity.

With the Lisbon Strategy (2000) and the eLearning Action Plan (2001), the focus has shifted

towards new strategic objectives, in the sense of integrating digital technologies into education.

Thus, at European and national level, the second generation of "e-learning" policies has been passed,

focusing on complementary policy measures, such as the formation of digital skills for teachers and

students.

Question 1

What the Lisbon Strategy (2000) and eLearning Action Plan (2001) intended: a) Infrastructure development b) Integration of digital technologies in education c) Distance education

However, in the 2013 European Commission Report, reference was made to the fact that, by

2010, although significant progress had been made in terms of equipping computers and ensuring

Internet access for schools, the vast majority of students were prepared in continuation of teachers

who showed a high reluctance to digital education and did not trust the efficiency of the new

technologies. The conclusion of the report was as obvious as possible: apparently, the new strategic

objectives had not been transposed into effective strategies and had not identified solutions that

would meet the real needs of the teachers: the formation of pedagogical attitudes and competences

according to the new trends.

Supporting teachers, in order to strengthen the ability to integrate digital technologies into

education, has become a key priority in the third generation of "e-learning" policies, launched after

2010, together with the improvement of the infrastructure (virtual learning environments, platforms,

apps / tools, digital textbooks, mobile devices etc.).

The latest report on this issue of the European Commission (Digital Education Policies in

Europe and Beyond, 2017) states that, at European level, there is no unified perspective on digital

educational policies but there is a unanimous concern about developing the teaching capacity of

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teachers. Moreover, the researches of the last years, the studies in the specialized literature affirm

the crucial role of the teachers in the integration of the digital technologies in the education, as well

as the beneficial effects of the courses of training of the teachers in e-learning.

1.3.2. Difficulties in integrating digital technologies into education

After almost two decades since the development of the first educational policies aimed at the use of technology in education, we can also indicate the problems we are facing in this endeavour:

The US Institute for Educational Policies notes that many of the key questions about how to teach, learn, and evaluate on a computer are unanswered.

Some teachers complain that they are under pressure, in the sense that they need to change the way they think about their activity and that the use of the computer requires a much greater planning of previous lessons.

There are teachers who say that their workload has increased due to additional administrative tasks and the need to plan extracurricular activities related to the use of the computer by students.

The detachment of the classical teaching method through the multivalent contribution of the use of ICT raises pedagogical problems for the teachers, sometimes less prepared for such a change in their own teaching style.

The speed with which technology advances in relation to the capacity of educational

systems to adapt to this permanent technological revolution.

The difficulties most commonly reported in the evaluation reports of the e-learning programs

are generally correlated with a lack of unitary vision on the

education system and process and, consequently, with a poor

configuration of the implemented program regarding: component

harmonization. of ICT with other reforming initiatives or with the

level of preparation for change, integration into the program of

interventions in other key areas (curriculum content, evaluation,

pedagogical training of teaching staff), targeting all aspects which

make up computer-assisted training (educational software,

connectivity, training, equipment).

1.3.3. The teacher and technological innovation in the 21st century. Perspectives

“What the OECD Schools for 21st-Century Learners Study. Strong Leaders, Confident Teachers,

Innovative Approaches”, presented by Andreas Schleicher at the International Summit on the

Teaching Profession (2015) identifies three key ingredients for optimally integrating technological

innovation into 21st century schools:

• Permanently updated technological infrastructure and digital resources;

• The teacher - the fundamental catalyst of change but integrated in a community of teachers.

• The findings of this study indicate that teamwork, even in the teaching process, encourages

reflection and feedback.

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•

•

When teachers work together constantly, collaboration becomes a tool for learning and

sharing good practices. To know what others do (“enhanced visibility”), learning from each

other, without hiding behind the closed doors of the classroom.

• Consistent educational policies.

Regarding one of the questions raised at the beginning of the article: "Does technological

innovation cause us to return to what we called until

yesterday pedagogy?", No one has demonstrated until

we have to change our perception of how students

should learn. Pedagogy is probably a guide that

teaches the student to learn, but the role of the

teacher in this context of factors, with all the

reluctance and resistance previously mentioned,

changes fundamentally. We all agree that the teacher

has ceased to be a unique authority on content, as

long as students have access to the Internet and can

discover even more than the subject approached by the teacher. Therefore, from a traditional

transmitter of knowledge, the teacher becomes a facilitator of experiences, which guides the

learning process and generates learning situations together with the students. Learning situations

that will lead to what the specialists call the "area of the next development" and which will help to

develop skills such as critical thinking, "learning to learn", creativity, teamwork, etc.

Question 2

What the concept of teacher-facilitator of experiences implies: a) The emitting teacher b) The teacher - the singular authority in the matter of content c) The teacher who guides the learning process and generates, together with the students, learning

situations.

1.4. Conclusions

Tablets, laptops, smartphones, numerous software, platforms, created so far, open the

possibility for pedagogical practices through which students can be more active, creative,

participatory than traditional lessons, but can not replace the teacher. Because the Google

generation needs to learn how to use the Internet, how to filter the correct information stored on

numerous sites, process it and internalize it, and then turn it into knowledge and use it where it is

needed.

In conclusion, the use of new technologies can open up opportunities in the teaching-

learning-evaluation process but, more than that, it creates challenges for professional development

and teacher training. In this technology revolution, however, one aspect should not be ignored:

education must be centered on learning, not technology.

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Involvement, motivation, student-centered learning, interactivity and collaboration, all are

enhanced by technology but all, with small exceptions (eg specific learning situations) are possible

without technology.

Bibliography

[1] Beetham, H., Sharpe, R. Rethinking Pedagogy for Digital Era. [https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/f3e0/13420030c08ceb9e79b1a0e041945971f71f.pdf ]. 25 iunie 2019. [2] Benea R. (2005). Strategii de integrare a noilortehnologiiînșcoală. ConferințaNațională de învățământ virtual, edițiaa III-a. pp. 513-517. [3] Hämäläinen, R., &Cattane, A. (2015). New TEL Environments for Vocational Education – Teacher’s Instructional Perspective. Vocations and Learning : Volume 8. pp. 135-157. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/273299971_New_TEL_Environments_for_Vocational_Education_-_Teacher's_Instructional_Perspective]. 12 august 2019. [4] Istrate, O. (2010). Efecteșirezultate ale utilizării TIC îneducație. ConferințaNațională de învățământ virtual, ediția a VIII-a. pp 56-67. [5] European Commission Report. Digital Education Policies in Europe and Beyond. [http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JRC109311/jrc109311_digedupol_2017-12_final.pdf]. 25 iunie 2019 [6] Schleicher, A. (2015) Schools for 21st-Century Learners. Strong Leaders, Confident Teachers, Innovative Approaches. International Summit on the Teaching Profession, OECD Publishing. [http://istp2015.org/documents/istp2015_oecd-background-report.pdf]. 14 august 2019. [7] Wegerif, R. Dialogic, Education and Technology. Expanding the Space of Learning. [https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/648a/d30e0cbd7674afdc912613c83801fa4606e6.pdf ]. 25 iunie 2019. [8] Gardner, H. and Davis K - The App Generation: How Today's Youth Navigate Identity, Intimacy, and Imagination in a Digital World, Yale University Press, 2013 [9] Ficher, N. - Les concepts fondamentaux de la psychologiesociale,Dunod, Paris, 1987 [10] Palfrey, J. and Gasser, Urs – Born Digital: Understanding The First Generation of Digital Natives, Basic Books, 2008 [11] Veen, W. şiVrakking, B. – Homo zappiens .Jocşiînvăţareînepocadigitală, Editura Sigma

Answers to the questions addressed in the module 1

Question 1 – b

Question 2 – c

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