ICT INTEGRATION IN EDUCATION

How ICT Integration is Improving Education commonly referred to as ICT in Education means “Teaching and Learning with ICT”. Every subject content knowledge can be gained through ICT. Therefore, it is important to remember that ICT is not only about computers. ICTs are embedded as teaching/learning tools in the Curriculum.

We have so many cool gadgets nowadays. iPads and laptops and smart mobile phones. So how come we can hardly ever use them at school?

Who decides that we the people are supposed to learn, can’t even use the tools for most comfortable with? Use of these gadgets is abbreviated to ICT. Information and communication technology.

In fact, many people believe that children learn much better by using ICT, but many local authorities struggle to provide their students with this.

The problem is not the actual hardware, some schools and other institutions of learning are full of it. The problem is how to use ICT smartly to improve learning. But why is better learning important?

The more of us will have to get a good education, but with so many of our young people dropping out of high school, can we really claim they’re on the right path to become a knowledge based society?

It doesn’t look like it. Are we just expecting our students to suddenly realize that they are the nation’s future and get their act together? Or should we try to make schools more relevant and motivating for students so that this happens naturally?

If more students learn better, would that possibly motivate them to continue and not drop out of high school? Wouldn’t that actually help to create a knowledge-based society?

OK, if we agree that society benefits from improved learning, how do we reach this goal? Well then we’re back to the gadgets. I believe it would be smart to take advantage of students interest in ICT.

Why Integrate ICT in Education

Computers can teach us to learn things in different ways, and they also make learning advanced concepts easier. If that’s what you want, imagine instead of reading about DNA molecules and cramming in facts you don’t really understand.

Imagine a biology instructor/teacher/facilitator using this video to explain more about DNA;

Why not? Visualize, simulate, and animate the DNA molecule. Wouldn’t this make school more exciting if you actually understand what you learn? How about math? Wouldn’t learning improve if formulas were brought to life using dynamic graphs rather than struggling with Cryptic X’s and Y’s?

In this video clip, booting a computer has been animated, and this is one way ICT can help for those struggling to simplify facts when learning is taking place;

And how about other subjects? Would it inspire us to have all the information in the world at our fingertips, just a few mouse clicks away? I think it would.

I feel excited just thinking about it. So what’s holding us back? Well, ICT is a part of the curriculum as the 5th basic skill. That’s a good start. But the curriculum itself is no guarantee because nothing happens to those who don’t follow it accurately.

Therefore, it’s probably more important to get the actual teachers into the idea of using ICT in their lessons. Could increased use of ICT and teacher training encourage teachers to use ICT in their own lessons? And what if they were given their time and resources to keep their ICT knowledge up-to-date?

Wouldn’t that pave the way for smarter use of ICT in education? Could we by using ICT smartly improve? Learning, motivation, and then results. If we could do that, wouldn’t we be better suited to create the knowledge base of the future?

The Sound below highlights some of the roles of ICT in Education take a minute and listen, Multimedia elements like text, images, video, sound, and animations can be of great help in fostering different abilities within learners.

DIGITAL NATIVES VS DIGITAL IMMIGRANTS

Here is the Voice of the Active Learner Education From a Digital Native’s Perspective

Digital native is a term used to describe a person born or brought up during the age of digital technology and so familiar with computers and the Internet from an early age whereas Digital immigrants Is a term used to describe a person born or brought up before the widespread use of digital technology.

ICT in education

The use of ICT is so widespread in society that classrooms should not be less, and they must ensure that they take advantage of what they can bring us. However, children and young people must be taught to use them consciously and safely.

The educational sector must assume the responsibility of gradually implementing all the technologies that may favor student learning in some way, and ensure that they learn to use them in a world where they are already part of professional life and their social environment.

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