Lecture 12_Today I Learn, Today I question!

          Well, I was the presenter for the 10 December 2011 class so, no more sitting back and listening. I was pondering for the past 3 or 4 weeks on what to present for 'Teaching with Technology: The Future'. Everything seems to have been well covered more or less by the others. Read through the Horizon Report but still thought that anything that I have to say would have been said. Then, luckily last week, at the end of class, Huey Zher gave me some pointers, "compare the Horizon Report to the Malaysian Smart School Concept"

          I had read through the Smart School Roadmap for PXGT6111, trying to see how I could incorporate it into the Lit Review. As I sat down to compare the two, however, a pattern seemed to materialise. Both have almost the same vision as to educational tools for the future. What is left to see is how Malaysia is going to implement the Smart School Concept in schools.

          One of the issues we discussed was how many teachers were reluctant to embrace technology. When I was taking my bath in the evening, I thought (yes, I think best when I'm bathing. maybe it's the soothing sound of water) about how we can get teachers to be enthusiastic about going for training to use new technologies. One way is to offer teachers who have gone through an "Application of Internet in Instruction" course and an "Information Technology in Teaching and Learning" course an extra jump in the pay scale when they pass the courses with at least a B+. This will lead to more eager learners and more teachers who will see technology as friends rather than inconveniences. I know that this can be done if political will wants it. Currently Principles of Accounts teachers get one or two scales higher than people who graduated the same time as them.

         It was great to hear about what the government has actually tried to do even though it's still not enough. Before they give out the laptops/netbooks to students they should make sure that at least 50% of the teachers are well trained in technological instructional design so that the laptops are not given in vain. The government should also disseminate information about the Smart School Concept to the public through campaigns, TV ads and road shows so that everyone understands what is expected of them and so that parents won't treat laptops as windfalls but as part of the school books. No one ever sells school books right?

Anyway, this is a very interesting report in the New York Times regarding the use of technology in classrooms:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/technology/technology-in-schools-faces-questions-on-value.html?_r=4&pagewanted=1&sq=education%20and%20technology&st=cse&scp=1

and another site:

http://beyondmontessori.wordpress.com/2011/11/26/the-debate-over-technology-in-the-classroom/