Are Teachers Struggling with Technology in the Classroom?

A school is a place where you learn so much with all new possibilities. But the backbone of the school, the teachers, what problems are they suffering? To impart the knowledge to the students sometimes the teachers face various difficulties. What are the experts saying about the development and improvement of teachers? The teachers are facing constant pressure to integrate technology in the classroom. The expectations are high from the teachers without providing adequate training. As per reports, some teachers are not in favor of technology and other demand for professional development. Only when the teachers’ queries and grievances are met, the students will be able to prepare themselves for the digital future.

Is there a pressure to be digital experts?

There are no second thoughts about the fact the digital evolution will help the future generation with knowledge and education. The digital era has made information accessible much more easily allowing to share it to the mass. But without the right direction, the learning opportunities might go in vain. Students need a guidance from their teachers. It is a common notion that students will be digitally naive and teachers would be experts. The students very much in an obvious way depend on teachers to get knowledge about the latest medium. But the fact is that the new generation students are digital natives while the teachers are acquiring the knowledge through specialized training.

The curriculum of the recent times require the intervention of technology and thereafter there is a need to develop ICT capabilities. There are several initiatives taken through conducting several programs like Digital Education Revolution and Connected Classrooms in NSW to promote technology in the school curriculum. To be coordinators of these programs, the teachers must go through service training programs that will be an additional method, to introduce innovative teaching practices.

The lack of technology preference

There are many teachers who still believe in the age-old techniques and prefer manual writing over typing. The teachers do not feel that typing is doing anything extra. The teachers rather believed that not writing manually are hampering the writing skills and handwriting of the students.

Differing instructions

The students in digital education usually bring their own digital devices where they take up notes or follow a certain chapter. The students bring various kinds of devices. Some use android and some iPad. The teachers say that due to this they need to give multiple instructions and that takes up a lot of time.

Easy distraction

Teachers say that students use these devices to waste time as well. The technology is definitely a help only if it is used for educational purposes in school. But the teachers say that e-learning had enabled the students to get distracted as they often indulge in playing games, using instant messaging platforms or use social media in the classroom rather than concentrating on studies. These students are often termed as “digital rebels”, “eLearning pioneers” and “cyber wanderers”. The students get better chances to waste time during lessons is one of the most common complaints of teachers. They interrupt by saying that their devices are out of charge or simply pretend that the devices are not working. The teachers need to stay alert and protect the students so that they do not waste their time on social media. The teachers say that this becomes an additional task in the class. The stipulated time to complete a lesson is extended as there are various distractions caused by the students with their digital devices. Managing that and continuing the lesson becomes difficult at times.

Digital divide

Though the Nation has developed to a great extent, it does not mean that every student or teacher will have a smooth and unlimited internet access at home. With digital learning, this is being a pressure to the community to take up the technology even if they are financially not stable. Many students come from the social and financial backward sections where they are not well off like many other students. There is a digital divide and that can’t be ignored by the teachers. Hence it becomes difficult on the part of the teachers to give instructions. As teachers, they cannot ignore any section of the students. No matter which class or region they belong to there is no divide for a teacher. Here again, the teacher faces the problem when the instructions and lesson plans are to be made different for the different group of students.

Greater conflict between students and teachers

When the students bring personal devices to class, the teacher definitely cannot seize it as a punishment to the child. The students most of the time complaints the teachers about the accessibility of the power sockets. The teachers feel that there is a need to improve the school infrastructure before implanting eLearning. Sometimes the tension between the teachers and the students heightens when the student searches for something online and challenges what the teachers are telling them in the class. The students begin to judge the ability and question the teacher’s knowledge. They have the tendency to believe what they discover in the web pages rather than what is being said in class. There are data discrepancies at various levels that the students are unable to gauge.

The solution

There needs to be an approach in the ICT professional development where the teachers would be guided to handle various situations that are creating a hindrance to teaching. The teaching methodologies must be modified and that must be updated for the teachers that will help them in dealing with the current scenario with confidence. Digital devices used by the students should have restrictions on using various websites. Some teachers feel that the personal devices should not be allowed. Rather the devices must be provided by the school authorities with proper parental controls. The classrooms should have proper electric power options where each student can access it. The problems of teachers must be noted to make sure that the students of tomorrow get a proper knowledge that will lead to a digital future.