The Information Era dramatically changed the way we educate our children. We live in a world of rapid change and the resemblance to yesterday is fleeting. There are so many ways that academics are enhanced by technology that simply did not exist ten years ago.

We are living in the midst of a tremendous upheaval in the fields of technology and communication. Advances in technology have influenced every aspect of modern life and are having an enormous impact on education. Technology can promote student engagement, immerse students in real-world issues, enhance discussions and workshops, and facilitate formative assessment.

Technology is transforming the teaching and learning process into one that is more interactive. Instead of waiting to see how much a student knows at the end of a term, progress can be measured in real-time – and adjustments can be made. Teaching is becoming less instructor-centric and more of a communal process. We have seen a lot of advancement in education technology designed for the classroom, and to be effective, P-20 educators need to stay abreast of these new technologies and trends.

The new technological advances can be helpful, but there are some associated problems. Students may spend too much time using their devices and the Internet includes information that may be harmful as well as helpful. Without clear parameters, teachers may become overly focused on technology to the detriment of information transfer.

Although there are pros and cons to most forms of technology and most technology-related education concepts, there is so much to look forward to when it comes to the P-20 classroom. The concepts and technologies that I have discussed will allow educators to better prepare students for the rest of their academic careers and for lifelong success.

Love it or hate it, today’s educators must embrace technology as a way of life in their classrooms. Resistance is futile at this point so educators must find a balance between the flash of technology and its practical benefits in the learning process.

To sum it up, communication has changed, and an enormous variety of information is now accessible to almost everyone at the click of a mouse or swipe of a finger. Old-fashioned classrooms equipped only with books and chalkboards are long gone. In their place, we have new teaching techniques such as Internet research, experience-based education, virtual learning, and online live assessments are being introduced to meet educational needs in the Information Era.

Since technology is not going anywhere and does more good than harm, adapting is the best course of action. That is where The Tech Edvocate comes in. We plan to cover the P-20 EdTech sector and provide our readers with the latest news and opinion on the subject. From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech. We hope to provide a well-rounded, multi-faceted look at the past, present, the future of EdTech in the US and internationally.

Some particular areas that will receive attention on The Tech Edvocate include:

• EdTech News
• eLearning and Online Learning
• Digital & Mobile Technology
• Personalized Learning
• Assistive Technology
• Early Childhood & K-12 EdTech
• Higher Education EdTech
• EdTech Futures
• EdTech Startups and Businesses

I hope that you will join us in this discussion of the past, present and future of EdTech and lend your own insight to the issues that are discussed.

Visit The Tech Edvocate at www.thetechedvocate.org