Classroom Media Citizens in Twenty-first century find the technological advancements as an inexorable support. Justified access; connectivity to technological advancement along with adequate training need to be provided to teachers in order to make them capable of utilizing the available technology to the fullest possible utilization of skills. Naisbitt states that Computers provide a cost effective method of personalizing education even though its capital intensive nature cannot be denied. Simplifications of the large-scale manual record keeping through computers electronically and skills involving management of computers have become an added advantage and being treated as marketable skill.

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James A. Garfield, a graduate of Williams College, who later became the twentieth president of United States, had propounded the core hypothesis of refinements in Higher education in the year 1871. Fredrick Rudolph, a renowned historian retrieves; Garfield defended the complaints of professor about the incapability of the Williams College to cope with the updated technology, by citing the chronicle of Mark Hopkins the college president as the ideal. In this way prior to telecommunications and campus computer network, the chronicle of Mark Hopkins and his influential personality marked a significant symbol in idealized high touch in Higher Education. 2

1. Eileen Giuffre, Cotton. The Online Classroom: Teaching with Internet. (Bloomington, EDINFO Press, 2000) 4

2. Eileen Giuffre, Cotton. The Online Classroom: Teaching with Internet. (Bloomington, EDINFO Press, 2000) 5

This was advanced as a strong resistance to the worries of the campus being not coping with the time. Assimilation of computer technology in the classroom education has been emphasized in the new educational enterprises. Productive utilization of the available technology by the teachers with the students in pursuit of the educational objectives has become more demanding, of course with a little co-operation. Distraction and misapprehensions in this regard has inhibited its successful implementation. The continual conflict between high touch and high tech are considered as main factors in this regard. 3

Academicians treat these as inherent contradictions. The advocates of high touch apprehends the pedagogical instructional practices like personal contact between teacher and taught, the sanctity of traditional education are at stake by the technological infusion. On the other hand the advent of high tech instructional practices is viewed as the rejuvenation of the educational practices with enhanced teaching, learning and instructions. Sitting on the fence several of the administrators, faculties strive to appreciate the increased role of the technology in the educational atmosphere simultaneously safeguarding the priorities of the colleges. 4

3. Ferdi, Serim; Melissa, Koch. NetLearning: Why teachers use the internet. (New York: Songline Studios, 1996) 23

4. Ferdi, Serim; Melissa, Koch. NetLearning: Why teachers use the internet. (New York: Songline Studios, 1996) 24

These two conflicting choices are however, not treated as independent alternatives. A wise synthesis has been endeavored to be find out by the most faculties out of their intuitions and personal experiences. Methods of assimilation of the best of both old and new are to be searched out in the sphere of their classroom as well as professional ventures. With a personal touch the potentialities of the technological advancements are explored and taken for integration, implementation and visualization. The high tech education necessitates the wise selections by the teachers among the alternatives for utilization of the available technological resources in the sphere of classroom teaching and professional ventures. 5

There are four broad classifications of technology, so far as it is considered as a support to learning. As a tutor technology provides sequential offerings of information, manifestation and simulations of the educational system. This involves a workbook-like teaching by the technological methods. Technology can also be utilized for exploration. Students find a way to move through the available information and manifestations as per their need. Application of the technology as a tool in pursuit of specific tasks like composing, analyzing and storing of data is often emphasized. Finally, the role of the technology in providing communication of messages, information and data among students is being stressed upon. The third and fourth role of the technology -- its role as a tool and as a communicative method is being laid emphasis upon in its current applications in the sphere of education. 6

5 R.M. Gagne. The conditions of Learning. (New York: Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1985) 63

6. Mike, Battersby. Using Internet to Improve Teaching and Learning. (Northampton: Paragon, 2000) 141

Technological tools are being utilized as a supportive in their authentic and challenging pursuits, which are characterized by their interactions with the material contents. It has...

Solutions to the problems through computers envisage a specific application of the technology as a tool. Assimilation of computer programs with the traditional textbooks especially, in the courses involving quantitative analysis like, accounts, finance, economics and statistics enhances the problem solving and data analyzing skills of the students. The transition from instructing technological skills in isolation to such an integrated approach is visualized as a significant leap involving much planning and effort. Opportunely, there exists a model for the purpose. 7
During the last 25 years, the stream of library science is striving to have a transition from the teaching of library skills in isolation to the teaching of information skills with an integrated approach. It has been visualized that integration of information skills are more effective when they are in direct relation with the curriculum and class room tasks and are inextricably bonded as a model of a logical and systematic information process. The schools warranting such transition from imparting instruction skills pertaining to information technology in isolation necessitates fulfillment of these requirements. Teachers and the library media professionals jointly developed collaborative projects with successful integration of information skill programs. Implanting of such curriculum is necessitated by the instructions of information technology skills. 8

7. Knapper, Christopher Kay. Evaluating instructional technology. (New York: Halsted Press, 1980)

8. J.T Feeley; DS Strickland; S.B Wepner. Computer as Tool: Classroom applications for Language Arts. Computers in the schools, (Volume: 4; Number: 1, 1987) 5 collaborative effort by the library media specialists, computer instructors, and classroom teachers are necessitated for designing of units and lessons involving technological, information skills and the outcomes of content area curriculum. An integrated information technology literacy curriculum to become more relevant should involve more than mere mastering of isolated skills like acquiring a preliminary knowledge of the hardware, acquisition of skills of working with word processors, browsing internet and searching information etc. 9

Improvement of skills of the teachers during such transition period involves significant time and effort. Adaptability to the changes by the teachers is understood to be not comfortable and involves a great deal of time and effort. It is therefore, essential that the school administration provides sufficient time and support to the teachers in order to find out the ways and means for interweaving the available technology into the school environment and curriculum. Integration of computers into the educational curriculum involves making available of the computer resources as tools rather than engaging the students in pursuit of 'computer education'. 10

9. Jacqueline Grennon, Brooks; Martin G, Brooks. In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. (Virginia, Association for the Supervision and Curriculum Development Press, 1993) 71

10. Jacqueline Grennon, Brooks; Martin G, Brooks. In search of understanding: The case for constructivist classrooms. (Virginia, Association for the Supervision and Curriculum Development Press, 1993) 71

Question arises as to what should be the extent of knowledge about computer itself that the teacher is essential to know for effective integration of the same into the curriculum. Rather than knowing the working of computers teachers are required to acquire the skills for applying the same in the class room. A computer operator can be viewed with the same analogy of a driver driving a vehicle. The driver in order to drive the vehicle effectively is not required to know the working of the engine of the vehicle or to repair the vehicle or not necessarily the way to buy a vehicle. It is however, essential to acquire the skills of driving the vehicle on the road with a special understanding of road signs. The more experience in driving increases the skills of the drivers. Similarly, a basic understanding of computer is needed to become a successful operator. 11

The knowledge of working of computer, repairing a computer, or buying a computer is not essential for the user. Gradually, the level of confidence of the user increased with experience. Integration of technology necessitates fulfillment of two goals by the teachers. Firstly, the teacher must be a computer user. The teacher may use the computer for preparation of class room materials such as handouts, banners, newsletters. Similarly, teachers may use the computers for management of the marks of the students or take help of a computer program to develop a particular skill. In the second use the utilization of the computer is viewed as a tool of teaching than a study. The computer using teacher is aimed at achieving the objective of imparting…