“Revolutionary changes in
technology, the global marketplace and significant social, political and
environmental issues dramatically affect what students today must know. The
challenge to educators and parents is to provide instruction that is not only
relevant and engaging but that also includes the world-class rigor necessary to
prepare students to get a job in a culturally diverse, technologically complex
and economically competitive world.”
1.
How would you propose the plan to prepare
students in your country to work in different culturally, technologically, and
economically context?
To prepare students for the
technology age, we firstly need to educate our teachers on information and
communication technology (ICT). They need to be equipped with ICT skills first
before they can pass it on to students. Teachers’ ages can range from 22 to 60
years old. While young teachers are more fluent in technology, senior teachers
are less skilled to incorporate technology in their classes. Teachers in remote
areas also limited access to internet and less knowledgeable on ICT. Teachers
in Thailand should be trained so that they can integrate ICT in their teachings
and encourage students to be proactive recipients of information.
To be culturally aware, it is important that
our students understand other cultures. Including foreign languages such as
English and other Asian languages besides Thai in the curriculum would ensure better
understanding and closer relationship between our country and others.
For a world which is vastly transformed by
technology, it is not adequate to only focusing on the current technology. Educators
should focus on developing transferable skills such as critical thinking and
problem solving so that students can analyze information, apply knowledge to
new situations as well as comprehend new ideas. These skills will make them
capable to learn and adapt to any new technology to come. Lastly, to stay
economically competitive, teachers and educators should help students develop interest
and curiosity on what’s going on around the world and teach by example how to
be lifelong learners.
2.
What has been done by your country in each context?
As
far as the educational technology is concerned, PM Yingluck has approved the
distribution of free tablets to school-aged students and promised more free
wifi coverage in rural areas for the years to come. The ICT integrated education has been discussed
but not equally adopted in government schools. ASEAN community 2015 is on the
national agenda and lots of debate and discussion on how Thais should prepare for
the union. One of the suggestions is to make English a second official language
in Thailand but nothing concrete has been developed. A number of schools in
Thailand especially in Bangkok have offered more choices of foreign languages
including English, Chinese and other ASEAN member languages. Critical thinking and problem solving have
been identified as desirable qualities of the young Thais; however, Thai
curriculum is not yet carried out or taught in a way that cultivates such
skills.
News Card 1
a) Microsoft's Digits Could Turn Us All Into
Hand Dancers
b) Mr. Peter
Suciu TechNewsWorld 10/09/12 2:51 PM
http://www.technewsworld.com/story/76345.html
c) Microsoft's computer science laboratory at the
University of Cambridge with help from researchers at Newcastle University and
the University of Crete, successfully developed Digits, new technology which
would lead to virtual controllers. The wrist-worn sensor would allow the wearer
to control a range of equipment via hand gestures and likely to replace devices
like TV remote controls. The mouse we use today will also be replaced by a new
hand-gesture sensor. While Microsoft didn’t reveal when exactly such technology
would be introduced in the mainstream market, this breakthrough interface
evolution is well underway to change the way we live.
Ms. Patcharaporn Boonkerd ID 5519505
