INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES AS AN EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE IN SCHOOL GEOGRAPHY EDUCATION

Abstract

The time we live in is dynamic and full of challenges. They are caused by the activity of the ongoing natural and socio-economic processes and their impact on the value system of modern society. In this interaction, education plays a leading role, because through the values it shapes it simultaneously makes an investment in the future development of all spheres of the material and spiritual life of humanity. Education also performs an important social function by preparing the young generation to adequately meet the emerging challenges of their professional realization and to actively participate in the change of society. One of the essential characteristics of our times is the process of globalization, which also leads to the globalization of education, taking into account the increasing influence of information technology and the global information network. This creates the conditions for the expansion of communications and the digitization of all spheres, including education. A certain impetus for the use of an increasing number of digital educational resources and technologies was also given by the emerging pandemic situation, which for a short time made them the only possible option for the implementation of e-learning in a distance environment. This has also affected school geography education. The subject "Geography and Economics" has a rich content base, which implies the use of a variety of resources for the realization of visuality and the formation of cartographic culture in students. The majority of these resources are digital and involve the use of information and communication technologies. There are numerous digital resources on the World Wide Web that can be used in geography lessons, but these should be refined. To be used purposefully, they need to synchronize with other components of the learning process and contribute to the realization of the intended outcomes. This led us to apply SWOT analysis to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of ICT and resources in the school geography course. We believe that the results of this method will assist geography teachers in planning the selection and implementation of information and communication technologies as an educational resource in the process of teaching geography. We also point out some types of digital resources that could be rationally used in geography education to increase students' motivation, activate their cognitive activity and support the formation of key competences. We do not accept information and communication technologies and their products as a "panacea" for solving a large number of problems in school geography education, but we believe that they are an important educational resource that should be known and rationally applied as a variational choice to traditional learning resources.