Self activity

The module which we will be looking at this year is entitled ICT in Schools.

I am very fortunate to be teaching in a school surrounded by computers...not technology.
There is a computer in every classroom for teachers to take roll, show powerpoints, send emails, but I do not believe that they are ebing used to improve the quality of the delivery of the curriculum.

I read the five rationales for the use of computers in school, and they are lovely in theory. However, I do not think that they mesh with the curriculum which we in Trinidad have to deliver.

The third rationale is one that stood out to me:

Rationale 3: To use the technology to enhance the existing curriculum and to improve the way in which it is developed. Computer-assisted learning programs, in which the computer takes over some of the activity of the teacher, fall within this rationale.

 

In Trinidad and Tobago, Form 1 students are fortunate to receive lap top computers upon their entry into secondary school. It was my dream to have students listen to music, skypeing with native speakers, using software to practise pronunciation. However, the infrastructure regarding the network is lacking, students do not take care of the computers and there is always a story about why it is not working. So I just use it to reinforce work that was done in class..a time filler.

I have given research projects relating to Spanish culture, students copy and paste from the Internet, even though strict guidelines are given. Students do not have basic word processing skills so time has to be taken to help students with assignments. Students are engaging in cyber bullying via Facebook.

At my school, technology is used mainly by teachers for administrative tasks. Technology has also taken the place of the blackboard, so instead of writing notes, I show a powerpoint. Not enough imagination is put into using the technology. But I do not blame us. We have to prepare students for a national exam called NCSE at the form 3 level and CSEC at the form 5 level. We are just trying to finish the syllabus and not enough emphasis is placed on using the technology to enhance the curriculum.

ah well...next term....