ICT in EduCatiON...

     Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had begun to be used on a large scale throughout our school system as a teaching aid in 2003, that was when teaching Science and Mathematics were in English. Unfortunately, instead of being a teaching aid, in many cases the poor English of the teachers turned the teaching aid into the only teacher many kids got. In fact, the structure of the aids seems to replace teachers instead of assist them. This is totally wrong, because ICT can be a fantastic teaching aid when used correctly.


The primary advantage of ICT is that it offers access to a lot of data and information which teachers do not have, and it can present those informations in compelling and interesting ways. Indeed, ICT lends itself readily to all sorts of interesting applications in the classroom. A truly successful programme for ICT use in the classroom would not only allow but encourage teachers to go beyond government-supplied tools, and to use things like the internet to better their teaching. Even if all they do is use Google to search for answers to questions they don't have answers to, I think it's a lot more instructive and useful for students to see how to use Google to find answers than it is for them to get a simple lecture from the computer.


Other than that, teachers or lectures can use internet to locate studies and prove that what they teach actually exist. Though they could have just told students to look those things up in their spare time, an option  to call up all those visual aids and supporting facts in the classroom itself is clearly invaluable to the learning experience. So, with the increasing use of the internet in education most schools will have devised an internet policy. As a minimum, schools will include a ban on accessing unsuitable sites for children, including those of a pornographic, violent, or racist nature. However there will be many other kinds of site which the school may deem to be unsuitable. 


ICT is a really good teaching aid. But it takes two to tango, eventhough teachers can use ICT as teaching aids, they still have a role to play. After all, teachers should be able to tell when students are not paying attention to the virtual lecture, and answer any questions the students may have.