Optimum implementation of information technology in elementary education

Abstract

It is well known that reading and writing techniques are learned throughout childhood and that they have a great significance for further development of each individual and the society in general. However, in this day and age children make their first contact with language and script using the widespread digital media. Later in life this will have a negative effect on their ability to recognize letters and start reading. Nowadays Croatian schools are experiencing intensive informatization of educational process. It is expected that modern technology will be used daily, for several hours. On the other hand, we have been witnessing everyday (mis)use of technology by the young people in their free time. The questions then arise: how much time will the students be exposed to the influence of the media on a daily basis, either for educational purposes or for fun? What consequences will this exposure have for them? Numerous researches have shown that overexposure to technology affects cognitive abilities of young people. It is true that young people possess technological skills which they use much more efficiently than the older population, but at the same time they have difficulties assessing or evaluating the sources of information. One of the possible problems is their lack of knowledge about how information is organized or the lack of previous knowledge of a certain field. As far as texts are concerned, most young people will choose printed ones because they think that learning through electronic media is tiresome. The...