Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/technology-in-the-out-of-school-environment/5016855/
The use of the technologies available now for learners will be in large part determined by the extent of its availability within the physical space of any educational or social program for children. Fortunately, more and more schools and community sites have acquired not only computers, but also the connectivity to the Internet and other tools such as printers, scanners, and digital cameras. If a program is lucky enough to have access to Internet-capable computers, the children in that program can benefit enormously if directed to web sites that will motivate and provide an interactive learning environment. If a program has computers that are not Internet capable, then software programs can provide the same value.Whatever equipment may be available to the children in a program, the benefits gained from using this technology will be dependent on exactly how it is used. Children who go to the computers to “play” have no way of distinguishing the computer from a video game at home. However, children who are directed to go to the computer with a task to complete, a skill to develop, research to be done, or concepts to practice, will “see” the computer as the learning tool that it should ...