Sunday, January 1, 2012

When The Technology Takes Over



The generation of today must be so lucky for having all sorts of technological advancements around them. Playing, studying, reading, and watching shows are just a tap away. Just how young do they start engaging with technology?

I remember a friend telling me a story of his less-than-a-year-old son who is already very much fond of touchscreens. So much so that at one time, the son went in front of the television to try swiping the images from left to right using his fingers. Obviously, this child was trained using a tablet.

During a speaking engagement at my alma mater, I spoke in front of grade four elementary students. The teacher who introduced me to the class mentioned about my being tech savvy. So I opened my talk by asking them “who loves technology?” To my surprise, more than half of the class were raised their hands with some shouting the words “Internet,” “iPad,” “Cell Phone,” and more. I felt old.

The government has been finding ways to use the modern innovations to build more efficiency and effectiveness in their public service. Entertainment sources have utilized several techniques in order to create a whole new level of how people watch shows and listen to music.

Even the schools are starting to adapt to the ever-changing technological times. Conservative learning institutions that have been using blackboards and chalks have started converting them into white boards or those more advanced writing medium as a starter.

On the other hand, some higher-end institutions like Xavier School (XS) and La Salle Greenhills (LSGH) have chosen to be more high-tech to maximize what technology can offer.

In the XS website, students are allocated a dedicated section for assignment downloading. This way, not only it lessens paper trash, but also gives more convenience for kiddos to answer them wherever they are and whichever gadget they are using. In addition, XS had its computer laboratories to use Mac. There are also subjects that may require the use of laptops, especially when they turn sophomore and up.

On the other side of the fence is LSGH who has turned a few old classrooms into a modern battleground. They now have touchscreen boards and digital tablets as textbook, notebooks, and test pads. Capable of WiFi, students are able to show videos and maps during presentations. Since the exams are electronically managed, scores are immediately evaluated and sent to parents’ email. Wow!

Indeed, the times have changed. Unless you’re someone jobless and moneyless, the society tells us that we should have gadgets – even just a mobile phone as a basic necessity. Without one, you would seem like, to be blunt, a “sore loser.” And there’s definitely no looking back, because from here onwards, everything will just be automated one after another. Eventually, technology will take over just like in movies.

This article is my 46th contribution to Manila Bulletin -- one of the Philippines' leading broadsheets -- published on December 5, 2011 (Monday) in the TechNews Section. You can view the PDF version here.


Photo Source: InfoChatNews

4 comments:

ohh. so this was the reqason why you were asking me. 

Its a great idea.  Many times a boy exposed to technology comes out better than someone who was not.  Just hope that they can balance the advantages versus the minuses or you may end up with easy access porn and sports gambling done electronically.

You're right. I hope their internet access is limited to intranet.

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