Group P: Critical consideration of the School Visit

Computer Use 774:
Bloggers P: Blog post – 09 October

Walking through the doors of different schools on the first day of our teaching practice, various expectations and prior knowledge filled our being. We were excited to explore the newest technology and e-learning methods within class-context.

The reality, however, quickly sank in: most schools, particularly public schools, are not making use of e-learning methods, besides PowerPoint presentations. Some schools are privileged to have interactive whiteboards, for example an ebeam, which enables the educator to have an interactive lesson. Unfortunately, very few schools have the financial capacity to provide these boards for every classroom, resulting in many teachers conducting lessons in a teacher-centred manner, using textbooks and a board. Many learners find this unsatisfying.

Too many educators are comfortable using passive methods - is it truly the best way for a learner to explore the content being taught? Are learners truly exploring content in this manner, or are they just receiving information? Reflecting on our teaching practice, we realise that the majority of educators have to work around the available resources and are resorting to teacher-centred methods that they feel comfortable with. This is done at the expense of the learners as there is little consideration for the optimum method to introduce and explore the content. Educators stick to the traditional method when one sees it from the vantage point of adhering and complying with a CAPS curriculum and rarely consider venturing into new methods of presentation. This raises the question: Should educators simply stick to their comfort zones and use what has ‘worked’ up until now and deprive learners from the opportunity of being exposed to new methods of learning?

Apart from this, numerous educators are also not trained to use e-learning methods. This however should not be an excuse to not incorporate new age teaching methods into the classroom. Classrooms have e-learning resources, but are used, because educators lack the training to fully incorporate the system. The potential of various e-learning methods have to be discovered and fully explored in the South-African schooling system.

It should be noted that the South African context is a unique and often challenging milieu to incorporate e-learning. The vast majority of schools lack the resources to equip classrooms with the basics let alone advanced technological equipment. Private schools that have adopted the new world of e-learning have done so with the luxury of resources at their disposal that is out of reach for the majority of underprivileged communities.

Through the teaching experience it became apparent that educators have become exhausted by everything that they are required to do. The least of these are shockingly teaching and doing thorough planning. Living in a digital age, learners are extremely visual and often learn through means of technology. For teachers to use technology as a way to facilitate learning; will require of them to put a lot more thought and planning into each lesson.