Technology and the Future of Formal Education

The responsibilities for the formal preparation of students for education in the future are dynamic and diverse. What priorities are most important for the future of the Australian education system? The mission statement of The Cathedral School is to be a caring, Christian community in which students are challenged and inspired to explore, learn and grow so they will be equipped to make wise decisions as informed members of society. The Aims of The Cathedral School is; To be a centre for academic excellence. To encourage an understanding that the spiritual and moral aspects of life are central to our humanity. To affirm the unique worth of the individual. To inspire our students through creative, purposeful, enjoyable learning to reach their full potential. To develop attitudes which are anticipatory, visionary and reflective. To educate our students to be discerning, sensitive and responsible. Both the mission statements as well as the aims are very thorough, but they lack the understanding of the information age. They do not mention technology or the future ahead. The change to the culture of the classroom environment with the introduction of technology is a serious matter to look at. Overall the introduction of technology in the classroom is a great benefit to students, giving them access to word processing applications, as well and access to the World Wide Wed and CD-ROM†s. This large amount of knowledge flowing from the computer to the brains of the students is very overwhelming. Students will have to learn how to sift though this large amount of information to find what is important, trust worthy and also most importantly, relevant. The importance of information technology literacy in the information age is a vital life skill. In order to be able to handle and access information a student will need to have the ability to use a computer well. If a student has not had experience with computers, it will seriously disadvantage them in their study as well and the classroom environment. The role of technologies distance education is an exciting and interesting topic. Information can be sent and delivered in seconds, which breaches the gap between teachers and students. They are always new products becoming available to help in the advancement and ease of distance education. One major problem with the use of technology is the cost element. To establish a network of computers and information databases to be used by the average student is a extremely large task. As well as setting the whole system up, there is a need for constant monitoring of the system to predict as well as fix hardware, software and user problems. Discipline in schools is still an important part of the learning process. It is needed to teach the student to behave appropriately, which is most definitely a crucial life skill. They must learn discipline if they are going to fit into society properly. Discipline in schools last century was very different from today†s classrooms. They were much more strict back in those days. However, with the consideration of the individual†s needs, discipline in today†s classrooms has been noticeably decreased. Overall, you cannot assume if this is good or bad, its good to be well disciplined which helps you with your study and keeping to a timetable. On the other hand, a decrease in discipline gives a student individuality and a chance to express themselves. It is also important to have a balance between knowledge and process skills. It is equally important to teach knowledge and well as thinking skills. In the past only knowledge was taught, but in the information age today, it is quite impossible to learn everything, so process skills are taught to help us think logically. There is a need for more specialised subjects in schools because of the variety of information and jobs. Money in schools should be spent on technology in order to keep the students at the cutting edge of development and information. There is also powerful pressure put on students to cope with the overwhelming amount of knowledge made available though information technology. As well as this there is also parental pressure to pursue success in top fields. New technology can help us achieve our goals more easily and in a more meaningful way.