Institutional Enhancement Directorate Director, Dr Tesfaye Habtemariam, Principle Investigator of Grand Project - ‘Improving Quality of Teaching English Language through ICT tools,’ sharing progress of his ongoing endeavor, informed, in the 1st phase of survey, 30 teachers from three schools were found lacking ICT skills, that drove them to devise training for these individuals to acquire needed skills.
He said adding that having interviewed 30 teachers from Arba Minch Secondary & Preparatory School, AMU’s Community School and Sawla Secondary & Preparatory School observed most of them hardly had basic computer skills that necessitated 2nd phase of training and finally they will be trained to integrate learnt skills in preparing English lesson. Of 30 teachers, 15 are from Arba Minch Secondary & Preparatory School, 5 from AMU’s Community School and 10 of Sawla; of which only three female are from Sawla and remaining males.
The project with budget of ETB 1 Million has been divided into three phases i.e. surveying e-readiness of school teachers, training and integration of knowledge into practice. The scheduled training will impart basic ICT skills and use of social media tools i.e. Facebook, Blogs, open websites, etc. we will try to involve them as how they can use them to improve teaching skills and exploit online courses, he added.
Further he adds, we are assisting them in using mobile phones by downloading offline dictionary, vocabulary teaching and learning applications; we have prepared materials which can be used to their advantage. Other tools like MS Office tools i.e. Word processor, Microsoft Power Points and how to integrate audio and videos into lessons so that students can take recorded lessons and learn at home.
Furthermore, he stated, we are ready to help them prepare online portals; we have modules with which they can design lessons. We have self-help materials and planning to launch 64-hour training shortly. For 2nd phase, training materials are drafted, 30 computers are to be bought for scheduled training. The 3rd phase is all about integration of learnt ICT tools including prepared text books in designing ICT-supported lesson, he averred.
On ICT tools standardizing English teaching, he stressed, we found that English learning is confined to classroom that probably fail to bring quality forth in the process; therefore, we feel, he adds, if lessons are extended outside of the classroom, it might bring some kind of breakthrough.
Justifying ICT skills enriching individual knowledge, he said, it’s for the lesson, the way students learn and about methods teachers employ; the conventional method has no support of ICT tools, now we want their teaching needs to be modified. These tools can standardize lessons; at times, they don’t know where to look for extra knowledge; it will help them think differently and change their methods. Similarly, it will correspondingly influence students the way they perceive and assimilate knowledge.
Citing lacunae, he said, primarily computer learning isn’t embedded in school curriculum and most of the schools have no computer laboratory is a great encumbrance. Though, the Ministry of Education calls for ICT-backed Pedagogy, but it doesn’t have provision to impart computer skills; this prove to be the biggest hurdle in building capacity of teachers and students alike, he rued.
Our project is planning to buy 30 computers so that 10 each will be given to three schools stated above. And as of now these teachers are being trained in university computer laboratory, he added.
If this project has 2nd run, we may advocate for inclusion of computer learning in school curriculum and focus on influencing students in acquiring ICT skills. Moreover, project-I by the end expects teachers to get familiarized with ICT tools and integrate learnt knowledge in their lessons that will benefit students.
(Corporate Communication Directorate)