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New Technologies Make A Difference page 4 |
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The system I have just described is not something that is “pie in the sky” or a potential technology, it is real. A Winnipeg school Division is in the process of setting up this sort of school information system and its biggest problem is creating the curriculum material that the new system will devour. Content becomes the problem. In May of 1998 I realised that the Internet was a great big thing that could do so much more and at that time I also realised it was devoid of local input and local material. On my own and at the cost of my family, I set to work on Ensign, because I was convinced that we needed content. I have not changed my mind about this and know that the biggest problem of this new information age is not how to deliver material, but it is how to create usable and useful material that fits the technology. The iMac and the new G3 Pro server are now reality, low in cost and able to be installed in schools, business and collages as these systems come on line the demand is to get the material that will be current, organise information so that it is useful and provide sensible comment and interpretation to filter and guide the researcher through the reams of shovellware. Using web based materials, teachers and curricullum developers (definitely the growth part of education employment in the future) can put what students need online for use on the school's server or on a web server for others to use. Though at first it seems formidable to get the stuff put together, if school systems worked together and published their material online, very quickly all you would need and more would rapidly be available. Every Mac can also be a web server as well as a web user. This whole process of directed educational material has a much greater potential for society then our school systems as education is an on going life long learning situation and people of all ages have learning needs that can be fullfilled with the technology that is rapidly becoming common place. Just by reading over this article you have widened your own experience and been involved in adult education. It really is that simple. But you notice reading this material on screen is a pain so when you encounter articles that are text based like this one print them off on your printer so they can be skimmed and digested in a paper form. |