Author: TYH

if i may quote sabrina’s tweets:

“time seems to be THE issue during ICT mentor discussions on ICT lesson implementation. is it becos our timetable isn’t made for ICT lessons?” … “if we’re to really go forth with ICT in every aspect of learning & teaching, our current entire system needs an overhaul?”

it’s going to take too many tweets to response, so return to blog instead. i think we’re dealing with a few issues here:

1. we’re still very much operating in an efficiency+ability-driven mode, though we are trying hard to transit to aspiration-based mode.

2. our emphasis for ICT use leans towards developing a 21st century learner (hence, self-directed, self-discovery, collaborative & lifelong learner etc). even without the use of ICT, developing a 21st century learner requires a paradigm change in beliefs about learning and teaching, and leading on an entire pedagogical change/shift. perhaps a more fundamental question to ask is, how far have we shifted in terms of this paradigm change in teachers’ belief? if so, using ICT requires teachers to move 2 leaps forward, instead of 1.

3. if content mastery is perceived as very important (again something to do with teachers’ belief), and in the name of efficiency, content delivery (cf. personal meaning-making; construction; creation) becomes the way to go! cos the more knowledge one stuffed into a student, the more a student would have learnt! (or has learning takes place someone with a different belief might ask)

when we put the above together, if it is no wonder a teacher has no time, cos there’s so much to “deliver”, a belief system to change, and the technicalities of any ICT to pick up (not to mention ICT appears and changes so fast, new versions get rolled out so quickly). i think i have not covered all influencing factors, but the above is enough to make any teacher pants (and pants a 1000 times) any moment.

“a system overhaul” is needed indeed, but our system is already trying hard to shift (if we reflect upon the philosophy behind those many initiatives which teachers again cried “make us extremely busy, no time, etc.”. if anything is to be overhauled, it is a teacher’s personal belief (which influence all his/her actions) needs an overhaul first i felt.

— changelog —
minor edits to (3) to include the ‘efficiency’ view on Apr 1, 2016