The document discusses the use of technology in Greek education. It finds that while Greek schools now all have internet access and students are developing digital literacy, many teachers still lack confidence and competence with technology. Some teachers feel overwhelmed by other educational initiatives and view learning technology as a low priority. As a result, technology is getting between students and teachers as students' technology skills often surpass teachers'. The document recommends an extensive teacher education program to help teachers embrace new roles using technology, learn how to integrate it effectively in classes, and overcome beliefs holding them back from keeping pace with students in the digital age.
IS TECHNOLOGY THREATENING TO GET BETWEEN THE TEACHER AND THE STUDENT?
1. IS TECHNOLOGY THREATENING
TO GET BETWEEN THE
TEACHER AND THE STUDENT?
Research findings
Dr Angeliki Deligianni Georgakas
2. To succeed in a global economy Ss
need to possess
a firm grasp of 21st Century Skills
including:
Information & Communication
Technology
Critical Thinking
skills
3. The Greek Education System
needs to provide state-of-the-art tools
to help Ss develop these important skills
Aim: to create an educational system
adapted to the digital age
characterised
a) by greater use of new technologies,in
education
b) netwrorking of schools,,
c) universities and educational community,
d) well trained teachers and students,
e) development of digital educational content
4. Following the recommendations of Lisbon
Summit March 2000
Operational Program of
Information Society (IS)
Objectives:
• Greek schools should all have access to internet
• All pupils leaving compulsory should be
digitally literate
• All teachers should have been trained in using
Internet and multimedia resources
5. Nationwide surveys reveal
Indicators regarding the first two IS objectives have been
considerably increased.
However, despite the effort made by the Greek Ministry of
Education, the third objective has not been fully achieved.
There are still teachers who do not have sufficient confidence and
competence in the use of generic IT applications.
Students’ own competence in IT often outstrips that of their
teachers.
This is often disturbing for teachers used to viewing themselves as
imparters of knowledge.
6. Small scale research study reveals:
Teachers do not fully exploit IT
Inhibiting factors
• lack of infrastructure for classroom
digitalization
• IT room is never or at best very rarely
available
• Using IT is not always teacher’s priority
7. Teachers in the state school sector consider
embedding IT in their teaching as low priority.
Ts are mainly concerned, as they claim, with the completion of
the teaching material.
They are seemingly overwhelmed by Ministry initiatives such as
cross curricularity, pluriculturalism, prulilingualism and learning
strategies development as well as revised curricula.
It is in this sense that technology is getting between the student
and the teacher.
Our students are keen to embrace New Technologies
If we, as teachers do not respond by exploring with them what is
on offer and help them develop a critical literacy this will be
alienating us from our students.
8. What needs to be done
The analysis of my research findings has shown that there is need
for an extensive program of teacher education aiming to:
• redefine roles in the context of using IT – to move to the role of a
partner in learning, a guide and a supporter in scaffolding
students’ thinking, a challenger in developing their critical
literacies
• To provide guidance on how to best integrate IT in class
• To enable Ts to overcome deeply rooted beliefs and clarify
misunderstandings - eradicate old beliefs
Change in Ts’ beliefs will bring about change in their practices
and it is hoped that Ts will take action to be harmonious with the
new era of the “new-happy” school according to the state
initiative for the NEW SCHOOL.
Notes de l'éditeur
To succeed in a global economy, students today must possess a firm grasp of 21st century skills, including critical thinking, communication, and technology skills.
As in all EU member States, the Greek education system needs to provide state-of the-art tools to help students develop these important skills.
The aim is to create an educational system adapted to the digital age,characterised by greater use of new technologies in education, the networking of schools, universities, and the educational community,well-trained teachers and students, as well as the development of digital educational content.
Following the recommendations of Lisbon summit, March 2000, Greek government initiated the operational program of Information Society (IS) with the following objectives.
1) all Greek Schools should have access to the Internet
2) all pupils leaving compulsory should be digitally literate
3) all teachers should have been individually trained as necesssary in the use of Internet and multimedia resources.
Recent nationwide surveys (2008) have shown that indicators regarding the first two IS objectives have been considerably increased.
However, despite the effort made by the Greek Ministry of Education, the third objective has not been fully achieved.
There are still teachers who do not have sufficient confidence and competence in the use of generic IT applications.
Students’ own competence in IT often outstrips that of their teachers. This is often disturbing for teachers used to viewing themselves as imparters of knowledge.
I would like to believe that English language classrooms are filled with teachers who can make full use of IT in ther lessons but this is far from the case as I have come to find out , by visiting a large number of state schools and observing classes. The analysis of a small scale research study findings which I recently conducted has shown t
Teachers in general do not exploit ICT in their classroom for the following inhibiting factors.
Even if teachers have got the basic skills they are still not embracing the IT opportunities because of lack of INFRASTRUCTURE FOR DIGITALIZATION OF THE CLASSROOM.
A large number of teachers argue that the SPECIALIST IT ROOM IS NEVER OR AT BEST VERY RARELY AVAILABLE for the needs of English language class because it is exlusively used by the ICT teachers.
This is weird because the ICT is not a school subject for its own sake, per se. The presence of this expertise in schools aims to improve the nature of the subjects taught.
If IT rooms are exclusively used by IT expertise teachers, for the needs of the IT as a school subject how are teachers expected to bring IT into English classrooms and implement the state initiative for the new-happy school?
There seems to be a lot of misunderstanding here and disorientation on the part of this expertise and sth needs to be done on the part of the state.
There is a THIRD reason too why EFL teachers do not exploit IT in their classroom. For a number of teachers using IT is not one of their priorities.
Teachers in the state school sector consider embedding IT in their teaching as the lowest priority.
THEY ARE MAINLY CONCERNED AS THEY CLAIM, WITH THE COMPLETION OF THE TEACHING MATERIAL.
They are seemingly overwhelmed by ministry initiatives such as cross curricularity, pluriculturalism, prulilingualism and learning strategies development as well as a revised curriculum.
Here there is ANOTHER MISUNDERSTANDING as teachers tend to consider the coursebook to play the role of the syllabus. They are not familiar with the objectives of the syllabus to be attained.
Therefore, in my view, it is in this sense that technology is getting between the student and the teacher. Our students are keen to embrace the new technologies and if, we as teachers do not respond by exploring with them what is on offer and help them develop a critical literacy this will be alienating us from our students.
What needs to be done?
The analysis of my research findings has shown that there is need for an extensive program of teacher education aiming
to redefine their role – to move to the role of a partner in learning, an investigator, a guide and a supporter in scaffolding students’ thinking, a challenger in developing their critical literacies
to provide guidance on how to best integrate IT in class
to enable teachers to overcome their deeply rooted beliefs and clarify misunderstandings
This change will bring about change in their practices and it is hoped that they are likely to take some action to be harmonious with the new era of the new-happy school.
Turn info into knowledge through broader critical literacy
Netiquette –polite online communication