HOW ICT CHANGED MY WORK?

 

 

It is my belief that ICT plays a vital role in high quality learning and teaching. Advances in technology have opened up new possibilities for the way in which teachers educate their classes, giving potential for innovative ways to encourage students to become more engaged in their schooling. ICT increases student’s motivation to learn, engagement in learning and their independence in learning. It provides a variety of learning experiences and creates joyful learning in students. It improves their academic achievement also. The common fear that ICT shall replace a teacher is totally unfounded. Realization now seems to be slowly dawning on the teaching community that ICT is primarily to empower them and not to replace them. ICT is, therefore, not to be feared but to be embraced so as to empower our future generations by providing them high quality ICT- enabled education.

ICT has totally changed my work. With use of ICT now I am able to create my own material and thus have more control over the material used in the classroom than they have had in the past. It enabled me to deliver more material to students and it also eliminated several basic problems such as poor handwriting, poor artistic skill, contrast, lighting and visibility. I found that involving students in the creation of useful material as a part of a learning exercise is a way to make class more meaningful for students. Internet has also opened a new gateway of unlimited information and knowledge. Each and every information with photographs and video can be accessed everywhere and every time through internet. Information was not so easily accessible before using technology. ICT has helped me to develop my skills and knowledge to become more effective in the classroom. By participating in online forums, I can share my best practice and discuss new ideas and developments in teaching.

No doubt, I faced with some challenges as like lack of proper infrastructure & their maintenance, power back-up, ICT phobia in teachers, lack of qualified teachers to teach ICT in schools, limited internet access, lack of interest in students, guardians and higher authorities, lack of initiative by the community leaders. But these challenges could never obstruct my keen desire to implementing technology in teaching & learning.

Since last five years I have started a Virtual Class Room Project for sharing resources and service of expert teachers of different schools in my district, state and country. More than 60 schools have been connected through this project so far and we are very efficiently using the resources of one another. Both students and teachers participate and interact each other with great interest and learn with zeal. This project is a boon to government schools facing shortage of teachers. Now I am extending this project beyond country, so that the students of one country can be benefitted from expert teachers of other countries and can also interact with their students.