Chapter 6 Integration of Information and Communication Technology into Teaching Practice (PDF)

Chapter 6 Integration of information and communication technology into teaching practice © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Contents Learning outcomes Introduction Conceptualised ICT in teacher education The importance of ICT in teacher education The effectivenes...

Chapter 6 Integration of information and communication technology into teaching practice © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Contents Learning outcomes Introduction Conceptualised ICT in teacher education The importance of ICT in teacher education The effectiveness of ICT in teacher education The benefits of ICT in teaching practice Student teachers: a web-based © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  The nature of social media tools for teaching practice Selecting multiple social media resources to create differentiated learning paths Student teacher engagement in social media Social media as e-learning platforms in teacher education Summary Topics for discussion and review References © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Learning outcomes After studying this chapter, you should be able to: conceptualise ICT in the context of teacher education programmes explain the importance of ICT as a technology- enhanced approach to teaching practice discuss the benefits of using ICT in teaching practice reflect on e-tools as a supporting mechanism to teaching practice © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Introduction (HEIs) have the obligation to educate student teachers to be: highly effective and competent in ICT Professional development can be enhanced by incorporating or integrating ICT into teaching and learning ICT is integrated into the curriculum, This assists learners to be more independent, creative and innovative in their own learning process. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Introduction Teacher should create and enabling environment because curricula changes Online facilities should be used to support teachers and student teachers. ICT requires a change in classroom practice rather than a mere acquisition of technical skills. Student teachers need to the approaches and applications in the use of ICT to facilitate teaching and learning. These technologies, along with interactive whiteboards, overhead projectors and computer projections, make teaching, learning more efficient and cost effective.. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS Conceptualised ICT in teacher education ICT should be used in teacher education programs as a tool and resources to communicate, create, spread, store, and manage information”. These tools include computers, Internet, broadcasting and telephony that have been. ICTs can help improve access to education, strengthen education and raise educational ICT encompasses (desktop and portable computers, projection technology, calculators, data logging and digital recording equipment), software applications (generic software, multimedia resources),and information systems (intranet, Internet) available in schools today. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS The importance of ICT in teacher education Beliefs. Personal ideas about the contribution of technology in teaching and learning, and classroom management Experience. Own training and ICT skills, and the ability to control ICT use in the classroom and cope with technical failure Resources. Available technologies in schools, and ownership of a computer at home Community. Membership of a network of colleagues who can provide support, encourage use and constitute a learning community ©PUBLISHERS VAN SCHAIK The effectiveness of ICT in teacher education Anytime, anywhere. One defining feature of ICT is its ability to transcend time and space. Access to remote learning and open educational resources. Teachers and learners no longer have to rely solely on printed books Preparation of individuals for the workplace through ICT. ICT in the classroom better prepare the © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS The benefits of ICTin teaching Advantages for practice the classroom teacher sharing of resources, expertise. Flexibility in when and where tasks are carried out Skills, confidence and enthusiasm regarding how to use ICT. Easier planning and preparation of lessons and designing material. up-to-date learner and school data. The enhancement of a professional image is projected to colleagues. Computer use during lessons motivates learners to continue using this means of learning outside school hours. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Benefits for learners There is a higher quality of lessons Teaching is more focused and tailored to students’ strengths and weaknesses, Better tracking of student's behaviour. improvements in reading comprehension. Writing skills (including spelling, grammar, punctuation, editing and re-drafting) Independent and active learning, and self-responsibility for learning, are encouraged. Higher level learning styles (HLLS) and higher-order thinking skills (HOTS) are developed. Students in school feel more successful , are more motivated to learn, and have increased self-confidence and self-esteem. Students find learning in a technology-enhanced setting more stimulating than in a traditional classroom. There are opportunities to present students’ work to an external audience. Perceived usefulness of ICT in teaching practice Teachers need to accept changes before they decide to adopt the use of ICT. Then they will have a positive attitude to the use of ICT in the classroom. Teachers’ attitudes depend on how easy they perceive using ICT to be on a personal level, as well as for teaching in the classroom. positive the responses to usefulness and ease of use, the more positive the attitudes of teachers will be to the use of ICT and the more likely they will be to use it in their teaching. Barriers to using ICT in the classroom Dawes (2001) identifies the critical importance of the following factors as perceived barriers in teachers’ use of ICT: Ownership of up-to-date technology A sense of purpose for ICT use (what’s the purpose?) Adequate training; realistic time management Inclusion in supportive communities or practice Cost factor of using ICT in the school curriculum  Student teachers: a web-based communityof practice student inareICT teachers usage very active in developing their attitudes and ideas about efficient uses of ICT in schools. educators and teachers can foster a medium in which students may develop their practice and attitudes in a proactive manner. Positive attitudes to ICT in teaching is crucial in influencing teachers’ decisions to use various technologies in their teaching. Online discussion forums provide an interactive medium for the use of ICT in © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS Web 2.0 technologies in teaching Teachers andpractice learners need to develop shared strategies and understanding around creative approaches to the use of technology in schools. Social media emphasize participation, connectivity, and collaboration, and the sharing of knowledge and ideas Social media resources can be divided into three distinct categories. Content sharing and organizing sites like Del.icio.us, Digg, Flickr, YouTube, and RSS readers, the second category encompasses content creation and editing websites such as Blogger, Google Docs, Wikipedia and WordPress. The third category includes social networking sites like Facebook, Ning, MySpace, © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS  Benefits of Web 2.0 tools in education They create digital context such as open educational resources (OER). They support sharing accumulated experiences. They create easier and faster access to information, when and where as it is needed. They help to overcome routine and repetitive tasks. They offer new and innovative modes of learning (multiple modes). They offer flexibility (time, place, pace). They offer teachers and student teachers opportunities to spend more on the creation of lessons. They offer new and challenging ways of teaching and The nature of social media tools for teaching practice social media technology can be used to support student engagement. learning communities have a positive impact on student learning social media have the potential to reap the benefits of using technology for academic purposes. positive relationship can be enhanced through the use of technology. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS Selecting multiple social media resources to create differentiated learning paths As educational resources, social media tools can also be used to differentiate the learning process. Minocha (2009) describes the ways social software tools support learning as follows: Sharing of resources such as bookmarks and photographs Collaborative learning Problem- and inquiry-based learning Reflective learning © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS Student teacher engagement in social media Student engagement represents both the time and the energy that students invest in educationally purposeful activities These include time spent with their peers and instructors. Student engagement increase the likelihood of academic coursework. social media can also enhance the nature and frequency of student–student interactions. Student engagement is enhanced when students have the opportunity to work with their peers. Social media provide a great benefit to university and college students. Social media support the creation of supportive social networks and learning communities. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS Web 2.0 e-tools can be used in supporting student teachers during teaching practice: Blogs (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace) Wikis (e.g. Facebook, Twitter, Myspace) Social bookmarking and Tagging (e.g. Furl, Del.icio.us) Multimedia sharing tools (e.g. YouTube, Flickr, EverQuest, and Second Life) Social networking tool (e.g. YouTube, Myspace and Photobucket) Really simple syndication (RSS)  Social media as e- learning platforms in teacher The use and education benefits of web-based portfolios in teacher education Electronic portfolios are in electronic format, which allows student teachers to collect portfolio artefacts in several media types (audio, video, DVD, text, graphics) and to organise them using hypertext links. Compared with traditional paper-based portfolios, electronic portfolios offer unique opportunities. Paper portfolios can be very cumbersome, whereas electronic portfolios can typically fit on a CD even when they contain large files. © VAN SCHAIK PUBLISHERS Advantages of using web-based portfolios When implementing e-portfolios in teaching practice for student teachers, Oner and Adadan (2011) give the following benefits: They can be shared with a wider audience simultaneously, which increases their authenticity. They are real publications with a real audience. They support hypertext environments where e-portfolio elements can easily link in most instances. They are often works-in-progress which can be revised, easily edited and up loaded. They are easily accessible from everywhere and at any time. They support meaningful reflection.  Summary There is a variety of approaches to the professional development of student teachers and teachers at large in the context of using of ICT in teacher education programmes effectively. A paradigm shift is needed to advance the importance of ICT as a vehicle to enhance professional development by integrating it into teaching practice as an ongoing empowering and social capacity process. Teachers who regularly use ICT across different curriculum subjects experience more beneficial motivational influence on students’ learning. ICT as a technology-enhanced tool could be a means to promote effective learning experiences for both teachers and learners in the classroom. Along with supporting the formation of professional learning communities, social media have the potential to reap the benefits of using technology for academic purposes. Teachers can employ technology-enhanced tools such as digital cameras and blogs, or any other social media, to open completely © VAN SCHAIK new creative and innovative means of organising PUBLISHERSthe learning