I cannot tell you anything about the development of technology from past to present. But even if we look back to the early 90s, we see how much effort people had to make to access education at that time. We are all in the life of education and training. In this process, the world continues to change very rapidly. The most important factor that triggers this change is technological developments .
Education was not going to you, you were going to education, am I wrong? “No” I can hear you say. Many of us remember the times when the internet was not dominant in every home.
When I think about it now, it may seem far away, but we would go to public libraries to get even the slightest information. I wonder if those public libraries are still in use. Imagine, you want to get information about something or you are going to do a research, but your only source is the library and the limited number of books there. No, don’t get me wrong, I’m not criticizing libraries, of course, our greatest heritage is there. However, we may not always have enough time to access information; we now learn information in 2-3 minutes that we could barely access by researching for hours in the past.
Technology in the Education System
Nowadays, we are not chasing education, we are chasing technology and trying to keep up with it. There are many questions in mind: Are today’s children luckier than us? Is it right to leave children alone with computers for educational purposes?
In the past, tons of money were spent on private teaching institutions in order to receive a good education, and children tried to take one-on-one lessons with teachers. Is there a need for something like this nowadays? I don’t think so, of course the biggest reason for this situation is the rapid developments in technology. Now, thanks to the online training you take over the Internet, thousands of people can listen to the same teacher along with you in a lecture.
During the lesson, no one interrupts or obstructs anyone, those who do not understand, stop when they do not understand and listen again. In fact, if it is not enough, he can go to another site and listen to it again from a different teacher and reinforce the subject.
Ease of Finding a Job with Certificates
Thanks to these conveniences provided by technological opportunities, people are no longer satisfied with just university graduation. They receive various certificates related to different areas of interest, and they try to get ahead of their competitors, especially in job applications, with personal development training or business life training. This is one of the factors that increase the competitive environment in today’s business world. Moreover, in an environment where learning new skills is so easy, companies do not give priority to candidates who do not receive these certificates.
Turning Your Back on Technology
Have you ever heard that Silicon Valley executives send their children to a school where technology never touches? Why do technology giants such as E-Bay, Google, Apple, Yahoo and Hewlett-Packard choose to send their children to such a school? This school is Waldorf School of the Peninsula. There is no technology in this school and everything works in the old way in this school. Yes, there is even chalk. Let me tell you without making you wonder any more. Thanks to this school, they are keeping their children free from technology. Maybe they’re right.
Developing technology always pushes us to the easy way. We may have our own reasons, but not having time is another matter, but could these conveniences offered by technology dull our intelligence or make us monotonous? Everything else aside, it should still be questioned whether it is right to take such an action as technology continues to develop. While rumors are circulating that artificial intelligence will almost take us captive, should we get rid of technology or should we face technology and learn all its intricacies? The answer to this question is actually an answer that everyone must give within themselves. In my opinion, technology is one of the useful opportunities that make our lives easier, as long as we use it in moderation.
What’s Changing?
Let’s think about it this way; What technological changes have we experienced in the last 10-15 years?
The first things that come to our mind are; tablets and smartphones/home/watch, cars and goods, solar roofs, virtual reality glasses, humanoid robots, developments in gene editing, hoverboard, unmanned aerial vehicles, drone, 3D printer.
We still continue our lives by improving ourselves with the expectation that driverless vehicles and artificial intelligence will be actively used.
As we know, the two most important phenomena in the century we live in are people and information. Countries need to create qualified manpower in order to become leading actors in the world in the coming years.
Educational Planning is a Must
The most important thing is that the qualified manpower they will have becomes sustainable. Of course, in order to achieve this situation, a flexible and effective education planning infrastructure must be established.
Strategies to be created in parallel with planning will also shape the fate of future generations in the country. Since the 1980s, education and technology interaction began intensively.
The rapid change and transformation process in this field plays an effective role in solving many existing problems. In the education process, the potential and speed of administrators, instructors and students to adapt to change will be the criterion that makes the difference.
Almost all of the materials used have changed with technological innovations in the last 20 years.
It is no longer possible to think of technology and the education process independently of each other. Just as education affects the development of technology, today technology both improves and accelerates the development of education and contributes to equal opportunity in education. Thanks to technology, learning environments have changed and become isolated from a certain time and place. Thus, people gained freedom from time, space and costs in accessing education. Learning and teaching have become interactive. The interaction between education and technology is again seen more in corporate training environments.
Education and Technology Friendship
Technology and education are an inseparable duo. Every technological change has greatly increased the speed and scope of education. All these developments have created positive and exciting effects on schools and students.
It necessitates a restructuring process in line with the future goals of schools and other educational institutions. Within the scope of this structuring, it is an indispensable condition to introduce software programs that can be used easily and effectively in the education system.
Being aware of this situation, we must raise our future generations strategically and versatilely. Well, should we interpret the technological development process we have experienced so far and its reflection on our lives as completely positive?
Are There Opportunities and Threats?
In the current period, we are trying to capture the rapidly renewed and changing information under the influence of technology. Should we use technological materials at every stage of the digitalization and education system process?
Is technology really useful in education? It is necessary to evaluate the positive results and opportunities brought by technological development together.
It is a fact that these developments increase our children’s productivity, cause-effect relationship development, quick decision-making, research skills and strategy development abilities.
At the same time, thanks to technological development, the learning network is expanded and information is accessed quickly by reaching anywhere in the world instantly. In addition, educational tools are enriched.
Knowledge and skills are enriched thanks to online training that includes learning by both hearing and seeing.
What are the conveniences that technology provides to students?
The place of technology in education is also very important for students. Because children, who are introduced to mobile phones, tablets and computers from a young age, can do their homework without difficulty by taking advantage of the convenience of technology throughout their school life. Thanks to technology-supported education methods, access to information is greatly facilitated.
In addition, with the aim of making children more visually permanent, video explanations, audio and video applications are made in schools. Smart boards are one of the first examples of the use of technology in education. The purpose of the application; Being able to access educational opportunities outside the classroom. Nowadays, the ease of instantly accessing the information we want within seconds provides great convenience in the field of education, as in every field.
According to surveys;
It shows that students understand the lessons taught with smart boards better, and at the same time, it increases the permanence of information by stimulating the brain with images and sounds. Lessons learned by memorizing from notebooks and books in the past years have now become easier by taking advantage of the blessings of technology. This means that our children can learn better in lessons. It was also more efficient in terms of understanding and not forgetting what you understood. As technology enters every aspect of our lives, students no longer tolerate long, boring and one-sided information transfers. More like; Educational methods that support teacher and student participation are gaining importance.
What are the benefits of technology for students?
Children, who have been introduced to mobile phones and computers thanks to technology from a young age, are very happy to use these technological devices in their school lives. Students’ ability to access information without wasting time contributes to their growing up to be more successful and self-confident. Thanks to the smart boards and tablets used in classrooms, children are free from carrying heavy bags and can go to school more easily. Thanks to the visual explanations in the lessons, they understand the lessons better and their creative aspects develop. They can also follow the lessons better with the voice recorder they use during lessons.
What are the conveniences that technology provides for teachers?
Teachers also experience great convenience with the introduction of technology into our educational lives. For example; They are freed from writing long articles, and thanks to smart boards, they will be able to focus only on teaching the lesson, as everything they write will be reflected on the board. Thanks to this method, teachers have begun to experience great comfort and convenience. They will be able to use the time they lose by writing in a more useful way, such as communicating in the classroom and paying more attention to students.
Creative Learning Processes
Methods such as robot construction and coding basic tool design greatly support students’ creative processes. Coding activities carried out in classes; While it helps the development of the student’s analytical intelligence, it improves the student’s visual intelligence in design-related activities.
At the same time ; In order to benefit from technology in the field of education in the best way, we can give you an example of the maker philosophy, which has increased rapidly in our country in the last 4-5 years. With its introduction into school activities and even the curriculum, it creates learning processes that turn students from passive to active.
How Did the Blessings of Technology Affect Teachers?
With the development of technology, teachers have been freed from writing on the blackboard in the classroom, thanks to smart boards. They spend this time to explain the subject better. Therefore, they can spend most of their time in the classroom to communicate and inform students. This enables students to learn the lesson better in class. In this way, the success of teachers increases. For teachers, the use of technology means accessing an unlimited library in education. In this way, they have the opportunity to enrich their own knowledge.
Does Technology Threaten Us?
Although children seem to be social in the virtual environment, they start to become lonely when we consider it as a physical environment. They move less. It appears as a strong competitor to all sports and art activities that can be effective in the child’s perception of the world.
It may be harmful to health. It distracts from reading books. In short, it can become addictive. Yes, it is important to create a training infrastructure, manage the process in accordance with the objectives and use effective materials.
But on the other hand, it is necessary to create educational programs without moving away from the natural environment. This makes the process of rediscovering and experiencing natural life enjoyable.
As Azra Kohen stated, “ Not humanity but technology was advancing, not civilization but technologies were developing.” We must reinterpret the negative definition in the phrase.
When the day comes, we should not be managed by technology, but we should always be the ones managing technology with our awareness and correct strategies.
Does Technology Harm Education?
It is a fact that although technology contributes to education, it also has harms. When students use technology for purposes other than their intended purpose, that is, when they want to use it for fun instead of studying, it will disrupt their lessons, daily lives, and work, and cause them to fall behind in many things.
People who sit in front of the computer for a long time will experience visual impairment in the future, and they may encounter problems such as neck and back pain at a young age. Children who spend a long time with computers live in different dream worlds, lose communication with their environment and tend to move less.
Children, who used to spend more time outside with their friends, now spend time at home without moving and interacting with people. This will lead to the formation of generations that live individually and are not open to sharing. Of course, unfortunately, there is also the possibility of being affected by the radiation emitted by some technological devices. I cannot help but mention Albert Einstein’s comment and prediction on this subject.
“I’m afraid that one day technology will overtake human communication and intimacy and a stupid generation will emerge.”
For these reasons, it should be the duty of every family and teacher to use technology consciously in education and to make them use it. Although technology is essential in education to raise better and more successful generations, adjusting its dosage is also the most important task.
Let us be enlightened by the blessings of technology, but let us never become slaves of technology.
Owners of Technology
The conditions for dominating the world have changed over time, and physical wars have been replaced by struggles for technological superiority, the ability to possess knowledge, and the production of new and unique ideas.
In which countries is technology more effective?
New and unique ideas have been realized by technology producing countries such as the United States, Japan, India, Israel, China, Singapore, Canada, South Korea, Germany and Russia.
If We Want to Be Successful, We Need to Produce
Is technology really useful in education? If we think about it, when we look at the research in the world, the countries that make a name for themselves in both education and technology are in the position of producing, not consuming. This shows that those who want to be successful must move from a consuming state to a producing state. This is possible thanks to the combination of education and technology. In short, education should move with technology and continue their development together.
Do We Use Technology in Education as a Country?
Although we have recently included technological devices in the education system, unfortunately we cannot say that this has increased the quality of education. Although technology has an important role in improving the quality of learning, in order to use this benefit in the Turkish education system, we need to move from merely consuming technology to producing and developing technology. Otherwise, it seems that introducing technological devices into the learning environment will not immediately increase our education level.
Online Trainings and Live Lessons
Although virtual education environments, with their increasing diversity day by day, provide great convenience and equal opportunity for individuals outside of formal education, their contribution to the quality of education of students in primary and secondary education is not at the same level. In countries that are renowned for their success in education, it is thought that the first condition for improving the quality of education is to increase the quality of teachers.
For this reason, developed countries allocate priority investment to teacher training and support this with technology. Nowadays, thanks to live lessons and online training, individuals can attend different trainings, including personal development training, and get a free certificate .
Where can we access online training?
The free online training provided by Istanbul Business Institute is one of the most useful examples of using education and technology together. Thanks to these trainings, interaction can be achieved not only unilaterally but also mutually.
How Should We Incorporate Technology into Education?
If we want to be among the countries that talk about the future of the world, we must focus on issues such as energy, artificial intelligence, and livable environment, and include them in our education system, and address education issues as a whole in every aspect.
Involving Students in Education with Technology
If we want to attract the attention of students who spend most of the learning process feeling bored, we should ensure that students use technology in a way that will increase their curiosity, develop their imagination , and bring their ideas to life, rather than equipping the learning environment with the latest technology devices. A system that can better monitor the learning process of educators and help students more will be possible thanks to the planned use of technology in education.
Are We Powerful to Control Technology?
The answer is “Yes!” This means we produce and use information. Otherwise, the power of technology makes us powerless and dependent on it. Nowadays, individuals have the opportunity to improve themselves thanks to the easy and diverse access to information. Individuals who want to acquire new hobbies or specialize in various fields have started to do this online.
The question that arises right here is, do we create negative effects on our precious time and social life while doing this? Because the technology we quickly incorporate into our lives turns out to be wasted time when it is not used consciously. The time Turkey spends on the internet, social media and television is the most obvious indicator of this.
Can We Understand Technology Without Education?
Education and technology are indispensable parts of our age. Therefore, living without knowing the definition of two important elements in our lives is an indication that we are stagnant. It is not possible for technology and humanity to progress without the development of learning, curiosity and research elements in people.
When we say education, we think of helping new generations acquire the knowledge, skills and understanding necessary to take their place in social life, helping them develop their personalities, or providing, training and developing knowledge and skills on a certain subject in a certain branch of science.
The definition of science is the way of knowledge, regular and consistent knowledge, which takes a part of the universe, the facts and events in the universe, uses some methods and experimental methods, and reaches certain laws based on reality .
Have you ever thought? Each part of the sentences above are elements that cannot be improved without educating and researching oneself. Education and Technology are indispensable in our lives. If anyone doubts this, it is those who do not see and think that the water they drink, the food they eat, and the television they watch are a part of technology. Without education, we cannot understand technology and approach what it brings logically.
Although technology allows us to access information easily, it contains negativity, and if it is uneducated, it will not be possible to develop and use it correctly. We should be on the side of developing what technology brings us, rather than consuming it. Where are you in technology? Online game or education. From which point of view do you look at it, which one do you struggle with more?
How can we understand technology?
Think, understand, question, be one of those who realize that there are things beyond “shopping opportunities”, “online games” and competition programs within technology . Put aside the television, your smartphone, and fast food and try going out into nature with a book in your hand. Don’t forget that even the book you are reading came to your hands so quickly, thanks to the wind of technology.
When was the last time you were alone with yourself? A quiet room, a lightless environment with only your inner voice. Technology came from here. They offered us these facilities in an environment where there were no productive and developing people.
Invention of the telephone by Alexander Graham Bell in 876
Invention of electricity, 1800. Italian scientist Alessandro Volta.
Try researching the first inventions and reading their stories. Going to the beginning, understanding the universe, feeling the soil. Because this is our starting point. Try to research the things you are curious about, sometimes get lost in encyclopedia pages instead of Google. Ask your brain small questions, give information about your needs and push it to question, so that we will all understand ourselves and our expectations better.
We will prefer to be productive like the owners of the first inventions. We consume, we are more interested in our phone model, computer brand, car brand than thinking about the road we travel, the air we breathe, the world.
We need to look within ourselves, re-look at the definitions, renew our life order, be a researcher and be aware of the developments that will come our way in the future.
What did you do for yourself today, what did you research, what did we do to learn something new and get informed instead of taking half an hour to get lost in the social media that technology has brought to us. If human beings do not choose to use technology wisely, artificial intelligence will teach us to be artificial humans.
Don’t be artificial, choose the things you need instead of choosing what technology offers you. Do not consider something developed by humanity superior to humanity. Because the world deserves better things than this. People will do this again, technology is a tool. Achieve your goal with that tool and open the door to innovation. But please do not forget the people and the land while doing this. Listen to your inner voice every once in a while. Have a day without social media. Have days when you don’t take photos, give up gaming sites once in a while. Do not leave yourself in the safe hands of technology without thinking and researching, because while we cannot trust even a person we do not know, it is not possible for us to know how good the thing that a person we do not know produces for us is.
