 |
 |
   |
|
|
|
Introduction
 A
new educational paradigm has emerged - one where learners develop the skills to think critically, work collaboratively and use technology to solve real-world problems. Just about every vocation and profession today, from architects to zoologists, utilizes information communication technology on a daily basis. Throughout the world, our educational systems are finally realizing the importance of providing meaningful opportunities for learners to acquire realistic employability skills, with networked technology being a major component. This suggests that learners must have an awareness of their own individual learning needs, and develop a number of skills and habits that lead to life-long learning. In other words, how our students learn may in fact be becoming more important than what they learn.
Recent Canadian studies suggest that 95% of our youth already know how to use computer technology, but do they know how to use it skilfully? Further, do we, as educators possess the skills and knowledge to teach them how to use it skilfully? Many people are shocked to hear that the information age ended well over a decade ago. We are now in the knowledge age, evident by our knowledge-based economy. Whether you are computer savvy or not, it's important to remember that you do not have to be (and no one expects you to be) a technical genius to facilitate modern educational activities. Using information communication technology in education is certainly not just about information technology classes in a computer lab. It’s about developing higher-level thinking skills, and learning languages, mathematics, science, history - whatever, through the tools that many of our students grew up with. Students are used to having massive amounts of up-to-date information readily available at their fingertips, and solving real life problems through technology. However, they may not know how to go about it properly. The Provincial Government's GrassRoots Program has given our Board an opportunity to provide training and equipment resources to our teachers, which will hopefully translate into new ways of thinking about how we design, deliver and assess learning in our schools. These courses are not highly technical. The second part of the course gives you the basics of Netscape Composer, which is a Web authoring or creation program. By coupling the skills and knowledge you will obtain from these two courses, you will be able to facilitate student-centered ICT projects... concentrating on the learning process rather than just the technology!
© 2001 SCDSB |
