Technology has come a long way in the past couple of decades. I don’t know about you, but I grew up in the era of Walkmans, Discmans and boomboxes. We used the computer to chat on AIM, and play The Oregon Trail. Cell phones had just begun to gain in popularity, and we relied on scribbled notes from mapquest.com to get us from place to place.
The world is undoubtedly a different place, but the latest technologies and innovations have done a lot more than just simplify our lives and feed our Apple addictions.
In contrast to students in developed countries, students living in extreme poverty have unique challenges to overcome in order to acquire an education. Limited electricity and school supplies are just some of barriers they must deal with, but thanks to the latest innovations the field of education is changing for the better.
Not convinced? Have a look:
1. Coursera
Thanks to websites like Coursera, interested individuals can take free online classes from the convenience of their homes. You might even have the privilege of learning from our friend and world-renowned economics professor Jeff Sachs.
2. Luci Light
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to come home to a dark home? Or how difficult it would be to study without light? Too often this is the reality for people living in extreme poverty, but innovations like Luci Light are changing this. Designed by MPOWERD, Luci Lights are affordable, solar-powered, inflatable and water-proof lamps that produce zero-emissions.
3. Tablets
The popularity of tablets has extended beyond the home and into the classroom. While iPads are all the rage in the developed world, e-readers and tablets that cost as low as $40 are being used as a teaching tool in the developing world. Students with autism and other learning disabilities have also benefited as tablets are being designed with their needs in mind.
4. Open textbooks
Thanks to organizations like Siyavula, teachers and students alike can now access textbooks and learning exercises at no cost either online or in print. For children living in extreme poverty, these books could very well be their first, and the key to unlocking their potential.
5. Skype
15 years ago having a face-to-face conversation with a friend on the other side of the world would have sounded like something out of a sci-fi movie, but today it’s one of the easiest ways to connect friends and families separated by distance. Nowadays, Skype provides just one more way to connect students, teachers, and guest lecturers.
6. Mobile phones
Think cell phones are unique to the global north? Not so! In 2012 a study showed that 6 billion of the world’s nearly 7 billion people carried one. Even crazier, more people around the world have access to a cell phone than have access to a toilet. So what does this mean for education? For youth in the developing world, mobile phones have proven to be an effective way to motivate text-obsessed teens to learn to read and write. They’re also allowing teachers and students to communicate more easily about assignments and school.
7. Dropbox
Forget about wasting all that time at the copy machine, squandering paper like it grows on trees ;) With Dropbox teachers and students can easily share materials online by adding adding it to a mutual folder on the site, then access it anytime on their computers, tablets, or mobile phones.
8. PowerPoint
I first learned the wonders of PowerPoint in highschool, but didn’t truly appreciate them until college when literally every lecture came in PowerPoint form. PowerPoint presentations are not only an effective way to present information to a group of students with short attention spans but they also make excellent study companions and can be shared easily online.
9. SMART boards
Students learn better when they are engaged in a lesson, which is where SMART boards come in. Unlike a traditional chalk or whiteboard, the SMART board (also known as an interactive whiteboard) is a touch-sensitive screen connected to a computer that allows teachers to manipulate the projected lesson plans by writing, drawing, or moving images. Check out this video to see it in action.
10. TED talks
Who doesn’t love TED Talks? Now you can go online and watch lectures from some of the world’s most intelligent, knowledgeable, and inspirational individuals. Whether you want to learn a new skill, find out about global issues, or simply be inspired by someone’s courage and accomplishments, you can find it all there.
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