Globalisation & Technology: educational challenges

Abstract

Nowadays we are witnessing globalisation processes that converge to universal values and competencies also due to a fast and intense technologic development. Nevertheless, globalisation and technology are contradictory processes, of conflict between states, social groups and individuals in the sense that they can be agents of development but also of social exclusion. According to this, education plays a major role in the research for alternatives and in the democratisation of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT). Therefore, school must make an intentional effort in the sense of promoting and facilitating the access to technologic media, as technology may even permit a balanced, fair and democratic development. Yet, the social impact of the technological improvements can only be positive with the necessary human resources, namely teachers, prepared to use them as means to foster permanent innovation in the educational process. This may correspond to the needs mentioned above, thus leading to new changes. In this context, the use of ICT in active and strongly participated learning environments, may contribute to the education of intellectually autonomous individuals with the ability to teach them, that is, being able to determine their apprenticeship throughout their lives from the point of view of citizenship. Particularly in telecommunications, ICT allow the creation of virtual learning and working environments where there is actual interaction and communication among every intervenient, eliminating barriers of time and space with competitive advantages to the citizen. In this presentation we shall make a reflection about the contribution of Education and ICT to foster counter-hegemonic globalisation and to give visibility to childhood through a shared and participated relationship between all the actors of educational community.