THE pace of change in information, communication and education technology is an early warning signal that indicates the classroom of the future may be of a totally different nature than what we are used to presently.
Instead of having the teacher as the sole proprietor and dispenser of knowledge the teacher may be part of a learning TEAM that collectively pursue new knowledge and skills that eventually socialize the learning proces breaking the wall between the teachers and the learners that sometimes is said to inhibit or slow down the learning process.
In Tanzania and I believe Africa in general we are used to a classroom that has one teacher and 50 to 150 pupils. It is not an environment conducive at all for teaching, studying and learning. It appears that in this kind of situation, the teacher if he or she is not altogether cheating is pretending to teach, while his or her pupils pretend to learn. As a result, we are used to mass failures year in, year out.
The plight of many schools in Africa may be ended by the introduction and application of innovative teaching that rely on the use of Information, Communication and Educational technology.
ICT has all the potentials of not only offering serious teaching and learning but also easing the heavy load that our teachers carry.
In the first instance, the combination of networking, multimedia tools Information and eduction technology may allow for one expert teacher to teach several classes at a go.
That is to say each subject be in primary or secondary school may requir only one teacher thus freeing the rest in the area networked to provide more assitance and support to learners, that is, the pupils or students in each school.
The best teacher in mathematics may be teaching all classes in a ward or division if not a district. Hence, standardization of skills will lead to more than average rate of knowledge acquisition. Overtime this will lead to better presentation and delivery skills by teachers.
Those students who normally drop a subject because they cannot easily follow him or her shall be rescued by the flicking of the overhead multimedia projector.
It is said that the African is an animal of colors and pictures. Video presentation of various subjects will more than interest the learner thus facilitating the whole learning process.
By its very nature ICT will attract more concentration from both teachers and students and thus enhance comprehension and erudition. This will in turn boost confidence among students and thus making them perform better across the board.
Since most teachers will be freed from direct teaching, most of them can turn into tutors or facilitators in the classrom thus fostering pupil-teacher interaction which is critical in learning and udnerstanding the subject matter.
The classroom of the future may not have a teacher but a learning or studying manager. That is to say, teachers need not worry in the interim about losing their jobs. They will still be needed but in a new capacity as managers and directors of learning.
The teacher job shall from thereon, be that of planning, making decision, organize, lead and controll the learning programme in class for each and every child.
The new technology shall make it easy to customize all learning as well as making the learner in charge of his or her own learning. Furthermore, pupils can revisit their lessons as many times as they want. Thus making them enhance their learning and understanding all the time.
In addition, the new classroom shall definitely allow more room for discussions, debates and bona fide arguments and critical thinking that are key factors in facilitating understanding and learning.
In a world of of internet and globalization the modern classroom shall cease to be an isolated island in the sea of learning and knowledge. Intra-school and inter-school learning, sharing and exchange of lessons, exercises, tests, quizes and examinations shall be as easy as drinking a cup of cold tea.
All this points to one thing, the future teacher must be a multi-skilled person, especially, in his subject area as well as in communication and in managing various computer and internet applications. The future is bright for our kids. What is needed is to take the first step as soon as possible.
E-mail: Sammy.makilla@columnist.com
