It is a known fact that we are presently living in a highly digital time. Due to continuous advancements in technology, people connect with each other virtually now, more than ever. A fast and reliable internet connection became a necessity in everyday living. The physical space where people usually interact shifted into an online realm. Physical resources for transactions were replaced by digital tools.
Indeed, most industries transitioned from using traditional infrastructure to managing online networking components. As a matter of fact, the government has been pushing for aggressive initiatives on IT infrastructure establishment across the country. These are part of the plan to make headway in the continuous economic development through the transformation of educational systems.
Beyond pandemic and disaster recovery, the main goal of these efforts in educational technology is to future-proof processes and systems, thereby improving quality of life. Additionally, we aim to be at par with the level of innovation that other countries utilize.
Below is a quick overview of what is IT infrastructure. The preceding sections will also tackle the reasons why there is an impending need for massive measures on technology in education, specifically dynamic IT infrastructure.
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What is an IT infrastructure?
According to Techopedia, Information Technology (IT) infrastructure is the overarching term pertaining to the components needed “for the existence, operation, and management of an enterprise IT environment.” This means that all the hardware, software, and network enablement form part of it.
Educational institutions use these elements to collect and transfer data, and to make information available to students, teachers, and stakeholders. Similarly, these IT infrastructures are used to manage the school’s online portals, learning management systems, and any other aspect of the teaching and learning process that occurs online.
The importance of these infrastructures in education
- There’s a substantial shift in the Philippine education system
Through time, we have been witnesses to the substantial evolution of the country’s system of education. Pertinent government agencies created a plethora of policies and programs to address the increasing demand for quality education.
Introduction of the K-12 curriculum
In fact, when the Philippines decided to take the pattern of global standards, the K-12 program was put into place last 2012. This new curriculum aims to give students more time to harness essential skills which they can already use for work after such a program. This system of education moves away from the conventional, jam-packed program, thus, making students well-prepared even before going to college.
Basically, learners will start from Kindergarten, Elementary School, Junior High School, and up to Grade 12 of their Senior High School. Furthermore, during Senior High School, students can choose among 3 tracks available: Academic, Technical-Vocational-Livelihood, and Sports and Arts. During the same time, they will be able to harness their needed abilities in their chosen field.
Certainly, technology in education has a huge role in this new system because it makes learning easier and more comprehensive. Hence, it is truly helpful that there are massive reforms and advancements in IT infrastructure because these allow for educational resources to be easily accessible to everyone.
Release of the MELCs
Since the pandemic resulted in schools’ closure in 2020, the Department of Education (DepEd) further streamlined the curriculum. This is through the release of the Most Essential Learning Competencies or MELCs.
This guideline allowed instruction methods to be more focused on the vital abilities that students must learn, especially during the current health crisis. Since children learn remotely, it became important to have clear lesson plans that fit the present needs of the learners. The MELCs provide students and teachers a solid direction of what should be expected each week of the quarter.
Similarly, technology in education has a huge role in the attainment of these MELCs. Most especially now that classroom learning is still not fully viable, access to IT resources is one of the ways how students learn. This can only be more effective and efficient through the establishment of needed IT infrastructure. Finally, for an all-inclusive and coherent education system in the country, these infrastructures should be installed in each locality.
- Online learning is on the rise
While other nations may have implemented online education long ago, the Philippines only adopted the same after the COVID-19 outbreak. The operating system of education has been the conventional face-to-face scenario until the early part of 2020. Remote online education became the solution for continuous learning to happen amid the situation.
Internet connectivity became a must
During this time, a reliable and fast internet connection became a vital tool. A student will not be able to access online lessons, do research, and attend online classes if he does not have a connection.
Technology in the classroom can only happen through the Internet. Teachers and students also communicate through email and messaging platforms. Likewise, students collaborate online. Thus, it is crucial to have a speedy and stable internet as you go along your learning journey.
New technologies like Learning Management System sprout
As one of the main solutions to the need for remote learning, schools adopted different learning management systems. These new innovations in education allowed students and teachers to create a virtual classroom where they conduct learning sessions and activities.
With the mandatory use of this resolution, institutions needed to upgrade their current infrastructure to accommodate the need. This is beyond ensuring that students have computers. Institutions themselves upgraded their infrastructure and other equipment to ensure the sufficiency of resources.
Integrating technology into education is the way to go
Accept it or not, we are now digital, and we can’t turn back time. Thus, integrating technology in education is the only way to move forward. While face-to-face classes are not yet in full swing, some schools are still implementing online learning. Thus, it is important for each locality to have a strong network infrastructure so that connection won’t be a problem.
Just like businesses that use web servers, enterprise resource planning, customer relationship management, and gigantic data centers, educational institutions shifted to the use of cloud infrastructure and content management systems to effectively give each student access to knowledge and information in a virtual classroom.
Through this new system, resources are available to multiple users and network devices, providing for a seamless flow of information. Additionally, collaboration is easier than ever, thanks to innovations such as cloud computing.
Consequently, IT infrastructure is a solid need of the country. If our aim is to improve the quality of life through better education, we should also have a better understanding of the underlying needs to achieve such a goal.
Get connected with Streamtech and learn seamlessly online
In this modern and digital time, technology transformed the educational landscape in the country. We cannot escape the reality that innovation defines today, and will surely be part of the future. Consequently, we need to ensure that we have a stable and speedy internet connection wherever we are. This will enable us and our children to learn more and live well.
The good news is that we have new internet providers in the Philippines who are ready to embrace this challenge. Streamtech Fiber Internet is one of them. As a trustworthy ISP, it provides affordable home internet plans to cities and municipalities across the nation. These are perfect for your home online needs, including work and school.
Learning never stops if there’s no interruption in your connection. So, if you want to subscribe to an upgraded online experience, visit the Facebook page of Streamtech now for more details.
