“Learning technologies”

What do learning technologies mean?

Now think about these questions:

• Do good teachers need to use technology?

• What technologies do you use with your learners?

• Will technology replace teachers?

Make a note of your answers before you move on.

Face-to-face: This is the traditional method of instruction. Learners come to a physical classroom and meet with a teacher who delivers the lesson. Most teachers around the world are now using some form of digital technology within these classes, even if it is only to play audio or video.

Online learning: Some schools and companies have developed educational products which are delivered 100% online using some form of web-based platform. These can vary from being e-tutor-led courses, which include synchronous and asynchronous communication, or they can be a mixture of interactive multimedia and text-based learning activities with little or no teacher support. Learners access the materials from wherever they have an internet connection.

Blended learning: The blended model of learning delivery usually mixes online learning materials, which learners access outside the classroom, with face-to-face instruction. This is probably the most common model for the delivery of technology-enabled learning, as any teacher who supplements their classroom activities with any form of out-of-class computer-based materials and instruction can be said to be employing a blended learning approach. In some cases, this is more formalized and the teacher or school has an online platform of some kind where materials are organized and mapped onto the classroom syllabus. However, in many cases the organization and teachers are simply selecting materials from existing sources to complement the work the learners do in the classroom.

In the classroom, learning technologies enable teachers to provide learners with a wider range of materials and activities that are more appropriate to their individual needs, interests and level. Since learners can also access many digital activities outside the classroom, they promote independent learning. Digital resources are also likely to be multimodal making use of a combination of media – text, graphics, sound and video – to enhance learning. This makes them varied, novel and entertaining.

Online digital content is also authentic– created for a real purpose and for a real audience. The web also gives learners an audience for their work, which can be shared, making projects and assignments more motivating. Being able to save and store digital content is also more convenient for you, the teacher, when it comes to resource-sharing and lesson planning.
The internet offers learners opportunities for authentic and meaningful interaction via text, audio and video, which helps to develop their communication skills. This can also make project work more collaborative, helping learners develop the ability to work together over distance and time.
Through using technology as part of their learning, learners can develop digital literacy – key digital skills that are relevant to their lives outside the classroom.

Kudabayeva Marzhan Ermekovna

English teacher

Secondary school №17

Ili region,Boraldai