Reflection paper on the article related to ICT in education📝.
“Integration
of ICT in Bhutanese Schools - Common Obstacles and the Way Forward by Mr.
Tshewang Dorji”
Writing a reflective
essay on the article "Integration of ICT in Bhutanese Schools: Common
Obstacles and the Way Forward by Mr. Tshewang Dorji" provided me with a
valuable opportunity to not just learn about the specific topic but also know
about the challenges for integrating ICT in Bhutanese education and an instant
solution. As quoted by April Chamberlain, "Education is evolving due to the
impact of the internet. We cannot teach our students in the same manner in
which we were taught. Change is necessary to engage students, not in the
curriculum we are responsible for teaching but in the school period."
Technology is rapidly changing the world. Today, there is almost no area of
life that technology has not impacted. The most important change that
technology has brought is a change in the traditional approach to education.
ICT has revolutionized the way people work and learn and is transforming the
education system in Bhutan. Information and communications technology (ICT) is
crucial for realizing the national vision of transforming Bhutan into an
IT-enabled, knowledge-based society. To realize this vision, the Royal
Government of Bhutan launched the Chiphen Rigphel Project in 2010 (Dorji,
2020). The article talks about the development of ICT in Bhutanese schools,
some of the common obstacles to ICT integration, and ways forward or solutions.
While the Ministry of
Education has tried to infuse schools with ICT, much remains to be done,
especially in primary and secondary education. Many teachers are not competent
at using ICT in their daily teaching and learning. Even competent teachers fail
to use ICT in classrooms due to many factors (Dorji, 2020). I strongly
believe in what the author said, as it was a reality check for me when I was in
teaching practice. There was a trained teacher who was not competent enough to
teach ICT. The ICT class is usually empty, and it has been replaced by other
subjects. I feel that teachers are critical, followed by infrastructure and
facilities.
Some of the problems addressed include the lack of qualified teachers, inadequate infrastructure, the ban on carrying electronic devices, poor and disorganized professional development, the black box, overworked teachers, the chalk and talk method, ICT as a distraction, the lack of online professional materials, the willingness of teachers and students, and pre-service teacher training.
Despite the fact that the government has donated computers, there remains a significant gap in access amongst schools (Dorji, 2020).I was not fully exposed to ICT because I was raised and educated in a remote village, and I have never even touched it.In remote schools, the majority of students lack access.
Academic and extracurricular activities overwhelm teachers.I believe that teachers' workloads go beyond their regular working hours.Class teachers, house masters, cultural coordinators, club advisors, mentors, and regular data preparation and submission of pupils to the school, MoE, Thromde (municipality), and other stakeholders are among the clerical duties allocated to teachers.The likelihood of not using ICT in the classroom rises when high workloads intrude into personal and family lives because such use necessitates the creation of resources, PPTs which
requires time and access to the Internet and projectors.The shortage of computer use time in the classroom is a significant obstacle to ICT integration.
ICT was perceived as a
source of distraction by parents at home. As students are seduced by
temptations like games, films, and chats, I agree with this assertion. Parental
oversight of ICT usage at home is time-consuming. Another distracting gadget is
television. It is impossible for parents to control and keep an eye on how much
time their kids spend watching TV.
Finally,
Vicki Davis' statement that "curriculum drives technology" comes to
mind. ICT is very important in the teaching and learning process. Technology
must be included in the curriculum to improve content-area learning.
Unfortunately, for policymakers, classrooms remain black boxes everywhere. Many
times, what takes place in the classroom goes unnoticed. There is a tendency
for policies to be implemented top-down without sufficient communication with
instructors and pupils. Frustration and resistance result from policymakers'
inability to comprehend actual circumstances. As a result, collaboration
between the school and policymakers is essential for the successful integration
of ICT in education.
Reference
Dorji, T. (2020). Integration of
ICT in Bhutanese Schools - Common Obstacles and the Way Forward. The Druk
Journal, 6(1)
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