The Use Of Technology In Teaching

Published Date: 02 Nov 2017

ICT lessons should be included in the curriculum from an early age, and this type of practice has been going on for quite some time in Primary State Schools in Malta. I remember when in Year 1, the teacher used to dedicate some time each week teaching us how to use a computer, while using the ones provided in our classrooms. The importance of such a skill is also emphasised in the National Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family, 2011). I believe that these types of lessons are imperative and helpful in order to help students make use of such a valuable resource, and not just use a computer to play games or to use Facebook.

21st century teaching should include the use of technology, both in the classroom, and even at home. Technology can enhance the communication between the students and the teacher and the students themselves to share ideas and findings (Roberts, 2011). This will certainly enhance learning and makes both teaching and learning more enjoyable. This idea of using certain tools for collaboration and communication is also mentioned in (Roberts, 2011).

As explained in (Roscorla, 2009), in today’s society, students are not just expected to be proficient at academic subjects studied at school only, but "learn skills including communication, problem solving, critical thinking, global awareness, financial literacy and technology" (Roscorla, 2009, para. 2). Therefore a teacher should consider these aspects too, when planning the lessons, in order to integrate these skills in the prepared activities. During my observations I noticed that while some of the previously mentioned skills can be implemented at a classroom level, others can be implemented at school level and these types of activities will enhance further skills such as collaboration, communicating and being a team player in larger groups.

Teaching a variety of subjects. These should not only be limited to English, Maths, Physics etc, but also subjects, for example PSD which has been already integrated in schools, which help the students grow holistically and to develop the necessary skills in tackling certain issues that might be encountered in life and skills to integrate with other persons and in the environment (Ministry of Education, Youth and Employment, 2005).

Activities done during the lessons should not only enhance the academic abilities of the students, but also the creativity and innovation characteristics of the students. I think that a teacher can design projects and group work activities that will help in enhancing these properties. As explained in the Website of Inly School, the school adopts a "culture of creativity" (Inly School, 2013, para. 1) which is important in enhancing the skills of a student.

Many researchers, including Prensky (2003), insist that games are to be used more frequently during the lessons. This is because the students are spending most of the time at home playing games, and this is affecting the attention span of the students and they get quite bored easily when topics are presented in certain ways (Prensky, 2003). Therefore, while considering the findings of numerous researchers, more educational games are to be used during the lessons (Prensky, 2003). During my observations I realised that there are teachers who use this methodology, however many still adopt the direct teaching style.

As explained in Teaching in the 21st Century (2008), students should have the right to learn interesting subjects, togethor with the classmates and teachers, within motivational and supportive environment. I think that today’s teaching should be directed in this manner and in fact, during my observations, I noticed that whenever students are engaged in some form of activity, whether it is group work, a game on the computer, or even just a small discussion, the students seemed more motivated than just laying back in their seat, listening to what the teacher has to say.

As explained in Roberts (2011), students can now access any necessary information anywhere and at any time. So unlike before, where we used to be given everything to the letter, I think that the role of the teacher is now to guide the students in their own learning, by first of all helping the students to develop the skills on how to go about finding the right information (Roberts, 2011) which will ultimately help them acquire the necessary knowledge without spoon-feeding the students.

With today’s multicultural societies, the teacher cannot just cater for one specific culture or ethnic group, but an inclusive environment is needed to be fostered (Alberta Teachers’ Association, 2003). Therefore teachers, now more than ever, need to keep this in their mind while planning lessons or activities.

As explained by Piaget (as cited in Hergenhahn, 1982), teaching has to be adapted and catered according to the needs of the students. Therefore I think that the teacher needs to keep this in mind when planning.