There is no doubt that technology has had an enormous impact on education. Ideas that were just science fiction two decades ago are now commonplace. This is amazing because it continues to make education more accessible to all. Technology has also made getting a solid, quality education easier than ever before for everyone—including your own family. While it can be crazy to think about, here are three ways technology has matured in even the last five to ten years to have a significant impact on your family’s education.
Technology Takes Up A Larger Part Of Education
Not even fifteen years ago, many schools were not teaching keyboarding and computer usage until fifth grade or so. Now, even kindergarteners learn basic keyboarding. More and more schools use smartboards to teach lessons, and more affluent schools even give every student a tablet to use while at school. Technology has made lesson preparation for teachers considerably easier, and given college students the ability to just download a professor’s PowerPoint presentation lecture/notes from the school’s database. More and more students are opting to learn IT skills in college, and computer science degrees continue to be some of the most popular, desirable and profitable degrees available. With the tech field booming, it should come as no surprise that tech-heavy degrees are also in high demand. This means your children are being educated on technology usage young, and tech-based careers will continue to be a significant option for them.
Online Resources
Technology has broken down the walls of the classroom to allow education to continue anywhere. From complete college degrees, to individual courses for credit, to more informal courses and just general information, the Internet has opened up so many possibilities for education. This is particularly advantageous for homeschooled kids, who now have more access to the same kinds of learning resources and materials their traditional counterparts do. There are now even online homeschool resources that allow students to pursue specialized learning plans from home, which may be exactly what your children need.
It Has Provided More Choices And Options
For example, if a member of your family has back problems and can’t carry heavy books, ebooks have emerged as a great alternative. Children, teenagers and adults with learning disabilities have also found that technology greatly improves their learning experience. Electronic devices such as tablets allow visually impaired students to zoom in on text they would never be able to read if it was printed in a traditional textbook, and audiobooks and text-to-speech programs help students with reading difficulties. Even if no one in your family has a physical ailment or disability, these alternatives might simply be preferred. For example, your daughter might retain more from the books she reads by listening to them on her smartphone rather than reading them the traditional way. There are even recorded courses and lectures your family can listen to (or watch) in your spare time to learn about new subjects that are of interest to you.
Technology has most certainly had a tremendous impact on your family’s education, even if many of you have been long out of school. Whether you still have children in school, are putting one or more of your kids through college or even if you just look up information on the Internet every day, technology has improved the ease of your family’s education, and the access to it. Try out different programs, apps and devices to see which ones might be a valued addition to the education of any of your family members. By doing this, your family can truly have the education of the future.
