Bringing the World Into Your Classroom
By David Benson, Educational Technology Consultant
In his book, Growing Up Digital, Don Tapscott wrote, "The Net is beginning to affect all of us the way we create wealth, the enterprise, the nature of commerce and marketing, the delivery system for entertainment, the role and dynamics of learning in the economy, the nature of government and governance, our culture, and arguably the role of the nation-state in the body politic."
Not really a new concept. Similar predictions were made about television when it entered the scene and radio before that. In fact, that prediction can be made about any new form of technology, from Gutenberg's moveable type printing press to the Internet. No matter what form in which it has manifested itself, technology has a way of changing the world in which we live.
But we all know that.
And as educators, we have all witnessed the revolution that has been brought about by the integration of technology in the classroom. Whatever the technology, all the changes we have experienced have conspired to bring the world just a little closer to all of us.
When PBS 45 & 49's Department of Educational Services was started, our mission was to integrate educational television into the classroom. As new technologies have come about we have altered our mission to include new technologies. For this reason this year we have selected the theme, "Bringing the World Into YOUR Classroom." And that's what we plan to do. Keep an eye on the TechKnowledgy Newsletter throughout the school year for information on new projects, updates on new educational technologies, ITV programs and more.
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