question 3

On line learning is an essential part of teaching today. For the new "digital native" students old sage on the stage methods are becoming increasingly irrelevant.

Students can access far more information than most of their teachers will ever be able to get through. Our job becomes one of showing them how to critically examine what they are recieving from their multimedia environment.

Multimedia has it's place in so many teaching theories: It creates and even broader zone or proximal development for Vygotsky: It is a great scaffolding technique, especially with games and webquests: It is connectivist in that it connects learning with students cultural understanding, language and identiy: It can cater for more forms of intellegence like audio/visual, mathematical/logical, and kinesthitics. And is is what today's student relates to.

If we do not use ICT in schools, then schools will become irrelevant for many of today's students. This will mean that they will miss out on the other important aspects of school, such as learning about socialisation, codes of conduct, how to relate to the broader world, and what our past can teach us.

ON: CULTURAL CHANGE NEEDED TO EXPLOIT ICT IN SCHOOLS
DR ALISON ELLIOTT, INFORMATION AGE

Old “sage on the stage” models of teacher are no longer relevant to today’s students. They are accustomed to gaining information for themselves, and from many different sources. Teachers are no longer the knowledge source, but rather the knowledge filter. How to sift, verify, and analyse the incredible amount of knowledge at their fingertips, becomes essential for today’s student. Teacher’s need to understand how these sources work so that they can teach students how to verify what is relevant to their subject. This means an entire new learning experience for teachers.

Teacher’s need to be in at the planning and development stages of all ICT implementation, so that they thoroughly know what they are teaching and how to adapt these teaching models as new ICT develops. Set information must give way to fluid learning for both teacher and student.
Like any new learning, there is fear. Teachers need to know that they will be given the time, not only for training, but also for exploring the world of ICT as an ongoing experience. It has to be a regular, integrated part of teacher work scheduling, they cannot just be expected to take a personal interest, or do it all in their own time.