Education Authorities need to increase their advocacy efforts...

Children today are born into a world of technology. They learn quickly and adapt to new technologies as it is an integral part of their lives. There is still this assumption that learners can use technology effectively simply because they are surrounded by it and because they are quite skilled at consuming social media content. The technology which has become the norm today was not a part of the teacher’s learning and they lived in a world with very little use of technology. We tend to overlook the usefulness of our students being surrounded by technology.  It is something that should be “exploited” rather than regarded as an obstacle to teaching and learning. It is important for teachers to become competent in their use of new technologies, which their students can be facilitators of, and technology will start to transform learning when learners use it to become 21st Century learners.

When authorities responsible for education budget have superficial understanding of the importance of technology in education budgets are not allocated appropriately. Budget allocation for school technology should be given the same priority as other resources. Education leaders and authorities need to increase their advocacy efforts. They should take a much more serious stance about the use of technology as a teaching and learning tool. It is a matter of understanding the role that technology can play in education.

The focus should not be on performance and pupil results only, and education authorities need to be able to see beyond the classroom. The school curriculum should not and does not limit our student’s achievements to performance and results.

School leaders, education authorities and people responsible for the budget allocation for technology in schools/classrooms should be sensitized in teaching with technology because it will improve their understanding of how technology can be integrated with teaching & learning effectively.