This image is a
summary of what majority of teachers in Uganda are with regards to the use of
technology in the classroom. Teachers fear to get their immigration status
upgraded and fear even more to move from being knowledgeable (A comfort zone
where the teacher is the fountain of knowledge and wields power) to being
knowledge –able-the obligation to keep current and inspire lifelong learning.
Teachers are
contented with the basic knowledge (TK) in the use of computers but are not
able to harness the potential of ICT to complement their role in the teaching
and learning process. It is in this regard that they have not yet fully
appreciated the learning preferences of the learners in the 21st century- teamwork,
flexibility in the learning environment, student based projects that
incorporate challenging assignments, and most importantly respect for
student voices, interests and passions.
This is the context of the
problem. I provide the following suggestions as a remedy:
The Ministry of
Education Science Technology and Sports can train teachers about the digital society
through having a thorough review of the curriculum for teacher training,
primary and secondary curriculum with the focus on training of teachers on
pedagogical integration (in service and pre –service). The following elements
need to be emphasized in the curriculum:
Developing skilled
teachers (and that’s what we need in schools, colleges and
universities) is as much an economic development as an educational issue.
If we want people with the knowledge and skills needed in a digital age, then
teachers must get the knowledge themselves about how to develop such skills,
and in particular recognize that learning technologies and online learning are
critical components in the development of such skills.
There needs to
be a ‘core’ curriculum, minimum standards, and measures of performance for
pre-service training in teaching for each sector. These standards should
include knowledge and skills needed by learners in a digital age. No person
should be hired to new positions that have a major teaching component without
recognized training in teaching, once the training system is in place.
The 21st Century
learner learns in a variety of ways, with different learning skills and
abilities. The emphasis on teacher training needs to change from knowledge as
content to knowledge as process.
Teaching methods need to be chosen that will
develop the skills and competencies needed in a knowledge-based society, and on
top of all this, constantly changing technology requires instructors to have
analytical frameworks to help choose and use technologies appropriately for teaching.
The teacher
needs to be made aware that the use of
technology needs to be combined with an understanding of how students learn,
how skills are developed, how knowledge is represented through different media
and then processed, and how learners use different senses for learning. It
means examining different approaches to learning, such as the construction of
knowledge compared with a transmission model of teaching, and how technology
best works with either approach. Above all, it means linking the use of
technology to the specific requirements of a particular knowledge domain or
subject area.
I suggest some
basic guidelines in how to approach teaching the digital native in the digital
age:
Explaining objectives clearly
Student-centered learning
Problem-based learning
Project-based learning
Inquiry-based learning
Active learning
Asking the open-ended questions
Constructivism or co-constructing
Learning by doing
Allowing students to find and following their passion
Allowing time for questions and sharing their
thoughts and opinions
Creating presentations in text and multimedia
Giving students guidance
Delivering material in context
Creating rigor
Practice through games
Teach that failure is a learning process
The change I would like to make is a subtle one – not
so direct, but the effect would bring about the desired innovation:
The most critical
change I would advocate for is for the teachers continuous professional
development and lifelong learning where Teacher training coordinates the
teachers’ sophisticated professional skills with the pervasive use of
technology to support students who are creating knowledge products and are
engaged in planning and managing their own learning goals in a school that is a
continuously improving, learning organisation. So, teachers model the learning
process for students and serve as model learners through their own on-going
professional development – individually and collaboratively.
Professional
development programmes like the CCTI course in which we are all engaged (With
many drop outs unfortunately) have the
goal of developing teachers’ technological literacy so as to integrate the use
of basic ICT tools into the standard school curriculum, pedagogy, and classroom
structures. In this way, teachers know how, where, and when (as well as when
not) to use technology for classroom activities, for management tasks, and
obtaining extra subject materials and also pedagogical knowledge in support of
their own professional development.
There needs to
be a coordinated teacher professional development ( In Uganda this development is in small pockets with many
different players ) would provide teachers with the skills to use more
sophisticated methodologies and technologies with changes in the curriculum
that emphasis depth of understanding and application of knowledge to real
world problems and a pedagogy where the teacher serves as a guide and manager
of the learning environment and students are engaged in extended, often
collaborative project-based learning activities that can go beyond the
classroom.
Through
continuous professional development, I hope to eventually see a developing
population that is continuously engaged in and benefits from knowledge
creation, innovation, and participation in the learning society where the
curriculum goes beyond a focus on knowledge of school subjects to explicitly
include the 21st century skills that are needed to create new knowledge and
engage in life-long learning—the ability to collaborate, communicate, create,
innovate, and think critically.
Wow! Goodbye
January Blues and welcome February month-the month of purification.
