A teacher is having trouble responding to a question from a student in a nearby school or college who is using a phone to watch a humorous cat video or whose laptop has a dead battery. The electronic whiteboard can be acting up, or the wireless internet connection might come and go.Although it is anticipated that teachers use technology in the classroom, this is not always the case.
Some of the difficulties that educators may experience have to do with technology. Others concern expectations from parents or students, or whether there is sufficient professional development to enable teachers to master digital technology.
If we don’t address these issues, we run the risk of producing a generation of students who aren’t ready for the digital age. The majority of Gen X teachers believe that blackboards are considerably simpler and that complex technology is difficult to grasp. They think that emotional bonding in the classroom promotes moral behaviour. Despite being accustomed to technology, teachers of millennials are often too busy to keep up with new developments.
The Push To Master Digital Technologies
Without a doubt, digital technologies may improve learning by facilitating information access and bettering communication, as well as by offering chances for independent and group learning. ICT expertise can aid in creating capable, forward-thinking citizens.
Teachers have thus been required during the past ten years to incorporate digital tools. Though they may be “digital natives,” at ease and immersed in technology, students nonetheless rely on professors to teach them through digital methods. Along with the “technologies” curriculum, the curriculum mandates that teachers help pupils build their general information and communication technology (ICT) skills across all subject areas.
Here are some ideas for how educators might use technology in the classroom.
With expansive initiatives like Connected Classrooms in NSW and the national Digital Education Revolution, governments have made it a priority to introduce digital technology into classrooms. It has been suggested that pre-service teacher training programmes “improve” initial teacher education with cutting-edge technological methods.
All teaching levels are also expected by the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) to implement, utilise, model, lead, and support ICT technologies in an efficient manner.
In Reality, Lots Of Teachers Have Problems
Many teachers have battled with the distractions that devices can bring, had their work badly impacted, or have not utilised technologies effectively despite large resources being committed to integrating technology in the classroom. And many pre-service instructors think that incorporating new technologies may hinder their ability to teach in the future.
Ten obstacles to using modern technologies in the classroom for instructors are listed below.
New technology isn’t always the best
The solution isn’t always in technology. Pre-service instructors have discussed their preferences for handwriting over typing and instances where they doubled up on note-taking time. When they feel new technology doesn’t bring anything more, teachers can stop introducing it to students and students can decide they prefer reading in print.
Disparate capabilities and instructions for the devices
When students are forced to bring their own device to school, there may be significant disparities in the capabilities of the devices, such as the capabilities of an iPad against a cheap android phone. Long-term writing on small devices may be challenging for students. For a variety of gadgets, teachers may need to deliver several directions.
Students are easily distracted.
Instead of using their gadgets for schoolwork, students frequently use them for social
networking, gaming, instant messaging, texting, and email.
Students have been labelled “digital rebels” for using social media and texting, “cyber wanderers” for playing online games, and “eLearning pioneers” (undertaking online studies during classtime).
Technology can impact the length and flow of lessons.
Regular negotiations that shorten lesson time disrupt lessons. This is due to pupils not putting down their screens (during instructions), hiding screens from professors’ view, acting as though their gadgets are broken, and having insufficient battery life.
It can take time to prepare classes that include new technologies and conduct digital technology training.
More professional development is required for teachers
In Australia, there are around 300,000 teachers. For classroom implementation and to stay up with ongoing technological advancements, they require access to ICT developments. This needs to be consistent, supported, and long-lasting.
However, it has been noted that the distribution of professional learning resources is patchy in both extent and quality.
Not every household has technology.
Not all students or teachers have access to computers at home, use them frequently, or have enough data to utilise the internet. Students from Indigenous backgrounds, lower socioeconomic backgrounds, and regional or rural backgrounds have lesser computer literacy, contributing to the digital divide.
This presents difficulties for professors who must assign various tasks to various pupils or who choose not to assign homework that has a digital component.
Teachers must safeguard students.
The increased use of digital tools by students has increased the demands on instructors to safeguard students’ online behaviour (safety, legal hazards, and privacy), as well as their classroom behaviour (theft and locking of devices).
Not all instructors “believe” in using technology.
According to a wealth of research, if teachers don’t “believe” in utilising technology, they won’t be able to transform their courses, match with learning objectives, or incorporate technology into the curriculum.
Inadequate ICT infrastructure, time, or support
The availability of infrastructure (computer labs, software), policies (such as whether or not to provide digital assignments), and time allotted for integrating new technologies are key problems for teachers.
Disagreements between pupils and instructors
Tensions have arisen as a result of teachers seizing “personally owned” gadgets, access issues with outlets, and when students discover information online that contradicts what the teacher is teaching.
What steps can we take to get over these obstacles?
There isn’t a single technical fix that works for every instructor, every subject, or every teaching philosophy. For many teachers, integrating technology into the classroom is a challenging and varied process.
It’s crucial to focus on professional development and developing a common understanding of ICT education. More than just device usage is necessary for meaningful technological integration. Making ensuring that incorporating technology is in line with how you educate and what you are teaching requires taking some crucial measures. Teachers’ technology-related issues have been addressed through professional development. However, a lot of it has just focused on one-off or “one solution for all” approaches.
We require a multi-layered approach to ICT professional development in order to address the wide range of scenarios that teachers encounter as well as the diverse degrees of expertise and confidence they may possess.It’s crucial to establish a shared community of practise and come to an agreement with stakeholders on the role of ICT in education. Without comprehensive changes to training and support for teachers that address the myriad problems they encounter, there is a danger of producing a generation of kids who are not ready for a digital future.
PRAGATI PRAGI. B.A.L.L.B. HON’S N.LU. Vizag
