Teachers matter enormously to student learning.
Teachers deliver academic knowledge. Teachers impart model socioemotional skills. Good teachers boost students’ long-term life outcomes. Teachers can
inspire (and in another demonstration of their importance, in some cases, sadly, teachers can disappoint or even abuse). Yet teachers, often lionized and occasionally
villainized, are people. They enter the profession for a wide range of reasons, they have their own families to feed, and – like most professionals – they respond to incentives, support, accountability, and the quality of the management around them. In short, they are part of a system. Getting teacher policies right isn’t always easy, and sometimes education technology solutions can
seem like a shortcut. It’s tempting to search for the perfect app that will “disrupt” the learning process and allow countries to “leapfrog” to high-quality, equitable education without having to engage with these complicated people near the center of the learning process. (Let’s keep learners at the actual center.) Education technology interventions have had both successes and failures. Even as the COVID crisis has
heightened attention to education technology, many parts of the world lack the infrastructure for it have an extended, effective reach, with big implications for educational inequality. In a recent note—“Education Technology for Effective Teachers”—I look for examples of how education technology—rather than seeking to circumvent teachers—can help teachers to be as effective as possible and make their jobs and lives easier in the process. Looking at a wide range of experiences, mostly in low- and middle-income countries, I identify and discuss four principles to guide investments in technology to boost teacher effectiveness. Beyond these principles, which may seem obvious but which anyone who has worked in the implementation or evaluation of education technology can tell you are often not applied, I provide practical examples of six ways that education systems are using technology to support teachers. I summarize these in the table below, but you can find more country experiences in the note.
(In Kenya, a tablet-based literacy program boosted learning, but no more so than the analog alternative and at higher cost.) But in cases where technology passes those tests, it can be a valuable complement to teachers. It can also make teachers’ jobs a little bit easier so they can focus their energy on teaching. Further reading:
AuthorsDavid EvansSenior Fellow, Center for Global Development How does technology help in the delivery of the curriculum?Learning materials can be delivered via mobile devices and via virtual environments. Web 2.0 technology tools provide ways in which students can create their own personalized learning experiences. Nevertheless, learning should be restructured to benefit future generations.
How did technology tools help in implementing the curriculum?Technology makes it possible to be more flexible about when and where teaching and learning take place, and makes it easier for the curriculum to build on learners' interests and abilities.
How does technology tools helps the teachers in the teaching and learning process?Improved Teacher Productivity and Efficiency
It also enables teachers to improve their instruction methods and personalize learning. Schools can benefit from technology by reducing the costs of physical instructional materials, enhancing educational program efficiency, and making the best use of teacher time.
What technology tools do teachers use?Top 8 education + classroom technology tools. Education technology.. Video conferencing platform.. Smart video cameras.. Hybrid technology.. Asynchronous learning tools.. Synchronous learning tools.. Online textbooks.. Learning Management Systems.. |