We are talking about modern education and understand that the world is rapidly changing and brings innovations. They appear everywhere: home, shops, hospitals, etc., you can also notice their appearance in schools. The world does not stand still and makes huge leaps in the digital age.
Technologies such as phones, tablets, headphones, computers, virtual reality glasses have entered the daily lives of new generation students. These innovations have a great impact on the study of subjects at school. They help to do homework, presentations, find new information, etc.
Digital life is evolving and technology has begun to attend lessons. Computers, projectors, speakers have become an integral part, it is easier for teachers to turn on a presentation with pictures on the projector and tell the lesson to the students in such a way than simply delivering the words and pictures on the board. Also, the school magazine is presented not only in paper form, but also in electronic form, it is located on the Internet. Parents who want to see the grades of the child can easily enter the electronic journal at any time of the day. You may notice that all homework is now displayed on the Internet.
And a new task arose for teachers - to teach schoolchildren to use these digital technologies, to independently obtain all new information.
Everything that was presented above was said about the school. But do not forget about secondary special and higher education.
At colleges and universities, many students work in pairs at computers or use telephones to find the information they need. Nowadays, it is convenient for teachers to send assignments by e-mail or on social networks. In pairs, students open the files sent to them and work with them. Also, homework can be sent to students' computers and phones.
Students are ranked in an electronic journal, where they can go through their profile and see the percentage of academic performance. The done homework and control work is placed in your profile, files from pairs are saved. The schedule is also displayed on the site.
The transition to digital technology is due to the fact that there are not enough specialists in this field. The program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation” appeared on the transition to a new technological structure, which will help to decide the training of personnel for high-tech industries.
By 2021, the proportion of the population with digital skills should be at least 40%, according to the personnel and education program of the Digital Economy of the Russian Federation plan. By 2024, 6.5 million people will be required to increase the share of the digital economy in GDP from 2 to 6%, according to the Digital Economy Autonomous Non-Commercial Organization. Personnel will be trained throughout the education system, starting literally from primary and secondary schools.
Digitalization of the school is one of the key areas of the Education national project adopted by the Russian government in early September. By 2025, all schools in the country should be connected to high-speed Internet with a data transfer rate of at least 100 Mbps. The national project as a whole provides for equalizing educational opportunities for children, creating conditions for continuing adult education and ensuring equal access to quality education.
The digital environment has already begun to take shape in Russian schools. Since September last year, the MES cloud platform (Moscow Electronic School) has been operating in the capital. Metropolitan schools use electronic whiteboards, laptops and high-speed Internet. Educational modernization brought multimedia lesson scripts, instructional videos and audio materials, 3D programs, virtual museums, libraries and laboratories. By 2020, it is planned to completely abandon paper textbooks in 11 school subjects, replacing them with mobile devices - individual tablets. On them you can view educational materials, video tutorials, as well as attend video tours, use electronic libraries and keep electronic diaries. Over time, it is planned to broadcast this experience to other regions and introduce the Russian e-School (NES). This was previously stated by the Minister of Education of the Russian Federation Olga Vasilyeva.
A digital school implies free access to electronic educational content and wide opportunities for individualizing the educational process, taking into account the abilities of each student. The volumes of electronic content are increasing - textbooks are being digitized, online courses are being developed. Requirements for the use of electronic resources in training have been spelled out in federal state educational standards since September 2015 - all school textbooks today must have electronic versions.
Electronic educational content provides more opportunities to acquire knowledge independently, to navigate in large volumes of information - this is the quality that is necessary for employers in the digital economy.
The role of the teacher is transformed from a knowledge translator to the function of a mentor, guiding the student along the most individualized learning path.
The country is beginning to move more and more to digital technologies and one can notice that there are big plans in the country for introducing technologies into education, since good and trained specialists are needed.
Next, the main pros and cons of digitalization will be presented.
The main advantages of digitalization:
Accustoming to independence. Since the future system implies independent work, a child from childhood will understand that he himself must strive for knowledge. Such education will further make the character of a person more solid. Without undue care of teachers, the student will achieve better results.
Lack of paperwork. Pupils have to carry several textbooks and notebooks at once, which occupy a significant place and weigh a lot in a bag. The load can be so strong that the child will hurt the body. Digital education saves people from a mountain of papers and books. The computer will contain all the textbooks and manuals, and the tablet will replace workbooks.
Saving. Since digitalization eliminates paper versions, parents will not have to spend money on notebooks, textbooks, pens, and other office supplies. Moreover, school supplies are very expensive. Electronic versions will need to be replaced with new ones only if old equipment breaks down.
Simplification of the work of teachers. The profession of a teacher is considered one of the most difficult. A lot of energy and nerves are spent on educating young minds. In a digital system, a teacher’s job involves only help. The teacher sets the direction in which students develop. Schoolchildren turn to him only in controversial situations.
Step into the Future. The transition to digital education is a significant step towards the creation of Internet technologies. Now science is developing at a high speed, new structures are appearing every day. Digitalization of instruction will help students better navigate the information world in the future.
The disadvantages of online education:
The risk of a negative result. These changes will be dramatic. There is no way to say for sure whether such an innovation will be positive. This system will be used for the first time, so it will not work to compare with something like that.
Lack of creativity. Scientists have proven that color design helps people to remember information better. Even adults are encouraged to create their notes with minor adjustments. It also contributes to the development of creativity. However, information technology excludes the opportunity to prove oneself. Electronic versions are “dry” in nature. The child will quickly get used to the boring story. Children's creativity will noticeably suffer.
Decreased mental activity. This phenomenon can be observed now. There is no need for a person to think about something; he has ceased to independently obtain information. It is enough to have Internet access to find out the necessary information. This leads to a weakening of mental abilities.
Bad socialization. When a student first comes to school, there is only a small chance that he will meet a friend there. The child immediately gets into another society, where he knows no one. In the institution, he receives not only knowledge, but also makes friends, learns to interact with society. The information system significantly reduces the level of human socialization. This will affect the further development of the personality.
Problems with physical development. Vision and fine motor skills will change first. Prolonged exposure to the screens leads to eye fatigue. Over time, appear: dryness; redness; irritation; visual impairment. In the next generations, there is hardly a person with good vision. However, it is possible that in the future, technologies will become safer for child development. Working with the keyboard and tablet will lead to a change in the physiology of the fingers. The structure of bones, joints and muscles may change.
Absolute control. This applies to students, teachers and parents. A personal record is filed for each person, detailed information about the family is collected. This will lead to total control of society. If you argue at a lower level: the child will not be able to hide anything from adults. Previously, it was possible to hide the diary, correct the assessment, keep silent about the remark. There will be no such opportunity in the future, which is bad for children. This will significantly affect independence. When a child encounters problems, he tries to solve them himself, although not in the right ways.
The function of educators. After digitalization, the concept of teacher will be completely changed. Professionals will be replaced by robots and virtual systems. People will lose their jobs.
From all of the above, it can be noted that there are more negative traits than positive ones. The question immediately arises: "Why then are information technologies needed if they have more minuses than pluses?" They are needed! Indeed, without technology, the country will be considered not developing, but outdated. It will lag behind other countries and this will lead to negative consequences. It is better to engage and develop in this direction, but do not forget that you need to walk, play sports, meet new people, etc.
The world does not stand still, it introduces new technologies everywhere. Every day, many schools, universities, colleges, factories, shops, etc. equipped with digital innovations. But they also need to be able to use, and that is why from elementary grades children begin to learn how to work with computers. The world is changing and it needs new specialists with IT education, this is taught in higher and secondary specialized educational institutions so that the labor market does not suffer. We can conclude that technology is needed and important in life.