Ten principles for using ICT in education in

developing countries
Following are the 10 first principles presented in the FP document. We'll go deeper into each one
over the course of the next couple of weeks.

First principles: ICT in education

 Principle 1: Use ICT to achieve education and development goals.

(What's are alternatives? Using ICT to build basic technology skills might be one.)
 Principle 2: Use ICT to enhance student knowledge and skills.
(Again, the IT curriculum is the bete noire that gives rise to this principle.)
 Principle 3: Use ICT to support data-driven decision making.
(In a lot of countries, it's a challenge to figure out what's going on in schools. Without that
knowledge, it's impossible to make effective decisions.)
 Principle 4: Include all short- and longer-term costs in budget planning.
(The unanticipated cost of diesel fuel for an electrical generator shut down a school computer lab.
So can the cost of a few new power supplies or monitors.)
 Principle 5: Explore technology alternatives to find appropriate solutions.
(Netbooks and 3G Internet, solar panels, thin-client networks, smart phones, SMS-to-web—private-
sector and civil-society organizations have developed a panoply of new tools that are potential
game-changers for developing-country schools.)
 Principle 6: Focus on teacher development, training, and ongoing support.
(Seems like a no-brainer? The challenge of getting effective training to teachers across a school
system to help them use new tools to engage students is easy to underestimate.)
 Principle 7: Explore and coordinate involvement of many different stakeholders.
(What are the pitfalls with partners? They might, for example, offer low-cost "one-size-fits-all"
solutions that don't necessarily address critical problems the project. Or they might deliver
computers to schools at private-sector speed while teacher training moves at the speed of state.)
 Principle 8: Develop a supportive policy environment.
(A policy that says all kids should have ICT skills, well, that isn't supportive of anything
interesting. Of course, the real impact of policy, sound or foolish, gets refracted through the
other layers—everything from partners' contributions to power-grid failures to poorly refurbished
computers.)
 Principle 9: Integrate monitoring and evaluation into project planning.
("Integrate" in this instance means not only budgeting [key!] but crafting meaningful goals and
objectives that can support measurable indicators of impact. Integrate.)
 Principle 10: “It takes capacity to build capacity”—System strengthening precedes system
transformation.
(A tad hieratic, this principle. Whazzit mean? Don't run before you can walk, don't commit to a
massively scaled effort to produce 21st-century skills when teachers don't know their subjects or
when only a handful of students complete high school. [Credit to education researcher Thomas
Hatch for infecting me with a phrase that people don't understand all that easily.]

That's the bunch of them. Next up might be a quick review of USAID's current education strategy
to see how well these principles—developed for USAID education officers—match up to the
agency's current goals.

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Bringing It All Together: Literacy, ICT and the 21st Century Skills
EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS

on June 29, 2017 at 11:07 am

 0

By Stephen Pinel

Literacy, 21st century skills, ICT and a common pedagogical framework – these four seem to be
flavours of the month in many schools, including mine. What is not evident, however, is how
schools blend all of these disparate strategies together into one framework. Too often, the
professional development (PD) delivered for each of these strategies is delivered separately, in a
piecemeal approach, and in ways that can contradict each other.

This article shares a framework that integrates these four important strategies, so that units of
work can be prepared that take students from learning basic skills directly from teacher
modelling, right through to collaborative application of these skills against real-world, authentic
problems.

It is assumed that people reading this article are across strategies for teaching literacies and are
onboard with the use of ICT in education, so it starts by looking at the 21st century skills briefly,
with a more detailed look at a pedagogical framework called The Gradual Release of
Responsibility. Note that literacy and ICT skills are already explicitly identified in the 21st
century skill set used for the purposes of this article.

ICT and 21st Century Skills

The 21st century skills have been hashed over by quite a few different groups over the last 20 or
so years. Fundamentally, the 21st century skills are those that employers and the community in
general see as valuable for people to contribute economically and socially, as leaders or as active
participants, and as entrepreneurs in society. This article uses the 21st century skill set as defined
in 21CLD Learning Activity Rubrics (2014), written by the ITL Research Group and funded by
Microsoft philanthropic organisation Partners in Learning Network. Their six 21st century skills
are:

• collaboration

• knowledge construction

• self-regulation

• real-world problem solving and innovation

• the use of ICT for learning

• skilled communication.
Their definition of the skill set also provides specific examples, and describes what teachers will
see students doing at different levels as they develop. As an example, collaboration is defined as
follows:

Students work together when the activity requires them to work in pairs or groups to:

• discuss an issue

• solve a problem

• create a product.

Examples of Collaboration

A Rubric for Measuring the Level of Collaboration in an Activity

In this learning activity:

1. Students are not required to work together in pairs or groups.

2. Students do work together but they do not have shared responsibility.

3. Students do have shared responsibility but they are not required to make substantive decisions
together.

4. Students do have shared responsibility and they do make substantive decisions together about
the content, process, or product of their work but their work is not interdependent.

5. Students do have shared responsibility and they do make substantive decisions together about
the content, process, or product of their work and their work is interdependent.

The rubric also assists teachers in identifying how their unit can be improved in each particular
dimension.
The Gradual Release of Responsibility (GRR) Pedagogical Framework

GRR is a structured pedagogical framework that, as the name suggests, gradually moves the
responsibility for learning from the teacher to the student. There are four distinct phases in GRR:

1. Focused lesson: the skill or process to be taught is explicitly modelled by the teacher, with
students passively observing.

2. Guided instruction: students attempt the skill or process modelled in the first stage, one step at
a time, with teacher support or guidance, rather than modelling.

The first two phases are generally the easy part of GRR for teachers, because they control the
classroom activity entirely, and students do not need to be highly engaged for success. It is
enough that students are motivated by the desire to avoid negative consequences (detention,
parental contact and so on) for them to succeed at learning activities at this stage, if the activity is
within their capacity. Strategies such as learning intentions and success criteria will not generally
be helpful for students as they are simply mimicking what their teacher is showing them. Philip
Schlechty describes this level of engagement as ritual compliance.

3. Collaborative learning: students continue to improve their skills at their own pace, but work
collaboratively with their peers rather than the teacher.

In this phase, teachers start to let go of control of classroom activity, and set differentiated goals
and tasks for their students. Working collaboratively is a key element of this phase. This is not
something that students do well at naturally, so teaching students how to work together to
achieve common goals becomes an important role for the teacher. Phase three requires students
to be more engaged in their work, as they are under less direct teacher supervision. As students
start to take ownership of their own learning, learning intentions and success criteria also start to
become important elements of teaching at this phase. Flipping can be a useful technique in this
phase to allow more classroom time for collaboration and peer coaching. Philip Schlechty
describes the level of engagement required for success in this phase as strategic compliance.

4. Independent tasks: students apply their learning in new situations.

Phase four is the point in learning where teachers invite students to apply their knowledge and
skills in new situations that are authentic and involve real-world problem solving. It is in this
phase that students have the first real opportunity to choose an application for their new skills
that are of personal interest to themselves, with guidance or advice from their teacher.

For success in this phase, students need to show the full characteristics of engagement as
described by Schlechty; that is, both high commitment and high attention to the task at hand.
Students must be intrinsically motivated, so it is important that the teacher does not arbitrarily
assign a task, but involves the students in identifying a task to work towards that is seen to be
authentic for the students. That is, learning intentions and success criteria must be co-
constructed. Problem-based learning, or project-based learning (PBL) can be a good a teaching
technique that meets these requirements.
Integration of GRR with 21st Century Skills

In an initial attempt to integrate GRR with 21st century skills, Table 1 shows a mapping between
specific activities related to each 21st century skill and the GRR phase in which that activity
should be observed.
1. In the 21CLD document, innovation is defined as putting students’ ideas or solutions into
practice in the real world.

2. The authenticity of a product/problem can only be decided by the audience or client, in this
case, students. This reinforces the idea that students must be involved in planning which
problems to solve, as the students themselves must see the problem as authentic, not just the
teacher.

3. Accessing learning intentions and success criteria is defined as these being both available to
students and actively being used by students. Simply having them available for students is not
enough to say they are being accessed by students.

Table 1: Student activities evident at different phases of the GRR model of pedagogy, mapped
against 21st century learning design

Stephen is Head of Science at Unity College, Caloundra. He was previously Head of Science at
Proserpine SHS where he was heavily involved in eLearning, leading a team of eLearning
Mentors to develop innovative and engaging curricula school wide. Stephen has taught in both
the independent and state sector in Queensland, as well as abroad in the UK and at the
Rotterdam International Secondary School. He blogs on engagement at

http://wsen.edublogs.org

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Print
Integrating ICT in Teaching and Learning
3934 words (16 pages) Essay in Education

13/12/17 Education Reference this

Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work
produced by our Essay Writing Service. You can view samples of our professional work here.

Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of
the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of UK Essays.

Information and Communications Technology commonly termed as ICT comes from the
acronym IT and CT and refers to methods of storing, manipulating and communicating
information.

Information Technology (IT), as defined by the Smart Computing Dictionary, is

“A general term used to describe any technology that helps to produce, manipulate, store,
communicate, or disseminate information. IT refers to the most expensive, complex computers,
with devices usually dealing with electronic data in binary format. However, these IT machines
are not able to communicate with one another.”

And, Communication Technology (CT) is “the term used to describe telecommunications

equipment through which information can be sought and accessed”. (New Zealand MOE, 1998).
Examples include: video conferencing, teleconference phones, and modems.

Globally, educational systems are adopting new technologies to integrate ICT in the teaching and
learning process, to prepare students with the knowledge and skills they need in their subject
matter. In this way the teaching profession is evolving from teacher-centered to student-centered
learning environments. “ICT integration is understood as the usage of technology seamlessly for
educational processes like transacting curricular content and students working on technology to
do authentic tasks” (Kainth and Kaur). Nowadays ICT facilitate not only the delivery of lessons
but also the learning process itself. This includes computer based technologies, digital imaging,
the internet, file servers, data storage devices, network infrastructure, desktops, laptops and
broadcasting technologies namely radio and television, and telephone which are used as
instructional tools at schools.

INTEGRATING ICT IN THE TEACHING AND LEARNING

PROCESS
In Mauritius government has spent tremendously to promote ICT integration in teaching and
learning. Is it worth investing so much money? What advantages do ICT have in education?
Many researchers have given their view points about the advantages and how ICT can be
integrated in curriculum.
Allen (1997) believed that the basic skills of the future are the use of powerful technologies. The
traditional textbook can no longer fulfill the need in the rapid changing and the information-
explosion world. He asserted that the traditional teacher-centered approach makes classroom no
longer an effective system to prepare students for the realities which they face in the near future.

Parmley et al. (1997) stated that technology works best as a supporting tool-making complex
processes or creative experience either possible or easier to accomplish. He thought that
technology can offer new ways to provide meaningful, real-life context for learning, it also allow
students to collaborate with peers and experts across the country and around the World.

Rosener (1997) described IT as good as, or even better than, traditional method of teaching and
learning as it being limitless of time and space. Poole (1998) pointed out that suitably integrated
computer use can contribute to successful results in the classroom as to: support teaching and
learning, support children’s socialisation, enable children with disabilities to integrate and
enables a teacher to duplicate excellence.

According to Kennewell et al. (2000), integration of ICT in teaching requires understanding at a

deeper level to facilitate the development of strategies and process to identify opportunities,
solve problems and evaluate solution. They believe that these higher-level objectives require not
only technical knowledge and skills, but the ability to choose an effective strategy for a problem.
Poole (1998) shared his view that the technology is only a tool to both teacher and student. The
effectiveness of the tool depends entirely on the skills they bring to the learning process. He
believed that the teachers’ task is thus to nurture the students willingness to learn.

Gregoire et al (1996) provided the following important points in respecting student learning in
analysing that the contribution new technologies can make to teaching and learning:

New technologies stimulate the development of intellectual skills

New technologies contribute to the ways of learning knowledge, skills and attitudes, but still
dependent on pre-requisite knowledge and type of learning activity.

New technologies spur spontaneous interest more than traditional approaches of learning.

Students using new technologies concentrate more than those in traditional settings

Moreover the above outlined points are balanced by further genuine observations:

Benefits of ICT for students are greatly dependent on the technological skills of the teachers and
their attitudes towards technology.

Skill and attitude in turn are largely dependent on the staff training in this area. (UNESCO Paris,
2002).

2.2.1 Impact of ICT on education

In educational context, ICT has the potential to increase access to education and improve its
relevance and quality. Tinio (2002) asserted that ICT has a tremendous impact on education in
terms of acquisition and absorption of knowledge to both teachers and students through the
promotion of:

 Active learning: ICT tools help for the calculation and analysis of information obtained for
examination and also students’ performance report are all being computerised and made easily
available for inquiry. In contrast to memorisation-based or rote learning, ICT promotes learner
engagement as learners choose what to learn at their own pace and work on real life situations’
problems.
 Collaborative and Cooperative learning: ICT encourages interaction and cooperation among
students, teachers regardless of distance which is between them. It also provides students the
chance to work with people from different cultures and working together in groups, hence help
students to enhance their communicative skills as well as their global awareness. Researchers
have found that typically the use of ICT leads to more cooperation among learners within and
beyond school and there exists a more interactive relationship between students and teachers
(Grégoire et al., 1996). “Collaboration is a philosophy of interaction and personal lifestyle where
individuals are responsible for their actions, including learning and respect the abilities and
contributions of their peers.” (Panitz, 1996).
 Creative Learning: ICT promotes the manipulation of existing information and to create one’s
own knowledge to produce a tangible product or a given instructional purpose.
 Integrative learning: ICT promotes an integrative approach to teaching and learning, by
eliminating the synthetic separation between theory and practice unlike in the traditional
classroom where emphasis encloses just a particular aspect.
 Evaluative learning: Use of ICT for learning is student-centered and provides useful feedback
through various interactive features. ICT allow students to discover and learn through new ways
of teaching and learning which are sustained by constructivist theories of learning rather than
students do memorisation and rote learning.

And a mentioned in “Teaching of ICT” by MIE/IGNOU (2005), improvements in

telecommunication technologies can lead education to provide more independence to teachers
and students by:

Better use of learning resources- a presentation once made through use of technologies can be
showed to students over and over again.

Motivating to learn-ICTs combine text, sound, and colourful, moving images that increase
learners’ motivation and their interest to learn.

Facilitating the acquisition of basic concepts that are the foundation for higher order concepts
and creativity can be facilitated through drill and practice as repetition and reinforcement of
content and skills are being focused.

Aspect
Less ‘traditional pedagogy’
More ’emerging pedagogy’ for the information society
Active
 Activities prescribed by teacher
 Whole class instruction
 Little variation in activities
 Pace determined by the programme
 Small groups
 Activities determined by learners
 Many different activities
 Pace determined by learners

Collaborative
 Individual
 Homogenous groups
 Everyone for him/herself
 Working in teams
 Heterogeneous groups
 Supporting each other

Creative
 Reproductive learning
 Apply known solutions to problems
 Productive learning
 Find new solutions to problems

Integrative
 No link between theory and practice
 Separate subjects
 Discipline-based
 Individual teachers
 Integrating theory and practice
 Relations between subjects
 Teams of teachers
 Thematic

Evaluative
 Teacher-directed
 Summative
  •Student-directed
 DiagnosticTable 2.2.1 Overview of Pedagogy in the Industrial versus the Information Society

While theoretical arguments can be put forward to provide a strong rationale for the use of ICT
in enhancing the teaching and learning process, the only real rationale is based on whether, in
practice, it has a positive impact on learning, the learners, and teachers (Newhouse, 2002).

learning environment entities and external entities.

IMPACT OF ICT ON LEARNERS

ICT has very strong effect in education and it provides enormous tools for enhancing teaching
and learning. There have been many studies that have highlighted the various ways that ICT may
support teaching and learning processes in a range of disciplinary fields such as the construction
of new opportunities for interaction between students and knowledge and accessing information.
ICT enable new ways teaching and learning when used appropriately under right conditions such
as suitable resources, training and support. ICT also offers the potential to meet the learning
needs of individual students, to promote equal opportunity, to offer learning material, and also
promote interdependence of learning among learners (Leach, Ahmed, Makalima & Power,
2005).

The five ways to establish and sustain effective learning environments through ICT suggested by
the Committee on Developments in the Science of Learning (2000) are:

1. Real world problems

2. Scaffolding

3. Feedback, reflection and guidance

4. Local and global communities

5. Extending teacher learning. (Newhouse, 2002)

IMPACT OF ICT ON TEACHERS

Roblyer and Edwards (2000) suggested that there are five important reasons for teachers to use
technology in education:

(1) Motivation;

(2) Distinctive instructional abilities;

(3) Higher productivity of teachers;

(4) Essential skills for the Information Age and

(5) Support for new teaching techniques (Samak, 2006).

In order to make use of technology in the classroom effectively, educators should have a positive
attitude toward technology and they should be trained in using the modern technologies in their
respective field of education. Chin and Hortin (1994) stated that teachers must act as the “change
agent” in the relationship between technology and the students as teachers are more likely to
implement the recommended and proposed changes concerning ICT in education.

But at the same time there are many challenges faced by educators as they consider how best to
best incorporate ICT tools into their teaching. This is being discussed in the following article.

2.4.1 Factors affecting technology integration in Teaching and

Learning
I. Jung talks about the enormous challenge teachers are facing in our society due to the rapid
expansion of knowledge. The modern technologies are demanding that teachers learn how to use
these technologies in their teaching. Hence these new technologies increase the teachers’ training
needs. Gressard and Loyd (1985) asserted that teacher’s attitudes toward computers are a key
factor in the successful implementation of ICT in education. They pointed out that teachers do
not always have positive attitudes towards computers and their poor attitudes may lead to a
failure of the computer- based projects.

Also the most commonly cited barriers are:

 lack of time;
 lack of access;
 lack of resources;
 lack of expertise and
 lack of support (Butler and Sellbom, 2002, Leggettt & Persichitte, 1998).

Another barrier given by Butler and Sellbom (2002) and Chizmar & Williams (2001) is
reliability. Reliability included hardware failures, incompatible software between home and
school, poor or slow internet connectivity and out of date software which are available mostly at
school while the students/educators are having more up-to-date software at home.

SUBJECT DIFFERENCE IN ICT INTEGRATION

Subject being taught is also a factor influencing the integration of ICT in the teaching and
learning process. In general, science teachers have more positive attitudes towards ICT and
possess a higher level of computer literacy knowledge than other teachers such as Arts,
Humanities and Commerce.
Law et al (2000) believe that they used ICT in their teaching more frequently. Rosener (1997)
sated that the use of IT should be used when they provide more opportunities for students to
visualise and understand study materials. In areas where the subject matter focuses more on
value, meaning and philosophical ideas, IT will only partially be able to substitute for human
interaction. However, in areas which have a high volume of students studying the subject like the
sciences which constitute of a standardised curriculum and factual content, it will more likely be
able to supplement the content and teaching methods with use of ICT.

ICT AND MATHEMATICS

There are many potential uses for computers in the teaching and learning process of
mathematics. According to Oldknow and Taylor (2000), the role of ICT in the teaching and
learning process of mathematics are as follows:

In terms of teachers, the use of ICT:-

Improves their efficiency

Reduces their administrative burden since less paperwork

Releases more time to address students individually

Provides better records of students’ progress

Acts as a stimulus to rethinking their approach to their mathematics teaching

Acts as a stimulus to rethinking their understanding of mathematics

Acts as a means to communicate with other teachers sharing the common problems.

The use of ICT makes students:-

Engage their attention and motivate them

Stimulate their curiosity

Encourage them to develop their problem-solving strategies

Provide models and images which aid them in concept formation

Improve their test and examination results since they learn by own pace and learn through
feedback provided to them.

Mathematics lessons are associated with real life situations and increases the relevancy of the
lessons to the real world. The curriculum needs to be updated continually to take account of the
technology prevalent in society. Mathematics has tended to be very abstract while most students
tend to operate on a concrete level. The use of concrete materials in some lessons is useful but
often not convenient. The computer can provide experiences with virtual concrete materials. In
approaching problems associated with remedial and extension students’ computer use can
provide appropriate material and overcome classroom management problems.

In 1995 the National Council for Educational Technology published a leaflet in which are
included the six opportunities students can enhance their mathematics learning through the use of
ICT:

Learning from feedback: Fast and reliable feedback is provided which encourages students to
make their own judgements and to test out and work over their ideas.

Observing patterns: The use of computers and electronic calculators enables students to practice
as many examples as possible when working out mathematical problems. This chains their study
of patterns.

Seeing connections: With use of ICT graphs and related formulae and tables of numbers are
readily linked. Changing one value probes them to see the immediate effects in the other
variables thus helps students to understand the connections between them.

Working with dynamic images: Students can make use of IT to manipulate diagrams. This
encourages them to visualise the change of geometry when using the required software and this
develops their reasoning skills.

Exploring data: With the use of IT students get the opportunity to work with real data which can
be represented in a variety of ways, which supports explanation and analysis.

Teaching the computer: When students design algorithm to achieve a particular result, they are
required to express their commands clearly and in the correct order thus developing their
thinking skills.

These listed opportunities are applicable with the existence of ICT tools that can help students in
their mathematics learning and teachers can map those mentioned opportunities with the various
types of ICT tools (including both software and hardware), from the guide “ICT and
Mathematics”, for instance

Hand-held technology – use numerical and graphing features of graphical calculators with data-
loggers

Programming languages – use Logo

Small software – in the form of games and simulations.

Spreadsheets – set up a basic spreadsheet to enter data and replicate formulae- use of advance
facilities of like statistical graphing
Web-sites – explore web-based resources related to mathematics teaching.

Whiteboards – use of electronic whiteboards for whole-class teaching, using OHPs.

General purpose software – Microsoft Office package such as Excel, Word, Explorer and
PowerPoint.

Mathematics teaching software – dynamic geometry software(for constructions and

transformations e.g. for coordinates, measures) and interactive package including graph-plotting
using Graph-plotters, data-handling (database or statistical software), symbolic algebra.

E-learning- For e.g.Xerte (open source e-learning) is an interactive program and a fully-featured
e-learning development for creating rich interactive environment.

An example is taken from the guide “ICT and Mathematics” on the dynamic geometry software.
This can help students arrive at a convincing proof.

Figure 2.6: Geometry Software

The software is used to see the sights of the relationship between the areas of quadrilaterals and
the areas of the figures formed by joining their midpoints. The two areas appear to be equal, but
clearer seen by dragging A,B,C or D about through the software. So formulating a speculation
that the area of EFGH is always half that of ABCD EFGH always appears to be a parallelogram
or by adding a diagonal BD, might suggest geometric relationships from which students can
arrive at a convincing proof.

As mentioned in the leaflet from “Mathematics and IT – a pupil’s entitlement” in the guide “ICT
and Mathematics”:

“As the technology progresses and becomes more prevalent, teachers will also need to be
continually reconsidering the mathematical content of their teaching. Having software which
can, for example, solve systems of equations at the touch of a button has strong implications for
the way particular topics are approached.”

One vital aspect of the widespread availability of ICT tools and easy access to resources of
mathematical information through the Internet is that they can enable us to keep in touch with
developments prevailing around the world for Mathematics.

The four key concepts, highlighted in the ICT in mathematics (DfES, 2004), that are noteworthy
for mathematics are:

using data and information sources;

organising and investigating;

analysing and automating processes;

models and modelling.

How can the use of ICT raise standards in mathematics? (DfES, 2004)

ICT can be used as a tool:

to support teachers in teaching an objective more effectively, in improving lesson design and
improving teaching and learning;

to enable pupils to engage with learning and to be motivated to improve their learning;

to enable pupils to access geometrical, graphical and statistical ideas dynamically and so to make
connections in their learning;

to build pupils’ confidence in their mathematical abilities by testing their conjectures, learning
from feedback and using reasoning to modify their solutions.

Students learning mathematics most benefit from the use of ICT in areas such as:

the teacher using an interactive or electronic whiteboard for starters and plenaries;

the teacher using an electronic whiteboard for interactive teaching in the main part of the lesson;

using generic software such as databases or spreadsheets as a means of making sense of data;

using content-free, mathematics-specific software on computers or graphical calculators to aid

visualisation and help make connections in algebra and geometry;

using simple programming languages, such as LOGO, to build increasingly complex

mathematical models and relationships in shape and space, number and algebra;

using content-specific software, usually targeting specific mathematical skills;

processing and interpreting experimental information from data-loggers;

using information resources such as the Internet, CD-ROMs or data files.

E-Learning
E-Learning “comprises all forms of electronically supported learning and teaching.” (Wikipedia).
It can use an information network or even no network necessary for the lessons delivery and
interaction. It can also be termed as term online learning. Tinio mentioned that Web-based
learning is a subset of e-learning and refers to learning using an Internet browser (such as
Netscape or Internet Explorer).

Figure 2.6.2: E-Learning

2.6.3 Blended Learning
Another learning model which is evolving in our educational system is blended learning. This
refers to combining traditional classroom methods with e-learning solutions. For example,
students in a traditional class can be assigned with printed copies and also online materials
through an educational program and even have online monitoring sessions with their teachers
through the chat. Blended learning is a supplement to traditional delivery methods in class to
support face-to-face lessons. (Tinio). Blending learning can be an online or offline process.

2.6.4 Open Source E Learning

Like any teaching styles, e-learning requires a variety of resources to be run effectively.
(Tinio).So there are many interactive packages which can be of great use and they are free
software packages and of good use to educators since they help to add plain text, images, videos,
drawings and other interactivities to their teaching and also various types of questions are
included like:

true/false

multiple choice

matching

fill in the blank

calculations

When the student clicks on the submit button, they get their feedback directly and can have
repetition of the work if need is.

Thus e-learning can be beneficial to educators in the following ways as described by the
University of Nottingham:

E-learning is delivered through blended learning to supplement traditional learning methods.

E-learning can cover a large or small part of a lesson, having already the necessary materials that
can be converted into e-learning.

Any use of technology to support the teaching and learning process can be described as e-
learning.

Help to manage and organise lessons materials in a more effective and efficient way

Reduction of administrative tasks, for example printed materials and marking tests
Enable educators to monitor student involvement and progress and offer support and advice
promptly and make effective use of teacher-student contact time

Widen communication opportunities with students

Help the change in educators’ role from knowledge provider to learning facilitator

Encourage the development of flexible learning materials.

The University of Nottingham stated that in terms of students, e-learning:

Encourage flexibility of access to lesson materials- anytime, anywhere

Provide self-responsibility for learning and allow students to learn at their own pace and to keep
track of their progress

Enhance student participation while encouraging less confident students to take part

Encourage student engagement when using interactive learning materials and improve students’
motivation and satisfaction and facilitate understanding of the subject matter

Promote communication with educators

Promote peer support as there is more interaction between the students

Help in the preparation of upcoming topics and revision of preceding lessons

Increase the accessibility of information and lesson materials to students with low abilities in the
subject matter.

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Top 17 Best Apps For Teachers and

Educators
Posted on Monday August 6, 2018
FacebookTwitterShare
Using Smartphones in the class will no longer be considered as an punishable
offence. Thankfully, smartphone technology has evolved enough to approve the
use of phones and tablets in the classroom to turn the boring lecture into an
exciting learning system by means of educational mobile apps.

From expanding the horizon of learning environment to creating lessons,

preparing lecture subjects and enhancing student engagement, the learning-
oriented mobile apps can help maintain learning even outside the classrooms.
By having a right set of teaching software, teachers and educators can
streamline their activities like keeping attendance, recording behavior,
engaging students inside and outside the classroom with effective
communication.

We have compiled a list of top 15 best apps for teachers and educators to
enhance digitally interactive learning.

1. Kahoot

This app can turn a boring class into a fun one as this app is used by the
teachers to motivate the students by turning the classroom into a playground.
The Get Kahoot website makes learning fun as the teachers can prepare some
questions and answers and the app transforms them into playable game with
the help of a web browser.
For starting the game, the students have to download the Kahoot app and this
can be used as a buzzer for answering the questions designed by the teacher.

Available : Android, iOS

2. Google Classroom

This is another app version of the G Suite for education which is generally used
by the school for the purpose of distributing and grading the assignments of the
students. This Classroom app is used by the teachers for storing the class
materials in G drive so that the students can have an easy access to the
materials in case of urgent requirements. The teachers also use this app for
making certain announcements and debates.

Available : Android, iOS

3. Teach Learn Lead
This is basically a social media site like Facebook for teachers where the
teachers from various schools meet and interact. The teachers who share a
common subject can discuss the different issues related to the subject and they
can learn how to make lesson plan from experienced teachers. The app is used
for the creation of polls where the teachers learn from one another and also
indulges in fun discussion about their students.

Available : Android, iOS

4. Seesaw
This is basically a student portfolio app where the parents can see the progress
and achievement of the students. The students can store their finest works in
the app so that the parents can check the improvement of their kids.

Know More : Best Educational Apps For Kids

On the other hand, this app is also used by the teachers to store the yearly
weaknesses and strengths of the students so that they can present it to the
parents during the annual parent-teacher meetings.

Available : Android, iOS

5. Slack
Learning should not stop outside the classroom. This messaging tool app is
used by the college students and the professors to stay in touch with one
another after the school hours. Also, the app is used by the teachers for the
purpose of hosting the text- based office hours on the app platform and are also
used for sending reminders to the students in case of emergency.
Available : Android, iOS
6. Remind
This app is used by the teachers for the purpose of communicating with the
parents and students outside of the classroom. This app can be used for making
group chats, class announcements and for contacting an individual privately.

Know More : 13 Best Educational Apps Recommended For Kids With

Autism
There are options of more than 70 languages and therefore the app can
translate the languages of the teachers to the non native English speaking
parents.

Available : Android, iOS

7. Additio
It is better to keep the class grades, notes and attendance in an app rather than
in any random piece of paper. This app acts as a digital classroom and
gradebook management app where the teachers are allowed to take records of
the attendance, plan the timetable and calculate the grades of the students in
their smart phones and tablets. The teachers can also opt for the $ 8 per month
Plus edition of Additio for getting the additional features like note keeping and
performance analytics.

Available : Android, iOS

8. Classtree
With the help of this app the teachers can get the parental consent forms of the
fieldtrip from the parents in a paperless and painless process. This Classtree
app allows the teachers to attach a consent form so that the parents can e-sign
the form for allowing the students to go to the field trip.

With this app, the teachers can view who has seen the consent form and who
hasn’t signed the form.

Available : Android, iOS

9. Doceri
This Doceri app has the ability to turn the tablets and smart phones into portable
whiteboards by taking the advantage of the portability and touchscreen of the
iPad. This app helps with the explanation process of the materials that are on
screen and this makes the teaching lesson more interactive.
With the help of this app, the teachers do not have to handwrite the complicated
diagrams and equations as they can simply post the materials online from their
iPad.

Available : Windows, ipad

10. Ted

Thousands of teachers trust and use TED tools for its ability to truly innovate
the education system and enrich student engagements with intriguing lecture
sessions delivered by leading subject matter experts.

It acts an outstanding resource for teachers and enables unique presentation

techniques, covering a wide range of interesting topics. With its effective online
debates and creative lesson plans, Ted perfectly accompanies teachers by
making the classroom discussion interactive and knowledge-rich experience.

Available : Android, iOS

11. Evernote

Evernote is indispensable notetaking app that helps teachers eliminate printed

handoutsfor outside-the-classroom learning. You can share projects and
assignments with students using shared notebooks.
Parents can view completed assignments on its website, too. Since shared
assignments stay online, Evernote establishes a sense of transparency
between students, teachers and parents.

Available : Android, iOS

12. Epic Unlimited Books for Kids

This app is a great relief for the elementary teachers as they do not have to
spend money for buying new books for the students.

With the help of this app, the teachers in Canada and America gets unlimited
free access to more than 15000 books which ranges from Animal Planet to
Horror stories. It also has an Educator’s version that includes videos and lesson
ideas for the students.
Available : Android, iOS
13. ClassDojo

This app allows the teacher to provide positive feedback about their students
by giving comments such as “participating” or “working hard”.
It also helps to send private and public messages to the parents regarding the
progress of the children and the parents can view the feedback of their children.
This app saves the trouble of school newsletter.

Available : Android, iOS

14. Dropbox

This application is terrific in nature as this allows the teachers to upload the
presentation photos, videos, assignments and the students can have an easy
access to the materials in the classroom or at their homes.

With the help of this app, the teachers can edit as well as create Microsoft Office
files in their smart phones and the file links can be shared with the students
without flooding their inbox with massive files.

Available : Android, iOS

15. Pocket
This app allows the teachers to take their lectures outside of the classroom by
saving web contents, videos and articles related to their lecture subjects.

With the help of this app, the teachers can view any material that is saved offline
and it presents a layout that improves the reading experience of the students.
Therefore, the teachers can share the complicated topics with the students.

Available : Android, iOS

16. Edmodo
With the help of this app, the students and teacher can share valuable
information about contents after the school hours.

This app also helps with the sharing of new information along with receiving
grades and submitting assignments. The teachers can share invaluable
information with this app and this can be in the form of message, quizzes, polls,
assignments, calendars and resources.

Available : Android, iOS

17. Educreations
This is a whiteboard app which is interactive in nature and is mainly used by the
teachers for providing students with easy to follow tutorials. The teachers can
record audio of any type using this app as well as create animations,
commentary, diagrams and instructions with supportive audio for helping the
students with their assignments.

This app also allows the teachers to share videos with the students with the
help of Twitter, Facebook and email.

Available : iPad
Conclusion
As we forge ahead in the era of technology, we can see how the next generation
of young demographics interact with the digital resources to make their life
better and easier. There is no denial that mobile apps are the future and add
power to tomorrow’s economic and social culture.
These top 17 mobile apps surely follow a quantum leap in existing educational
system and help teacher and educators revolutionize their methods of engaging
with students.
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What do you learn from classroom observation?
Why participate in classroom observation?
 Observe new techniques, strategies, ideas and resources.
 Gain insight into one's own strategies and techniques.
 Observe student reactions from a different perspective.
 Help create a professional learning community with the best interests of the students in
mind.
 What is means to be a professional?
 To most people, acting like a professional means working and behaving in such
a way that others think of them as competent, reliable and respectful.
Professionals are a credit not only to themselves, but also to others.
 What does it mean to act professional?
 How does a person act like a professional? Here is a definition of
professionalism from Merriam-Webster's Dictionary; having or showing the skill,
good judgment, and polite behavior that is expected from a person who is trained
to do a job well. ... Having a career means being professional because you
have a skill.
 What is code of ethics for teachers?
 The code of ethics for teachers is designed to protect the rights of the
students, all the students. ... Teachers are expected to be fair to all their
students and not to take advantage of their position in any way.
What are the Code of Ethics for Professional Teachers?
Professional Code of Ethics for Teachers
 Students Matter Most. Teachers must model strong character traits, such as
perseverance, honesty, respect, lawfulness, patience, fairness, responsibility and
unity. ...
 Committment to the Job. Teachers must wholly commit to the teaching
profession. ...
 Keep Learning. ...
 Healthy Relationships Top the List.
 Do you agree that professional ethics for teachers is important?
 Professional ethics is like a guide, which facilitates the teacher to provide
quality education and inculcate good values among the learners.
The professional ethics will enlighten the teachers that they have a major role
in bringing desirable changes in the behaviour of the students.
Developing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy
 Clarify what you believe good teaching to be.
 Explain what you hope to achieve in teaching.
 Contextualize your teaching strategies and other evidence
of teaching effectiveness.
 Provide an opportunity for reflection on and the development of your
own teaching.
Developing a Statement of Teaching Philosophy
 Clarify what you believe good teaching to be.
 Explain what you hope to achieve in teaching.
  Contextualize your teaching strategies and other evidence
of teaching effectiveness.
 Provide an opportunity for reflection on and the development of your
own teaching.
 What is your personal teaching philosophy?
 Generating ideas
 Teaching philosophies express your values and beliefs about teaching. They
are personal statements that introduce you, as a teacher, to your reader. ... It
will help if you include both general ideas ('I endeavor to create lifelong learners')
as well as specifics about how you will enact those goals.
 What is your personal philosophy examples?
 A personal philosophy is your thoughts, beliefs, concepts, and attitudes about
everything. ... Some people think a personal philosophy is which external belief
system you ascribe to. For example a religion or a “philosophy” like humanism
or atheism. These are guidelines or stances on certain issues.
 Metaphysics, which deals with the fundamental questions of reality.
 Epistemology, which deals with our concept of knowledge, how we learn and
what we can know.
 Logic, which studies the rules of valid reasoning and argumentation
 Ethics, or moral philosophy, which is concerned with human values and how
individuals should act.
 Aesthetics or esthetics, which deals with the notion of beauty and the philosophy
of art.

How to Answer “What Is Your Teaching Philosophy?”

If you’ve never put your teaching philosophy into words, this three-step process
can help you articulate your beliefs.

 Begin Simply
Begin with one or two sentences that neatly encapsulate your thinking.
 Then Elaborate
After giving your initial statement, you can elaborate on what your
philosophy means in practical terms.
 Then Include an Example
You can also provide an example of how you apply your teaching
philosophy in the classroom. This will help make your philosophy even
more concrete.

However, only share an example if you have enough time. If you have already
been speaking for a couple of minutes, or if you feel that the interviewer wants to
move on, you can skip this part.
Examples of the Best Answers

Now, let’s apply our three-step system and look at some sample answers.

I believe the classroom is a living community and that everyone, from the
principal to the students to the parents, must contribute in order to maintain a
positive atmosphere.

Why It Works: This statement is simple, straightforward, and easy to absorb. It

takes a position – the classroom is a living community and everyone contributes
– and conveys it well. While you don’t need to fit everything you believe about
teaching into a single sentence, it’s important to be able to express the most
central part of your ideas and priorities as a teacher. Let the rest be implied.

All students are individual and everyone learns in their own unique way. I use
multiple methods of teaching (linguistic, visual, auditory, kinesthetic) to reach
students, so that no one is left behind.

Why It Works: This explanation makes clear that this teacher believes that
effective teaching brings everybody along together. You can also make brief
mention of educational theories or scientific studies that support your philosophy,
or you can refer to other educators who exemplify your philosophy. You are
trying to make it clear to your interviewers that you think carefully about how you
teach and are well-educated on educational practices.

Everyone in the classroom contributes as a student, teacher, and thinker. I learn

from students as much as they learn from me. One way I emphasize this
philosophy in my classes is to incorporate regular feedback from students. For
example, I ask students to fill out a mid-course evaluation of the class, in which
they reflect on the course goals and provide feedback on whether or not the
course is helping them meet these goals thus far. Students have been so
insightful, providing useful information for me on what is working in class, and
what I can improve upon. I believe we never stop learning, and I want my
students to know we can learn from each other.

Why It Works: This answer provides specifics about how the teacher sees their
role. It also shows that the candidate is receptive to feedback and able to
incorporate that into their approach. This is a good answer to give if there’s time
to elaborate. If you sense that the interviewer wants to move on, don’t provide
more detail.
Tips for Giving the Best Answer

Determine your teaching philosophy before the interview. Think about your
teaching methods and goals. How have you put your ideas into action? What
principles are demonstrated by your work? Remember that a teaching philosophy
is different than a pedagogic theory.

Get to the point. Make sure you’re able to articulate your beliefs succinctly.
Ideally, you’d be able to sum up your teaching philosophy in one sentence, if you
had to. (Although of course you should have specifics to offer in case there’s time
to speak in-depth.)

What Not to Say

Avoid wordiness. A poorly organized or less-than-succinct statement will be

hard for other people to understand and could hurt you. The interviewer wants to
see that you understand your teaching philosophy and can describe it well.

Skip the clichés. Also avoid generic and self-evident statements, like
"everybody deserves a chance to learn." Sure, it's broad and applicable to many
classroom situations, but that very universality and obviousness makes the
phrase a problem. Simply put, if your philosophy is a truism or a cliché, it’s
obvious you didn’t put much thought into it.

If your educational philosophy actually is that everyone deserves a chance (or

something similar), then be sure to make your statement unique by explaining
how you see the principle of equality as relevant to education. A provision to
keep in mind is that if you can’t imagine anyone disagreeing with your philosophy
(that is, disagreeing intelligently, for well-thought-out reasons), then you’ve
probably landed on an obvious truism.

Possible Follow-Up Questions

 Why did you decide to become a teacher? – Best Answers

 What’s your classroom management style? – Best Answers
 How do you handle stress? – Best Answers
 Tell me about a time when you handled a challenging situation. – Best
Answers
 What strategies do you use to motivate your students? – Best Answers
 How have you used technology in the classroom? – Best Answers
Key Takeaways

PREPARE YOUR ANSWER PRIOR TO THE INTERVIEW:Practice describing

your beliefs, goals, and methods.

BE SUCCINCT:Summarize your philosophy in a sentence or two. Be able to

provide more detail if required.

AVOID CLICHÉS:Be able to show how your statement relates to your unique
point of view.