Tech Article for You

Technology, a term frequently used now-a-days which usually refers to a method or process that is made for facilitating people’s work or to benefit them in their particular circumstances. Speaking of technology, we see that the term Information Technology is being very popular in almost every aspect of our lives. From E-shopping to E-Banking, we perform so many transactions daily which involves computer systems interactions somehow. Even when we make a phone call, it’s log is maintained at the telephone department’s database using an information system.

Information Technology is shaping itself as a backbone for the growth and development of our country. Government of Pakistan has launched its IT policy to keep pace with technologically developed countries. And some of the companies in Pakistan have enhanced their services by deploying information systems in their departments and providing their best to satisfy their customers. One good example is of ‘Pakistan Post Company’. In the past, this company was considered to be the slowest and unreliable source of delivering one’s important documents and people used to send their documents using some private postal services which in their opinion was more reliable and fast. But now after the implementation of information systems technology, they are providing enquiry and reporting facilities relating to the movements of mail items, receptacles and dispatches and have enabled a web-based inquiry facility within time. In other words they have improved their overall operations and increased productivity. And they have joined the IT world to keep pace with the current market and their competitors.

Despite of all these benefits of Information Systems, there are still so many companies and organizations in Pakistan both in public and private sectors, that are still being operated manually. They are using the same old file-based system which makes processing very slow and inefficient at the operational level which also affects other levels of organization. At present, there are many reasons of not deploying Information systems even though they are beneficial. Reason of not deploying an information system is because some companies are running small businesses and they don’t have more budget to deploy such systems.

In case of such organizations that can afford technological developments, the most important and significant issue is Technology Acceptance. And resistance to this issue becomes complex when examined in the light of how technology has been used in the past, how it may be seen as a tool of oppression, and how these experiences affect employees’ emotions and attitudes about the proposed new technology in the workplace. For instance, in the year 1997, around 7,600 employees from United Bank Limited were retrenched mandatory on account of overstaffing of the bank and in order to achieve its objective of “right sizing” which in other words was the deployment of new technology which forced them to cut down the size of staff.

Talking about employees’ resistance to the technology, we find that such people who used to work manually get bothered by only thinking that how will it be possible for them to work on new systems. Some of such employees usually have a fear of losing their jobs by the introduction of this new technology as i have discussed above. Some people even think that if computers get introduced in our company then there will always be a check and balance of everything they do and they won’t be able to hide anything fraudulent. Some employees belong to a category of people who have nothing good to say about anything. They always try to oppose anything new and are negative in nature. Therefore they oppose the deployment and usage of new technology even though it is beneficial for the company but in some cases not for them.

Therefore before the implementation of a new technology it must be kept in mind that the introduction of a new technology will have profound effects on the work lives of employees. New technology always affects the social organization of work, access to resources, formal and informal organizational structures, and companies’ control patterns. And to overcome such problems, there must be a firm strategy that ensures the employees that they will not lose their jobs. Secondly there should be an awareness about the technology to be introduced and training programs should be conducted that makes them enable to work with the new systems efficiently. The information technology should make employees feel comfortable and rather than fearing, they should feel confident by having the knowledge about new system.

Hence if we want our country to be technologically developed then the government and private organizations should follow the right strategy of deploying new technology rather than forcibly imposing it on its employees.

http://www.ep.gov.pk
http://www.lib.virginia.edu/area-studies/SouthAsia/SAserials/Dawn/1997/18Oct97.html#7600

Share This

It goes without saying that technology is all around us and it is almost inevitable to get in contact with it in every single action of our lives: CD-ROMs, E-mails, The Internet, ATMs, the World Wide Web seem to be so integrated into our everyday vocabulary that most people would not even ask what we are talking about.
They would know for certain what we mean, even those who are not technology-minded.

We all know that technology is always evolving and when we think we have figured out how it works, we have an invasion of new developments, gadgets and tools that make us wonder if we are not still in square one. And we are not. We are just in the middle of a never-ending quest for knowledge. Isn’t this what education is all about? The words mentioned above are part of our daily life now, and we may even feel that they never were complex in the first place. But they were! Just as at present it may sound to us to hear about blogs, ipods, poscasting, streaming, RSS, and so on and so forth. In turn, this will be so that we will feel at ease both to hear about them as well as to talk about them. The learning quest is on. For good!

However, the aim of this article is not to tell you that technology is always evolving_ something that you already know for certain_ but to share with you some of the reasons why I personally love to teach using technology in the classroom and why I think that every teacher should use it as much as possible whenever possible.

I have been teaching English as a Second Language and Spanish as a Second Language for over 14 years now and in my career I have always noticed how fascinated students feel when they deal with technology.
You can see it in their eyes, that glint of emotion they irradiate every time they get in contact with it.

However, the same does not apply to teachers. I have noticed that many teachers feel either scared of or overwhelmed by the new technological advances, as if, in a way, they have to place themselves in a long-forgotten position, that is, as students. And it is true that with the new technologies we are all learners. But also in life we are learners!!! Who could afford to say, “I know everything”? I definitely couldn’t! To narrow it down a little bit, who could afford to say “I know everything there is to know about my field of expertise?” I could not say that either. I have to accept there is a world of knowledge out there that asks or even begs for exploration and it is up to us to engage in this quest for discovering more and more every day. Will we ever be able to know everything? I think it would be like asking if we could ever be able to bottle all the water in the ocean. We may not be able to do so, but what a good time we could have while trying to do so!

It is pretty understandable that we as teachers are not always up-to-date with the new trends but if we just try to relax and lose the fear of them we will notice that they are not our enemies but our allies. It is true that if I wanted to stand in front of my students with an aura of omnipotent power and knowledge, this may not be the best approach, but I wonder, is it ever good to have that attitude in front of our students? Is it good for our personal development and growth to have that kind of attitude? “I know everything and if there is something I don’t, I will do like an ostrich and put my head under the ground.” Is this what we really want to do? With or without technology, this attitude more often than not will be our main cause of frustration and rejection both from peers and students alike, actually with everyone we come in contact with.

Sadly enough, this is what is happening in most classrooms nowadays. Many teachers simply do not approach technology, either for fear of the unknown, or even for having to yield some sort of authority to the students,. After all, isn’t it true that teachers teach and students learn? Well, yes. but let’s not forget and always bear in mind that we are all learning. The more I teach and see how my students react, the more I learn about them, about myself, about how to reach them, about my teaching practices. It is all part of the teaching experience. There is not such a clear-cut distinction any more.

Undoubtedly, young people feel more attracted to the new technologies than adults do. They spend lots of time dealing with it that they become self-taught experts. Actually, they do know a lot! Maybe MUCH more than we do! So what? Where some teachers may seem trouble or fear, I see a possibility!

Think of the terrific opportunity of engaging those students in sharing part of the knowledge they have acquired after hours and hours in front of a computer, for instance. They could share so many things with the rest of the class so that everyone and YOU yourself can learn from their experience. Do not see them as threats but as allies in your quest for knowledge. You may know nothing, a little or maybe a lot about their favorite subjects! It doesn’t matter. You can start to use the new technologies straight away! How? Very easily. With a couple of tips and instructions, any teacher can start to use them straight away! Just think of this:

How much more effective would your lessons be if you could create your own website with exactly the materials you need to use with your students? Think of the advantages of just this in the classroom, if you have never done anything like this.

“Yeah, right.,” many will say. “I have just learned to check my e-mail and now you are expecting me to create a website! Sounds good but too optimistic and unrealistic!”

My answer would be: “Do you know how to use a word processor?”

If your reply is “YES,” then I will tell you that if you know how to use a word processor, learning how to make a website will take you 10 more minutes.

If your reply is “NO,” then it may take you between 15 and 20 minutes to create your first website.

Yes, you heard me right! Ten to twenty more minutes and you will have your very own website up and running! How about the software? Do you need some special software?

Well, if you have a word processor such as WORD, you do NOT need any other special software. That will do!

It is not our aim in this article to explain how to create a website but I promise I will in another installment of these mini-articles. What I want to highlight here is that technology does not need to be difficult for us to implement. Actually the opposite is true. We have to lose the fear of it and we can accomplish tasks unthinkable for us just one year ago! Losing the fear of technology is everything! Once you decide to implement the new technologies in your classroom you are well on your way towards that end. It is your decision what matters most. Set your mind to it and the rest will be plain sailing.

Why do students love “technology” so much? Simply put, technology has a magical component. It is the thrill of exploring something new, an untravelled path begging for exploration. I call it “the Matrix syndrome.” If you have seen the movie called “The Matrix,” you may know what I mean, that little something that drives you to find out more, that does not let go off you until you have answered all the questions, and you get a clue at a time. Once you unravel one, another one closely related appears, and sets your mind in motion to try to figure out what may happen next. You cannot keep you mind off it and actually crave for more and more, like an addiction begging to be fed. The good thing is, this is an addiction for knowledge.

If you are not very technology oriented, think about how much your students may be missing, not because your lessons are not good enough. They may be excellent lessons. But just imagine how much you could empower your lessons by embracing the new technologies and capitalizing from those students with some expertise in the field. Not only will you be taking your lessons to the next level, but you will also be taking a great porting of magic into your classroom. And when you see that glint in your students’ eyes, you will know for certain you have made the right decision.

Share This

Advancements in technology, valiant journeys, and important people of the Age of Exploration created an impressive step toward the modern era. Improved technologies, such as the compass, which helped sailors along their journey to reach their destination, were promoted during this age. The brave journeys by many men were incredible, like Gil Eanes’ short, but significant voyage across the Green Sea of Darkness. In the Age of Exploration, many important people decided to move beyond their ability, for example Ferdinand Magellan, who circumnavigated the Earth.

Many of the significant improvements of the technology were made during the Age of Exploration. First, the caravel’s smooth hull, lateen sail and two rudders were improved by Prince Henry’s designers for the trips that the sailors had to make. The compass, that is crucial part of any type of journey, which was used for looking at the direction one was going, was promoted throughout this age. Prince Henry’s plan for sailing needed the astrolabe, which determined latitude to prepare for their voyage. Improved maps were part of the technology’s improvements during the Age of Exploration and were used to find their destination.

Additionally, the valiant journeys of many important figures were all very astonishing. Gil Eanes’ voyage across the Green Sea of Darkness was short, but he was the captain of the first successful voyage across the ocean. The well-known journey of Columbus was an exciting journey that led to the Native Americans and discovering of America, which he did not know was America. Journeys of Vasco De Gama were significant because he was the man that began to go on a tough and a lengthy journey. Magellan’s circumnavigation is one of the most respected voyages of all time because it was not a very high chance of success and some of his crew made it.

Finally, the remarkable figures of this time decided to go beyond their skills. Prince Henry, the navigator, was the man that destined some people and some technology to become an important part of history. Gil Eanes, the valiant sailor of Portuguese is a respectable person of this time because he was the man the broke the fear of the Green Sea of Darkness. The two people, Columbus and Vasco De Gama, are both gigantic people that made some tough and long trips that impacted the history immensely. Lastly, the remarkably momentous man of this generation would be Magellan with his unrealistic circumnavigation that surpassed various abilities in his time.

To sum up, many significant achievements were accomplished during this time. Old technologies were modified for the substantial figures that made successful journeys in their lifetime. Respectable people of all time represented this time period showing consummation during the voyages and improvements. The time period of exploration was an immense accomplishment for the venerated people of the time.

Share This