Teachers (Educators) are resourceful and innovative people. The manner in which they give meaning to policy documents is truly amazing.
One of the current requirements is that there should also be ICT-integration in the delivery of the curriculum. Some educators are pursuing this goal and doing so in very innovative ways. The response of their learners is appreciative. Some have commented that they now have a better understanding of certain concepts. Other learners enjoy the opportunity to interact directly with the technology. However, while most acknowledge the value of Information and Communication Tools like the Internet and Mindset, few actually use it.
What do you think could be the reason for this?
Is it a problem of too little time or accessibility?
3 comments:
Could it perhaps be that educators do not understand the full value of these tools to them and to their learners?
Put any scientific term into a search engine and you literally get 100,000s of sites.
It's not just time or accessibility..it can be overwheming when faced with the amount of Science resources available.
The support offered by Khanya can make a difference to educators by acting as a guide(saving them valuable time and energy), providing the sites and resources that will really make a difference in the classroom.
The result grateful educators and enthused learners!
I think usability can be a problem. Can I use the resources in what I am busy doing? Does it save me time (not always possible with ICT)? More importantly..does it assist the learner in his/her learning process?
These are questions only an educator can answer. S/He knows their learners and should have an idea of what their needs are. Some times technology works, sometimes the simple piece of chalk with some talk does the trick. When this should happen and how this should happen is in the hands of the educator.
I want to mention that in many cases their is some lack of motivation for educators to use ICT. But then we should also understand the following factors that impinge on the use of ICT in science educator :
(a) the extreme pressure under which educators work.
(b) technically the labs are suffering (it has become a major bugbear this year).
(c) poor curriculum support. (working for Eskom...being in the dark)
(d) lack of knowledge - new syllabus.
(e) poor leadership.
I believe that some of these negative factors can be overcome. We can debate and plan what needs to be done, but implementation and sustainability of that planning always seems to be a problem. It really takes educators with determination, perseverance and open minds. Supposing there is somebody like that, will there be some incentive for this person to continue or do they move on to better things?
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