Using technology can improve your efficiency and make you a better teacher.
Education has evolved with time and so have ways of instruction. The traditional chalk and talk continues to be a part of the classroom but new methods have been integrated to make it engaging and to provide hands-on experience to students. Along with various teaching methods, teachers have been trying to incorporate the use of technology in classrooms for various reasons.
Many educators across the world appreciate the value technology adds to teaching. However, many others are still not in favour of this mix. While teachers are happy to incorporate various new pedagogies, be it project-based learning or innovative methods, educators still resist using technology to cater to their teaching needs.
Old habits die hard
This reluctance has been a great challenge. One of the key reasons to shun technology is due to the comfort in the status quo. Teachers see technological experimentation as outside their job profile and show little interest in incorporating it into their work. Today’s children take to technology like fish to water, so to ensure that they are making the most of their schooling and their education, it is important that teachers embrace this change with open minds.
Blended learning and other new models of learning such as the use of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) can not only make education interesting but also mobile. It will also cater to the demand for personalised learning. Educators should recognise that each child is different and learns at their own pace. Technology helps address this issue and enables the educator to provide students with personalised instruction.
Making lessons more engaging
Another common challenge is that students do not feel engaged in the classroom. The traditional, rigid lecture and test models are failing to excite students. This calls for new ways to provide students with interactive learning material that sustains their interest and focus. Teaching models such as flipped classrooms allow the educator to make use of formal and informal teaching techniques that not only make learning interesting but also effective.
To quote Bill Gates, “Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and motivating them, the teacher is the most important.” One could not agree more. Technology enables us to use multimedia resources that can make lesson plans and learning material very engaging. Be it video content or game-based learning, it will captivate students and make it enjoyable. On the other hand, teachers get to ease up a little as students take control of their learning. In this scenario, teachers can focus on making personalised assessments that will help students do better in the areas where they fall behind. Technology saves a lot of educators’ time, which can be used in better ways and for the good of the students.
Easier and effective communication
The other transformation with technology at the root level can be seen around communication needs. The need for communication between students, teachers and parents is perennial. However, the ways to communicate are not very organised. Either it is done through notes and letters or the usual e-mail or phone messages. These means can be used but can either cause a delay or invade their personal space.
This problem can easily be tackled with technology. There are various apps and web tools that cater to this specific requirement of teachers and parents. Using such technologies, teachers can easily inform parents about any events or other matters that need their attention. Also, this ensures that parents, teachers and students stay in the loop and that they do not miss out on important information.
Despite all the great things that technology can bring to the classroom, teachers continue to hold out against change. One of the biggest challenges is the fear of being replaced by technology. This only reflects a lack of awareness on their part. Teachers will always be needed. Technology is no replacement for them. Technology can never replace the human and personal touch that teachers provide, be it individual attention or counsel.
It is important for educators to understand that technology is an extended support for them as well as for the students and it will never replace the teacher. However, as Zuzana Molčanová, Teacher Engagement Manager, at Microsoft, Bratislava, Slovakia, says, there will come a time when their fear of being replaced will come true – not by technology but by another teacher who uses it. Once a teacher herself, Molčanová is involved with creating educational technology at Microsoft.
The writing on the wall is clear. It would be ideal for teachers to take charge of their professional development and be more welcoming of this change. There are multiple ways to do so. Start small and give it a self-start. You can always get in touch with your colleagues who are doing this or making use of the Internet to see how educators across the globe are doing so. Start small but start today. After all, technology acquires meaning and value through the people who use it. And to conclude, here is what George Couros, a renowned educator and practitioner of innovative leadership, teaching and learning, says, “Great technology needs great teachers to bring about great transformation.”
