Featured Article: Intergrating Technology To Improve Teaching and Learning In our classrooms

Transforming education to meet the 21st century students’ needs and the global and digital world in which they leave required changing the relationship between teaching and learning. 

Teachers must teach students how to construct knowledge as they consume information from any source they are connected to. Giving students technology alone is not sufficient. Although they’ve comfortable with technology, without guidance students most often use technology in only the most basic ways. Teachers also need skills with technology that can help them create engaging lessons and teach students how to construct knowledge inside and outside the classroom.

We can all a test to the fact that from the age of 12 years and above use phones or any electronic devices in one way or the other. Most of them are either connected to facebook, whatsapp, or games. With the right guidance from the teacher, they can make better use of the internet, not in only chatting but rather in doing other useful research that may benefit them.

Percentage of Students Use ICT

Today’s students live much of their live online, but often in the most basic ways. With the figure above, although students are usually comfortable with technology, they most often use it in a basic way that do not build knowledge, creativity or high level thinking and collaboration skills.

International Teaching and Learning (ITL) data has found that parts of the problem are due to difficulty educational institutions have faced in integrating technology in effective ways.

 

Innovative education requires more than just proving more computer to teachers and students. Innovative occurs when education goes beyond reacting or simply using technology, but rather collaboration, communication and solving problems in the society, critical thinking and creativity. Innovation requires change in teaching

 

Students Goals in ICT

• Student will develop

1. Communication and collaborative skills
2. Critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity to help them evaluate and learn how to judge information
3. Global awareness
 

And student will learn

1. How to use devices, software and applications
2. How to select the best tools for task at hand
3. How to keep personal data safe and respecting and protecting copyrighted content.
4. How to avoid plagiarism
5. What cyber safety is and how to manage cyber bulling.
   
   

   

• Teachers Goals in ICT

Teachers will develop:

1. Communication and collaboration
2. Critical thinking, problem-solving and creativity
3. Global awareness
4. Personalized learning for students

And teacher will learn

1. Becoming comfortable with technology and learn how to integrate it into their lesson plans
2. Develop engaging teaching strategies and assessments
3. Benefits from ongoing collaborative professional learning.

Written by:

Afetsi Bless Benedict - Student