HOW NEW DIGITAL MEDIA INFLUENCES / AFFECTS YOUR LEARNING? It is rightly said that ‘Change Is Constant’. We see changes all around us. But the obvious and prominent change is in the digital world. It has made the world a global village by making life easy and things accessible. But as we know, there are benefits and ill effects to everything, similarly, new digital media can be both, a useful servant as well as a dangerous master. Our Grade 5 students who have the ownership to their Chromebooks are highly influenced and affected by this new digital media. Their unit ‘How we organize ourselves”, talked about the same. So let’s hear from our students what they have to say about the influence of the new digital media on their lives. “New digital media affected my learning, it helped me improve my vocabulary, grammar, sentence fluency mathematical skills, etc. It also helped me complete my homework, clear my doubts and even for my research-work”. [Jiaa Bhatia] “New Digital Media is more interactive. It helps me get information, share my views and projects with my teachers and friends from anywhere in the world. It helps me study at my own pace and time”. [Arsh Shiliwala] “New digital media provides many sites to the learners in order to gain information. Old methods of procuring information from the books is time consuming, whereas getting information using new digital media is just a click away. So new digital media has made studies more handy and interesting”. [Ananya Khurana] “Talking about how new digital media affects my learning always makes me talk about its negative points. Let me start with my chromebook. As soon as I open my chromebook I feel as if someone has hypnotised me and is telling me to have fun instead of checking the blog or studying. It’s telling me to listen to songs and chat with my friends and of course I always get hypnotised and so lately, I am worried about my studies”. [Shomya Dubey] “It lowers our concentration on studies eg. online games, online shopping, videos, etc. The games are very attractive but excess of it ruins our eyesight. It has videos, the content of which is not appropriate for us to watch. It can be misused by others as anybody can edit our pictures or hack our account. So, we need to be more cautious while being online and while using new digital media”. [Swara Sojitra] Chandni Gandhi - HRT (Grade 5 - Reciprocity)
Digital technology a boon or bane
How new digital media and technology has influenced teaching
Is digital technology taking over teaching? It is debatable indeed, but it carries its own limits, While there is also some opposition to it But how can one deny that it’s a hit, Let me tell you, ‘Technology doesn’t change anything.’ It provides enriched opportunities to learn and grow, Not exclusively for teachers but for every heart and soul, With vivacious exploration, students draw the details they want to know. Proceeding further, I accept, students are immersed in technology They are readily taking on this new mythology. But did anyone try to find, ‘What’s trending in their classroom?’ Collaboration, Communication, and Creativity are on boom. Integrating technology into the classroom, isn’t it good? It accommodates students learning with a diverse range of needs Doubtlessly, it also helps teachers cope with the pedagogical challenges, Even when it appears we can’t sustain the damages. Going further, just play your part as a digital parent, And simply do not worry about the technology that is inherent, The truth that is indeed transparent. In fact it provides a scope of lot of transformation that is apparent. Therefore, be productive producers and consumers of technology, Which is a strengthening economically strong knowledge based society, Undeniably, it supports the education system in India, Remember our prime minister saying, ‘Make India a Digital India.’ Ritu Chopra - HRT (Grade 5 - Consortium )
The teaching and learning environment has definitely changed in school settings. In the age of new digital media / technology, the educational experience in the classroom has become more engaging, challenging, significant and relevant. Teachers are trained through various workshops so that they are updated with the changes in the educational scenario around the world. Teachers need to utilize a variety of teaching tools where students’ interest level is maintained. As this generation is tech savvy right from birth, ( Oh yes! Thanks to the rhymes in your mobile phones and ipads) they adapt to this change easily. Through computer presentations created by students using Powerpoint, Powtoon, Prezi, watching educational videos on Youtube, using Google Classroom for assignments, to interacting with other students from different countries through Skype, who are studying the same unit; technology plays an important role making students confident and competent with the outside world. Whilst technology has made abundance of information available with a click of a finger, it becomes all the more imperative to filter and analyse the same load of information for the teacher as well as the student. So, unless technology is used judiciously, it may affect little in terms of "Education Enhancement". Himani Desai - HRT (Grade 5 - Synergy)