(19)The Digital Pencil-Berating Life into Learning for Children

Ljubica Bakić-Tomić, Daniela Bertić, Vesna Markovac

Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, Savska 77. 10000 Zagreb, Croatia

Abstract

The development of IT changes traditional school introducing new curricula in which students are subjects in education process. Digital pencil, connected laptop, makes the process of learning faster and easier also for children with special needs. In the paper the possibility of fast learning with digital pencil and improvement of different types of IQ in active and self regulated process of acquiring knowledge, techniques and competence are displayed.

Key word:

Digital pencil, fast learning, curriculum, intrinsic motivation, multi-type intelligence, children with special needs.

1. Introduction

Industrial society today is on its sunset, and it is being substituted with postindustrial society for which is significant total automation and changed role of industrial producers. A man is no longer a small wheel on the assembly line; he is an innovative creator of production. The need for nonqualified and low qualified workers is disappearing, and the need for creative, highly educated and innovative experts is on the rise. In these conditions traditional school is dying off and exists only in countries with low percentage of economical growth (Bognar, 2002.pg.43). In democratic countries institution of an old red tape type of school has no more existence. With the development of ICT the transmission of knowledge as a main role of traditional school will soon be obsolete because the same goal can be achieved faster and more efficiently at home or at some other place (Bognar, 2002.pg.1.).

New paradigm of education began in last two decades of 20th century. ICT has paved a road for this shift of paradigm. It has changed the way we think, learn and live. With flourishing of information age phrases like «super education» and «accelerated learning» have become all-pervading (Jensen, 2004.pg.4.).

2. Digital pencil introduces revolution in learning and education of children

«Learning in present education is extremely inefficient. Too many times we give to young people to cut flowers instead to teach them how to grow their own seedlings. »

John. W. Gardner (Vizek et al., 2003. pg.248.)

Quick development of information science changes concept of traditional paradigm introducing in educational process digital pencil as a special strategy in learning and teaching. Digital pencil introduces students in new situations of fast learning, process of thinking, interpersonal and global communication, and gives a direction of whole life learning concept of 21st century.

Digital pencil in education process makes possible introduction of new strategies which open the door for fast learning, creativity, development of critical thinking, mutual understanding, tolerance, peaceful communication and harmony. It is just the right thing which lacks in the world nowadays, and is necessary for the process of globalization (Delors, 1998.).

Digital pencil introduces new spirit of educational paradigm in which children’s right on information, education and communication are materialized. New educational strategies with digital pencil, in which the students are active coworkers of educational process, are teaching how to «learn, do and be» (Delors, 1998.).

Computers have entered all forms and levels of education. In primary education computers are used for word processing, searching for information, e- mailing, exercises, and artwork, but rather rarely to support science education. In secondary education the use of ICT in science lessons has became quite common. For example, in microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) the computer collects data from sensors, organizes data in the form of tables and graphs, and carries out computations. ICT also offers opportunities for modeling, for controlling objects (robotics), and networking of students with regard to research projects. Even at primary level ICT has a lot of potential (Ellermeijer, 2006.p.53)

Introduction of digital pencil in the education process demands change of the curriculum. According to H. Gardner, every curriculum should be able to predict materials which could stimulate development of different types of intelligence which have, up till now been neglected in schooling systems. Until today school has primarily validated linguistic and logical – mathematic intelligence. With the change of school curriculum and with introduction of new strategies of learning, the intrinsic motivation of students is elevated, and others various types of intelligence like visual and spatial, kinesthetic, musical, interpersonal and intrapersonal are being developed. School curricula must be developed so that learning must be connected with the whole life. It must start with the base of what students already know, from their curiosity, ambitions and problems. Students must be shown that learning can give them answers to some of their life problems and help them to be content (Vizek et al.2003.pg.250.) ICT makes increment of intrinsic motivation possible, because the student is put in a situation of self control. With certain programs it is possible to have a learning process in which students have endless self-sustaining feedback; and the feedback is one of the leading sources of internal motivation which is also a characteristic of «fast learning». According to Siegfrical (1997.) «fast learning» happens when we learn on the principle of try and error which causes fast change in synaptic efficiency in the brain (Jansen, 2004.pg.19.).

In psychology of education the self-regulating learning is pointed out, if these conditions were made accessible to the students:

1. Analyzing task and setting efficient goals for learning,

2. Use of certain strategies on how to realize these goals,

3. Students are controlling their own advance and change their learning approach if it is necessary (Butter and Winne, 1994. in Vizek et al. 2003.pg.261.).

Educational technologies- computers, probeware, and networking - can significantly enhance science learning at elementary grades. ICT is particularly valuable at helping students to:

  1. Understand cause-and effect relationship,
  2. Visualize change.
  3. Gain insights into the ways systems act;
  4. Relate math, science, and technology, and
  5. Support explorations of emergent behavior (Concord Consortium, 2003 in Ellermeijer, 2006).

3. How children learn

Learning Vision from OLPCWiki:

Educators have long recognized that children learn best when they are active, when they pursue their own interest, and they participate in cultures of knowledge and engagement. However, until now it has been logistically impossible, except for the elites, to create such learning environments. With 1-to-1 access to connected laptops, children actively engage in knowledge construction and are not limited to passive reception of information. Each child can pursue learning in areas of strong personal interest and the classroom is not limited to a pre-determined, one-size-fits all approach.

With mobile, connected laptops the walls of the classroom open and the entire community becomes the classroom and virtually the whole world enters on demand. The children carry the classroom and teachers of the world with them trough the community and to their homes. Children can participate in the study of global issues while simultaneously using local context for understudying. They can fully participate as producers of knowledge and not just as consumers of materials by others.

Laptops are the pencils for digital age. The sooner we can provide high quality learning environments for all, the better and more cohesive will become (D.Cavallo, 2007).

The new digital technologies can (and should) transform not only how children learn, but also what children learn, and who they learn with.

  1. How children learn? Digital technologies can enable children to become more active and independent in learning, taking charge of own learning through direct exploration, expression, and experience. The focus shifts from «being taught» to «learning».
  2. What children learn? Much of what children learn in schools today was designed for the era of paper- and-pencil. With new digital technologies (digital pencil), children can undertake projects (and learn concepts) that were seen as too complex for children in pre-digital era.
  3. Who children learn with? Global connectedness can enable new «knowledge- building communities» in which children (and adults) around the globe collaborate on project and learn from another. These efforts require new multicultural, multilingual, and multimodal approaches to learning (Negroponte, Cesnik, Cassell, 1995).

The National Curriculum in England has formulated goals for ICT education as follows:

Key Stage 1 (until age 6): Pupils could use to detect and compare sounds (optimal)

Key Stage 2 (age 7 – 10): Investigative skills: Obtaining and presenting evidence – make systematic observations and measurements, including the use of ICT for data logging.

Knowledge and understanding of materials in different ways, using a range of equipment including an ICT control program.

So the National Curriculum encourages ICT use in all grade levels of Elementary science education and also includes control activities (Ellermeijer, 2006).

4. Digital pencil and children with special needs

Development of ICT made innovations in learning of children with special needs possible and made their time in school more pleasant, and learning at home nicer and happier.

For example, one study found that students performed better when 3 conditions were met: multiple means of representation were presented (text and graphics, science simulations, a story read aloud), multiple means of expression by the student were encouraged (use of text, sound, images, video for written expression), and various engagement were offered to keep students on task (The Power of the Internet for Learning, 2000). Media such as photographs, videos and tape recordings that link text, visual imagery, sound and music «capitalize on students» unique abilities and interests and can be powerful for students with disabilities, many of whom experience repeated failure with mono – media - paper and pencil» (Multimedia and More, 1999). HyperCard software allows students to compose interactive stories for others to read on a computer. Overall, technology can be the bridge that helps reach students who otherwise might fall through the cracks of education, (EPS 304 CTER Online, 2002).

5. Digital pencil and dyslexia

«In the frame of fruitful education it is of life importance to develop independent critical thinking in young human being, but the development in that direction is in jeopardy by overwhelming amount of knowledge to be learned. Overbooked curricula definitely lead to past times. Teaching must me done in a way that student accepts the knowledge as a valuable gift and not as a tormenting duty. »

Albert Einstein

There are various definitions of dyslexia. According to I. Galić-Jušić dyslexia is depicted as long-term disturbance in written language, in learning how to read, partly in writing and calculus, because of inability to correctly decode written language symbols and to create automatic mental actions which are the base of this decoding. This considerably deteriorates precision of reading and good understanding of already red text (Galić- Jušić, 2004.pg.22).

According to R.D.Davis dyslexia should not be called inability to learn. More precise would be to say that it is a burden of conditioning. Davis claims that in real life situations like job training, arts and sports, a dyslexic person learns more in less time that an average person, which means that when learning process is done through experience, dyslexic persons can learn many things faster that the average person can understand (Davis,2001.str107).

Many famous artists and scientists are dyslexic like Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Walt Disney, H.C.Andersen etc. R.D.Davis counts basic capabilities that dyslexic persons possess:

1. They can use capability of brain to change and create perceptions,

2. They are very much aware of their surroundings,

3. They are more curious than average persons,

4. They mostly talk in pictures and not in words,

5. They are very intuitive and sharp minded,

6. They think and notice in a multidimensional way – using all the senses,

7. They can experience a thought as a reality,

8. They have a vivid imagination (Davis, 2001).

R.D.Davis points out that all above mentioned capabilities, if they are properly directed through education, may result in two traits: intelligence higher than the average and extreme creative capabilities which are the gift of dyslexia – gift of mastering in many directions and fields. For instance A. Einstein in the field of physics, W. Disney in the field of art.

New achievements in digital technology materialized in Perceptive Pixel (Jeff Han, 2007). Used in education process it will for sure cause new revolution in the process of education, leading students in new situations of creative expression, self regulated and fast learning. Vision of learning through Perceptive Pixel will make little dyslexic students focus their capabilities on learning through discovery and will make them use their multidimensional perception and lively imagination. Perceptive Pixel introduces new strategies in a new educational process. This new digital pencil will introduce happiness in learning.

6. Conclusion

Development of digital technology from the end of 20th and beginning of 21st century introduced new school reforms, caused transformation of traditional teaching (education) in new processes of learning which are oriented to the whole life learning. Digital pencil makes development of the new techniques, knowledge and competence in self regulated fast learning possible. New educational strategies make cooperative learning, development of critical thinking, interpersonal and global communication possible, that leads to development of tolerance, understanding and harmonious human relationships.

Introduction of digital pencil in education process demands continuous education of educators through psychological – pedagogical workshops and ICT workshops as «hand on» for introduction of innovations, new education strategies and continuous action research. With digital pencil students are subjects of education process, and teachers are becoming leaders and autonomous creators of education process.

Literature

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