Changes

===A brief history of ICT===

===A brief history of ICT===

Through the course of history, there have been discoveries and inventions that have changed social processes and structures greatly. The agricultural revolution and industrial revolution created the agrarian and industrial societies respectively. We are now in another such age, brought on by Information Communication Technologies (ICT). With information creation, access, processing and sharing becoming quicker and simpler, society is now being shaped these processes, so much so that, the term ''[[wikipedia:Information_society|Information Society]]'' is used to describe society today. Participating in this society requires an understanding of how these processes are affecting society as well as the development of new skills to navigate this society. It is the responsibility of the education system to respond to this by helping students develop an understanding of ICT, its impact on society and the possibilities for learning through ICT (we will use ICT both in the singular and plural).  The term 'ICT' refers to those set of technologies that help us create information, access information, analyse information and communicate with one another.   

The term 'ICT' refers to those set of technologies that help us create information, access information, analyse information and communicate with one another.  Most of you must be using a cell phone to communicate, which even fifteen years ago would not have been the case with most students. A cell phone is a digital information and communication device, a part of the recent ICT revolution. Yet ICT are perhaps nearly as old as humanity itself, as human beings needed to communicate with one another, beginning with symbolic (non verbal) ways, before [[wikipedia:Language|language]] was invented. Language can be seen as the first 'ICT', it   enabled (oral) communication amongst human beings.   

[[wikipedia:Writing_system|Script]] was the next ICT, invented around 5,000 years ago, which enabled information to be held distinct  from the communicator and be made available  beyond   the  limitation  of   space and time that oral communication imposed.  You would be learning more   about the processes of speaking and listening (comprising   oral   communication) and reading and writing (comprising written   communication) in your courses on language learning. Writing also enabled easier recording of human history and thus the invention of script was a landmark in the history of ICT. Invention of [[wikipedia:Printing|printing]] technologies scaled up the 'writing' process and enabled mass production of books. The invention of radio and television created the 'mass media' in which simultaneously the same message could be transmitted to thousands of people. Each ICT invention enabled the processes of information creation, sharing, storing and communicating to be easier, quicker, more efficient, enabling greater reach. Each ICT invention was a significant event in the evolution of human communication processes and caused an explosion in the availability of information. While human beings have always accessed information and communicated, what makes the present ICT special, is their digital nature, hence we can even refer to ICT as '[[wikipedia:Information_technology|digital technologies]]'.  

 

[[wikipedia:Writing_system|Script]] was the next ICT, invented around 5,000 years ago, which enabled information to be held distinct  from the communicator and be made available  beyond   the  limitation  of   space and time that oral communication imposed.  (You   would   be   learning   more   about   the   processes   of   speaking   and   listening (comprising   oral   communication)   and   reading   and   writing   (comprising   written   communication) in   your courses on language learning. Writing also enabled easier recording of human history and thus the invention of script was a landmark in the history of ICTs. Invention of [[wikipedia:Printing|printing]] technologies scaled up the 'writing' process and enabled mass production of books. The invention of radio and television created the 'mass media' in which simultaneously the same message could be transmitted to thousands of people. Each ICT invention enabled the processes of information creation, sharing, storing and communicating to be easier, quicker, more efficient, enabling greater reach. Each ICT invention was a significant event in the evolution of human communication processes and caused an explosion in the availability of information. While human beings have always accessed information and communicated, what makes the present ICT special, is their digital nature, hence we can even refer to ICT as '[[wikipedia:Information_technology|digital technologies]]'.  

A brief history of ICT is provided in the table below

A brief history of ICT is provided in the table below

|Speaking - Hearing

|Speaking - Hearing

|Not possible

|Not possible

|Requires synchronicity of space and time. Most authentic

|Requires synchronicity of space and time.

|-

|-

|Written / Script

|Written / Script

|Physical

|Physical

|Not possible

|Not possible

|Share knowledge across space and time, but in limited manner

|Share knowledge across space and time, but in a limited manner

|-

|-

|Print / Printing

|Print / Printing

|Physical

|Physical

|Books

|Books

|Explosion of information, due to large volume of books being available

|Explosion of information, due to large volume of books being available; information could be made available on a much larger scale

|-

|-

|Mass Media/ Radio, TV

|Mass Media/ Radio, TV

|Analogue -Audio, video

|Analog/ Digital  - Audio, video

|Cassettes and similar analog devices

|Cassettes and similar analog devices

|Physical

|Physical

|Over broadcast media

|Broadcast transmission equipment

|Mass reach across wide geographies

|Mass reach across wide geographies

|-

|-

|Email

|Email

|Websites, blogs, Wikis – 'desktop publishing'

|Websites, blogs, Wikis – 'desktop publishing'

|Information spreads  fast and wide. Much easier construction and much wider possibilities – text, audio, video

|Information spreads  fast and wide. Much easier construction and much wider possibilities – text, audio, video. Formats of information can be combinedd

|}

|}

==== Digital ICT ====

==== Digital ICT ====

We are now perhaps in the middle of the next epochal movement in the history of ICTs - the use of digital methods of accessing, creating, modifying sharing, storing information as well as for communication. Most of you would have been born after the beginning of the mass use of cell phones (the second generation or 2G cell phone technology was available for mass use from 1991), towards the end of the first millennium, while many teacher educators would have been born before this period! This phenomenon creates an interesting inversion in the school environment, in almost all other areas, the teacher (teacher­ educator) is more familiar than the learner (student­ teacher), while in case of ICTs (more specifically in the skill of using ICT devices and methods), it can often be the opposite! Younger people may often pick up a technology quicker than older people. ''Hence this course may require the student­  teacher to help the teacher educators to acquire some of the skills covered and support 'collaborative learning amongst student­ teachers and teacher educators!  On the other hand, the   experience and insights of teacher educators can help student teachers develop a critical perspective towards digital ICTs, which is essential, since digital ICTs have huge potential for doing harm as well as good.''  

We are now perhaps in the middle of the next epochal movement in the history of ICT - the use of digital methods of accessing, creating, modifying sharing, storing information as well as for communication. Most of you would have been born after the beginning of the mass use of cell phones (the second generation or 2G cell phone technology was available for mass use from 1991), towards the end of the first millennium, while many teacher educators would have been born before this period! This phenomenon creates an interesting inversion in the school environment, in almost all other areas, the teacher (teacher­ educator) is more familiar than the learner (student­ teacher), while in case of ICT (more specifically in the skill of using ICT devices and methods), it can often be the opposite! Younger people may often pick up a technology quicker than older people. However, digital literacy does not only mean skills but rather ''On the other hand, the   experience and insights of teacher educators can help student teachers develop a critical perspective towards digital ICTs, which is essential, since digital ICTs have huge potential for doing harm as well as good.''  

You will learn to use digital ICT for two purposes in the first year - 'connecting and learning' and 'creating (generic resources) and learning', in the two units respectively. Before 'connecting and learning' you need to have a basic familiarity with the ICT devices and tools.  

You will learn to use digital ICT for two purposes in the first year - 'connecting and learning' and 'creating (generic resources) and learning', in the two units respectively. Before 'connecting and learning' you need to have a basic familiarity with the ICT devices and tools.