The+Use+of+ICT+in+Education

The use of ICT in education
ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) have changed the world of work for ever and have influenced our daily life in every aspect. In the field of education the continuing developments in ICT are further changing the learning environment and reshape classroom and school practice. From the mere use of computers to produce worksheets and tests, to the web search that followed facilitating the introduction into our lessons of such authentic material as news clips and videos, to the new mobile and i-pad applications, the e-books and video-conferencing, ICT, which is a term used in plural, comprise many technologies for capturing interpreting, storing and transmitting information.

The challenge educators face now is not 'to teach and prepare students for the future' since the future is already here but to develop in both their students and themselves the relevant abilities and skills that will help everyone adapt to the changing environment. In a 200+ page report, 'Towards Knowledge Societies' (UNESCO, 2005B), UNESCO experts use the term 'a third revolution' to describe the infiltration of ICT in all aspects of life. As schools, colleges and universities are an integral part of society this infiltration is also witnessed there from using ICT in the management and administration and all concerned operations of these institutions to delivering instruction. The availability of new software, as now computer programmes are called, engage students and involves them actively in their learning and self-assessing process. Additionally, since these are the same kind of tools that adults use in the world of work (i.e. messaging, e-mailing, word processing, use of database programmes and spreadsheet applications), students are acquiring from early age the ICT skills needed in the workforce. How teachers' roles are changing as a result of integrading ICT tools in the process of teaching is illustrated in a book from UNESCO,'Teacher Development in an E-Learning Age', (Resta and Patru, 2010).

**//Table 1.1: Changes in teacher roles after the integration of ICT in instruction//** Source: Adapted from Resta and Patru (2010) As seen from the table above the teacher is no more the ‘wise’ or ‘sage’ at the centre of the stage but he is required to stand at the side of students taking up the role of a ‘coach’ or facilitator on the path of knowledge. Similarly, the roles of students have changed as seen in Table 1.2 ** Table 1.2: Changes in the role of students after the integration of ICT in the learning process ** From mere web-surfers or explorers to participating in virtual excursions and taking up the role of active researchers deciding on the accountability of the information they collected for a project, using such paths of communication as blogs and other social networking to reach co-workers abroad.

In the second decade of the 21st century we are witnessing new web tools and resources further promoting communication and collaboration - from the e-mails to Skype, to Web 2.0 and cloud, the internet is transforming the way we live, learn, work and entertain. Indeed, in some countries learning has moved to environments beyond the classroom as the example of adopting m-learning (‘m’ for mobile learning) suggests. New technology in mobile phones allow apart from texting, exchange of images and videos, internet searches and accessing google maps or retrieving information on weather conditions and airline services. If we are preparing our students to work in this fast-moving-forward reality we need to develop in them the desire to be lifelong learners and readily try their hands on new skills.