The twentieth century saw the birth of new technologies which have revolutionized many classrooms around the world. One of them is the creation of the internet and the further developments in computer systems and tools. This has lead to the inclusion of such resources in class and, consequently, to the creation of what is called Blended Learning – a blending of different teaching approaches and technological resources in an interactive educational environment. For instance, several universities have applied this new teaching trend in their courses of studies. They offer a combination of face-to-face learning and e-learning – the former being the traditional on-campus education, which also includes the use of computers in class, and the latter, the online learning. It is proved that students attending these types of courses receive more stimuli from different kinds of sources, developing their whole potential. Educators teaching under this new modality should be competent in the use of PCs in order to assist their students with computer skills and applications. Indeed, it is necessary for teachers to have a general updated knowledge of these devices.
On the other hand, there are some educators who are reluctant to include technological devices in the classrooms. They prefer to stick to the more traditional teaching methods, which they considered as the most effective and reliable ones. They claim that current developments in IT, and its applications, are taking place in such a fast way that trying to keep updated on those areas might be implausible and frustrating. Moreover, the cost of installing new equipment is increasing more and more, and the fact that it should be replaced or updated with certain regularity is something not many educational institutions can afford. As a consequence, some students may be relegated to attending conventional courses which include hardly any interactive tools for them to take advantage from while learning.
To conclude, it is true that changes in technologies are taking place at a very fast pace nowadays, but it is important to be able to have all the necessary skills to use most of the technological tools in the market. What is more, they can be of great use if included in the classroom. For example, the implementation of blending learning courses in educational centers around the globe is a sign of the power technology has in people’s lives. Therefore, educators should be sensible enough to make them part of their lessons. Although the price can be high, it is certainly worth it.
