Education stakeholders and ICT experts have advised teachers in the country to integrate the use of technology to boost teaching and learning.
The stakeholders who spoke at Tech-Savvy Teacher Masterclass Upgrade 2018 training with the theme: ‘Effective Technology Integration in the Classroom’’ also tasked school owners to empower teachers by deploying ICT facilities in the classrooms.
According to Chief Executive Officer of EduLead Concept, Mrs. Ify Obidi-Essien, “a lot of pupils can have access to different topics and teachers can also reach out to millions of students by use of technology.”
Obidi-Essien advised schools nationwide to embrace technology noting that schools have been transformed after they integrated technology into the classrooms while teachers have aslo become trainers to others.
Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Edumark Consult, Mrs. Yinka Ogunde described teachers as moulders of future leaders and advised them to integrate technology in their classrooms.
“You must speak the language of technology because kids think and talk about it.’’
While commending the organisers of the training, Ogunde said: “We need people who are driven by passion for education and who are seeing the big picture.”
The six facilitators who spoke at the training urged the over 50 teachers to integrate technology in their classrooms to enhance teaching and also expose the students to current issues in different fields of subjects.
Co-founder and Coordinator of Learning Craft, Mrs. Rhoda Odigboh who spoke on “How curriculum can affect the effective integration of technology in the classroom’’urged schools and teachers to integrate technology in teaching students.
Speaking on “How to effectively integrate technology in the classroom using Microsoft Office with emphasis on OneNote,’’ Mrs. Pamela Chukwuemeka tasked teachers to raise their bar because their students were ahead of them in the use of various ICT facilities to agument what is taught in the classroom.
The lead consultant of Coreskills Development Services, Mrs. Toyin Sam-Emehelu reiterated that teachers must acquire new skills to impact on the students. Technology, according to her, has come to stay in schools and teachers must embrace it.
The Chief Executive Officer of The Orientation Project, Mr. Joseph Aisida explained that the education sector was the last to embrace technology noting that the interactive whiteboard would boost teaching and learning as well as expose students to wider knowledge.
One of the participants, a teacher with Olavic Flourish School, Ikorodu, Mrs. Ebby Uzo-Nwosu, said students have moved to the 21st Century driven by technology and stressed that teachers cannot continue to use old method.
Tech-Savvy Teacher Masterclass is a periodic training geared towards equipping educators and professionals with technological skills and tools for improved effectiveness.
Its promoter said the training, which is the fifth edition, holds quarterly every year and that participants were taught how to utilise the mastery of technological skills and tools to achieve professional exploits in their fields.
The training is for every teacher either in public or private schools. The training is making teachers take bold steps whether school owners provide ICT facilities or not,’’ she said.