Technology in the Classroom

I. Read this text and translate it into Ukrainian.

IV. Define the main sentences in the text to make a brief summary.

III. Ask questions to the content of the text and give short answers.

II. Make up a vocabulary of new words.

TEXT 9

The primary components of education are changing. The Internet and video-con­ferencing are emerging as primary tools of education. As the potential of inexpensive, user-friendly technology increases and the platform of available information expands, classroom design is increasingly hinging on technical standards.

Students' access and learning processes also are affected. The newest benefactors of these implications are non-traditional students and students in rural communi­ties, as access can be gained from nearly anywhere at any time. In addition to class­room design, technology is affecting user needs as well, including social interaction and workplace productivity.

However, students in the classroom are also finding gains. The primary impact in the classroom is on how students receive infor­mation and, therefore, learn. Increasingly, lecture information is transferred elec­tronically to students. And, in some class­rooms, students are equipped with elec­tronic workstations.

What does all this mean for classroom design? The whole idea is to view a class­room as a hollow shell ‘wet’ with the Internet and video-conferencing emerging as primary components of education tech­nology. This has caused planners to rethink classroom design at two broad levels: tech­nological infrastructure and space plan­ning created with strategically placed cabling and wiring race-ways. In addition, it is important to incorporate empty con­duit throughout facilities, thereby provid­ing the channels to run future cabling and wiring race-ways. By incorporating this conduit, a classroom becomes a strategic resource, positioning an institution for changes and advancements in technology. Maximizing flexibility is not only impor­tant for planning technological infrastruc­ture, but also it is a primary key for space planning. Creating flexible classrooms means designing spaces with proportions to accommodate a variety of functions, instead of just one specific learning activi­ty that could potentially hinder future pos­sibilities. Designing classroom spaces as column-free space and minimizing per­manently attached hardware – desks, seat­ing and even today's latest technology – also helps to achieve the hollow-shell effect.

Дата добавления: 2015-05-24