The use of technology in education is fast becoming the new norm, and teachers are going to feel obliged to help their students stay ahead of the curve. Since a teacher’s role is to help their students become the best possible version of themselves, every teacher will want to use the best tools to help them achieve that.
Technology is a tool that vastly enhances learning in the classroom. It makes learning more efficient and interactive. The ability of technology to let students interact with multimedia files such as the images and videos in online learning is what made it so engaging.
READ ALSO: TOP 10 BEST EDUCATIONAL BLOGS AND WEBSITES IN NIGERIA (2020)
Technology in education also makes a teacher’s job easier and more comprehensible to the learner or student. So it works both ways, useful for the students and useful for the teachers.
Introducing a piece of technology in the classroom increases the performance and ability of students to learn, this is easier said than done though, because the practicality of adding such tech might be hindered if you are not prepared.
You have to be prepared as a teacher if you want to make sure it works. The technology could be as simple as letting everyone use the internet to surf some answers to assignments or to use it to collaborate on school projects.
With the right tools and technological resources, the classroom can become a 21st-century learning hub, just having something like that in the children’s lives will build their confidence, and it will strengthen their resolve to learn more.
To integrate technology in education, you should look out and be prepared for the following.
No one will be able to teach kids how to use a technology if the person teaching them is also not well equipped with the knowledge of the tech.
One has to be well conversant with the technology introduced into the classroom for it to be useful to them.
And the only way that is happening is if the teachers learn how to use it themselves before teaching it to the kids. Take a few hours each day to train yourself on the use of certain tools, that knowledge will come in handy in your teaching profession.
Otherwise investing in the machine, tool or technology will be a waste of the school authority’s money.
There are computer centers that teach the use of many up-to-date tools and resources, they could teach you programming if that’s what you need, or simply how to use a laptop like a pro.
Or it could be training on the use of Excel and other software, if you are done with your training you can sum it all up by applying what you learned in the classroom.
Technology is an ever-changing thing, this morning computers could be the most trending thing in educational technology and by nighttime, it is not, something else has taken over.
That is just how technology in education is, so it is up to you to stay updated with all the latest news about what’s being used by who and what, and if it’s still viable to your classroom or school.
A few years ago there are no tablets, internet, or applications used in the classroom, all of these are new, and they could be old news in a few years too. The point is, what is applicable today might not work tomorrow.
Stay updated, be open-minded about change, and you will be fine, and will be able to integrate technology in education as it comes your way.
Research is a big component of ICT, and to introduce technology in a classroom you will need to do your research.
Find answers to questions like; why do you need so and so tool? Is this going to increase their performance? What tool or tools are best for my classroom? How is this going to help the students? Etc.
Research will help you get a broader understanding of technology in education, and that, will help you identify what technology needs to be introduced to the classroom.
Just like a regular class syllabus, the use of technology in education needs to be planned, the time for its usage has to be set.
And what it will be used for has to be known, otherwise, it will be chaos, or it will end up not being used to its full capacity.
For instance, if you have a projector in the classroom, you will need powerful PowerPoint presentations in order to use it. You can’t just light up a projector then afterward start looking for what to add in the image slides, which would only result in an awkward lesson.
But whenever you want to use technology in the classroom to its fullest potential, you should always come prepared, i.e. have a plan of action.
Write it down and make sure it is part of your syllabus or scheme of work. This will enrich your teaching method and the students are going to find it more useful and engaging.
RECOMMENDED FOR YOU: CHECK OUT THESE 5 TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY YOU CAN USE IN SCHOOL
Not everything that comes out the latest is ideal or even appropriate for your class’s age. Consider their level and age group before embarking on introducing them to some technology.
Because they will need something they can understand and comprehend. Give everyone something at his or her level. A YouTube educational channel for kids and a video course for the older ones for instance might just work.
Note, however, just because some are at secondary school and others are at primary school doesn’t mean the primary school kids cannot be adept at using technology more than their secondary counterparts. In fact, you may be surprised to learn that they use it better than the older students.
These are some of the tips for teachers and educators who want to integrate technology in education in Nigeria. We are glad you enjoyed reading this, for more content like this, subscribe to our email newsletter below to learn more about educational technology in Nigeria.
Also, get free access to hundreds of educational videos by visiting our Youtube Channel