TEACHER ROLES in an IT SUPPORTED WORLD
Preamble
The main sources of information for my research analysis of Teacher roles in an IT supported world are journal, magazine and internet articles, syllabus and curriculum documents and discussions with currently employed teaching professionals.
It is undeniable that we are now living in a society and a world in which ICT is a natural and essential part of life. The advent of ICT is changing the world we live in, and the way we learn to live.
The resulting educational implication is that ICT is both a cause of change and a means of changing it, thereby calling into question many of our assumptions about education.
As ICT enters every classroom, we must ask what is the impact on teachers? Does it give teachers more work, or less? Is it a tool that assists teaching the curriculum or does it add extra curriculum content? Does it change what Teachers teach and how they teach it?
Along with the expected variance in opinions and perspectives that these and other questions expose, I have discovered there are particular issues, facts, viewpoints and implications common to all sources.
My aim in this analysis is to draw attention to the issues which appear to be the most significant.
Main Themes
The NSW Teachers Federation article ICT in Education, par 2.1 and 2.2 states “There is a growing expectation from employers, parents and students that good teachers of the 21st century can reasonably be expected to be good users of learning technology”...and that “Enhancing learning should be the main focus in the development of information technology in the school environment.” Furthermore; “All teachers should develop a knowledge and an understanding of the appropriate use and effective application of various types of information technology in the curriculum.”
There appears to be common agreement from all sources on this. Syllabus documents from all Australian States are undergoing revision to include specific outcomes addressing the use of ICT and clear statements requiring both teachers and student to involve ICT in course content. Distance Education, the Music Syllabus and the role of the Library / Teacher Librarians in particular have experienced major changes.
In order for teachers to meet new compliance's, the issue of training and development arises.
Main Issues and Concerns
"The challenge of integrating technology into schools and classrooms is much more
human that it is technological. What's more, it is not fundamentally about helping
people to operate machines. Rather it is about helping people, primarily teachers,
integrate these machines into their teaching as tool of a profession that is being
redefined through the ... process" (Means, B et al (1993) using Technology to support Education Reform, OR-93-3231,Washington DC, US Department of Education Office of Research, pp83-4)
Again, numerous studies concur that to be effective, teacher training and development must encompass both the skills to use computers as a tool in lesson preparation, curriculum planning, assessing and reporting and other administrative requirements of teachers and the skills and knowledge to incorporate technology into pedagogy.
However, Teachers should not be put in a position where their low exposure to information technology hampers the ability to improve educational outcomes through ICT. This demoralising to teachers who highly value their professional skills and are motivated to do all they can to ensure their students have the optimum opportunities to make the best of their education. (NSW Teachers Federation article ICT in Education, par 2.1 and 2.2)
(Honey and Moeller 1990), studied, interviewed and incontestably argued that educators who envelop and understood the need for technology based learning were successful at integrating technology. In some cases there was a clear presence of anxiety about computers from the teaching community, thus preventing the utilisation of the technology in a lesson framework.
Teachers who have been involved in facilitating the curriculum for many years and have a more traditional approach to delivery methods have a much harder time understanding the benefits of technology in the classroom. (Albion, 1996; Downes, 1993) Research showed, despite all the best intentions, willingness and development opportunities some education officers had reduced confidence in adapting technology into their lessons.
But technical know-how is only part of the story. Effective use of ICT cannot be separated from attitudes and approaches to teaching and learning. There needs to be a balance between using technology and traditional methods of teaching and learning.
(“Teaching for Tomorrow; the Changing role of Teachers in the Connected Classroom” – Janet Jenkins consultancy in Distance Education)
The Changing Role of the Teacher
My research reveals the following significant and dramatic changes for today’s teachers.
Change in:
· relationship with pupils;
· role to facilitators and managers who support learning;
· the content and scope of teaching
· focus of control, from teacher to learner.
I find myself agreeing with the notion that effective integration of ICT in schools may actually require the transformation of school culture as we know it.
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