C1 SPOKEN MEDIATION
Technology in education is still a controversial issue; you need to inform your classmates about this fact. You
have been provided with a couple of texts in order to prepare the talk. Take notes and make sure you include
the ideas exposed in the texts.
Preparation: 10 minutes Presentation: 3-4 minutes
Technology in Education
Future education
What will determine our future success in the economic and social fields
is the ability of our educators to make technology in the classroom. An
enabler for achievement in most aspects of our lives. The most significant
advantage that advances in technology have brought about is the
promotion of independent learning in students. The internet has changed
the way students access information necessary for their education. With
proper training to identify the more reliable sources of information, most
students will no longer depend on often outdated textbooks to glean the
information they need. The first step that needs to be taken to make the use of technology in the classroom a useful
strategic tool is to motivate educators to embrace these tools without adding extra weight to their workload. We
spend more money on education than most EU countries, but our achievement records are not impressive. Part of
the problem is that the teaching profession is not valued enough. Many who choose to teachas a career do so for
the wrong reasons. Students will often be the victims of these wrong choices. We need to attract the best graduates
in the different areas of study, ensure that they have the right motivation to train others, and pay them as much if
not more than other industries to bring the best out of our young people.
Adapted from www.timesofmalta.com
Mobile phones and academic effects
Giving a mobile phone to a child aged nine leads to worse maths and
reading skills, according to major new Irish research which claims that
children who have a mobile phone at age nine score lower on average
in standardised reading and maths tests by the age of 13. It also found
that 40% of children aged nine own a mobile phone. The data suggests
that the effects of this early exposure to mobile phones could include
impact on memory patterns or effects on sleep duration. The study also
claims that the observed association between mobile phone ownership
and test scores remains when we take account of many of the factors
which typically influence test scores such as socio-economic class; even
within the same communities, children with mobile phones scored less well in academic tests than children without
handsets. Furthermore, the research also found children in poorer socio-economic communities were more likely
to have a mobile phone at the age of nine than those in more affluent communities. Schools have recently been
consulting with their staff, students and parents on the place of personal devices in the school setting, these results
may help schools in making decisions on whether and when to restrict access to personal devices, particularly during
the primary school years. In a time when technology is everyday more implemented in our classrooms, it’s difficult
to reconcile the alleged pedagogical benefits of tablets and smartphones and the evidence which suggests that these
interfere with cognitive abilities, including concentration.
Adapted from www.Independent.ie
PRUEBA MODELO EOI INGLÉS C1
