Children are more smater in learning new technology skills than their teachers,not that the kids are giniues but because they are ambitous,curious and more motivvated to learn because they have to fit in the world of their peers, that view technology as an easy plaything.To taechers, this a challenge.
The big challenge in creative use of technology is the development of staff knowing that there are as many exciting technology being developed and their is no enough time for teachers to learn at the same time continue with their class curriculum.
For teachers to manage this transition from chalk and talk to a more student centered digital class, teachers should let go the notion that teachers should learn new skills first before the student. they should instead take the advantage that students are the real citizen of this digital world and are exposed to a lot of technology than them,and that teachers can learn technological skills from their students who are more than willing to help! In fact this would improve teacher - student relationship and build a mutual respect for both.
The most important thing that teachers should do is to survive in foreign world is to do the following; 1. Have the ability to manage the use of technology in class without having to know more technical details of the same.
2. Manage students brain power in technology use.
The first issue is easy to achieve if we include ICT as part of the curriculum to be taught in teacher training colleges, I am not talking about communication skills and technology in Education units that are already offered in college,I am talking about integrating of technology in teaching - learning process in class. For those already practicing ,inservice courses should be organised to update teachers on the use technology in class, this should be done regularly as need be to keep pace with the development of technology.
The second one is more difficult to achieve , however ; very crucial. As much as teachers should allow students to manage their own learning, their should be a limit. Teachers must maintain the role of being the chief Editors and publishers of all the materials that student access on the internet. teachers should help students to identify website and social medias that are resourceful to students ,guide on what to publish,when to publish and how to make meaningful the feedback from these media.
