In years past you had to have some years behind you so that you
could talk about the good old days.
Conversations would start with statements like “Remember when…?” Today when a conversation starts with those
words it could be a young person talking about how they did things last year or
last month vs. how they go about their day to day activities today.
Things are changing so fast!
How does this affect educating and training learners and what needs to
be tracked and recorded? Certainly, not
the same as it was a decade ago.
A recent solicitation
stated “Use of ed tech is
skyrocketing, students on campus tote several devices each, but service needs
range from high tech (wifi, connected classroom) to mundane (rat in the
cafeteria, dorm toilet won't flush). All those needs have to be logged,
serviced, tracked, reported on - hence the high demands on the platform used”. Opportunity for bigger, better and more technology
abounds!
The tools that we use and the infrastructure that supports them
are dynamic and keeping apprised of them will have an impact on the value
delivered through our colleges and training organizations. No matter how quickly activities, lifestyles,
viewpoints and technologies change, there are some things that stay the same.
Inspiration and Education
are required elements for true knowledge transfer. Inspiration
will always be key in education. To
inspire means to fill an individual with the urge or ability to do or feel
something, especially to do something creative. What about education? According to
WIKI, “Education is the process of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs and habits. Educational methods include storytelling, discussion, teaching, training and directed research. Education frequently takes place under the guidance of
educators, but learners may also educate
themselves. Education can take
place in formal or informal settings and any experience that has a
formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered
educational.”
While Education and
Inspiration might remain the cornerstone of teaching, the methodology of
teaching is called pedagogy. The methodology or the way we go about
teaching and learning is changing and changing fast! The tools used by learners, the tools used by
teachers and the tools and technology to track and support them are all in a
state of flux.
Knowledge transfer and educating
learners when you get right down to it has many aspects that will not
change. Instruction delivered with
passion and mission could trump the latest and greatest in technology when it
comes to learning but the ability for educators and training organizations to
keep up with the use of skyrocketing ed tech and the dynamic needs of learners
will require both.
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