The term IT (Information Technology) was first utilized in the 1980s

(Pelgrum and aw! "00# in $o%! "008) signifying a shift of focus from computing
technology to the capacity to store and retrieve information ($o%! "008)& This
de'elo(ment in turn (a'ed way for the introduction of I)T or Information and
)ommunication Technology when the e*mail was first used as a means or tool
for communication& Therefore! it is 'ital to note that I)T refers to any means of
communication using the a((ro(riate technology tools such as e*mails! we+logs!
instant chats and 'ideo conferencing& In this (a(er! we refer to I)T as the
Internet or the ,e+ (www) as a medium to enhance instruction (Pelgrum! ,&-&
aw! .&! "00# in $o%! "008)& Instruction here refers to the teaching*learning
(rocess in a classroom! more definitely! the /0 classroom&
In the "0
th
century! (eo(le were tal%ing a+out how to integrate IT in the
education field& 1ac% then! teachers would only use com(uters to store! analyze!
and transfer data& 2rom the educational (oint of 'iew! the (ur(ose of using the
com(uter in teaching could hardly +een (ointed out as there was no interacti'e
learning ta%ing (lace +etween teachers and (u(ils& 3owe'er! I)T em+ar%ed the
4ourney of the "1
st
century +y introducing many ty(es of social networ%s such as
2ace+oo%! Instant 5essages (6ahoo! 7oogle! 50.! and 0%y(e)! 'ideo
conferencing and +logs (1logs(ot! ,ord Press)& These social networ%s ena+led
the (u(ils and teachers to interact with each other whene'er and where'er
teaching too% (lace& -yr%i ("01") concurred! computer based learning and
teaching was developed to make learning more efficient and more interesting for
learners. Instead of im(lementing a teacher*centered a((roach in the classroom!
(u(ils will ha'e the o((ortunities to ta%e (art in classroom discussions +y using a
'ariety of social networ%s and we+sites&
3owe'er! it should +e noted that research in this field is unfortunately! one
sided& 5ost seminars and discussions on this to(ic! according to -yr%i ("01")!
are a+out talk of computers: desktops, laptops, servers that are needed in
schools. The internet is referred to, but the discussion is more about rolling out
computers in each of the schools, for each of the teachers or for each of the
children. 0o the 8uestion that needs to +e addressed here is! ,hat a+out the
(rocess(es) that actually integrate I)T in the classroom9
Perha(s the (rocess of the ado(tion of I)T in the /0 classroom still
needs to +e re'iewed! what more in our country! which the a+o'e statement +y
-yr%i accurately states& :o+ertson! 2luc% and ,e++ ("00#) ha'e designated fi'e
stages in which I)T can +e correctly integrated into the classroom;
1) Entry; Instruction in this stage is traditional! with teacher*
directed acti'ities& 0ome common instructional technologies
include +lac%+oards! te<t*+oo%s! wor%+oo%s! and o'erhead
(ro4ectors& =s they +egin to use com(uter technologies in the
traditional en'ironment! teachers ty(ically encounter (ro+lems
such as resource management& Technical issues may +e
demanding& 3ere! it should +e noted that the main form of
su((ort needed for educators includes (ro'iding time for
(lanning with (eers and o((ortunities for staff to share
e<(eriences with non (artici(ant colleagues&
") Adoption; ,hen teachers mo'e into the ado(tion (hase! they
+egin to show more concern a+out how technology can +e
integrated into daily lesson (lans& Traditional whole*grou(
classrooms and seating arrangements still dominate
instructional strategies& .e'ertheless! technology is now +eing
used to teach children how to use technology& )ommon
acti'ities include %ey+oarding! word*(rocessing! or drill*and*
(ractice acti'ities& Teachers +egin to antici(ate (ro+lems and
de'elo( strategies to sol'e them& =lthough technical issues still
e<ist! at this stage the teachers +egin to (erform +asic trou+le*
shooting on their own on their e8ui(ment such as fi<ing (a(er
4ams or changing the in% cartridge in the (rinter (0andholtz et
al&! 199>)&
#) .e<t! adaptation to and integration of new technologies into
traditional classroom (ractice occur& essons! seating
arrangements! and recitation continue to dominate classroom
(ractice? howe'er! during #0@ to A0@ of the school day!
students use word (rocessors! data+ases and com(uter*
assisted*instruction (ac%ages (0andholtz et al&! 199>)&
Producti'ity is a ma4or theme& 0tudents (roduce faster& It is at
this stage that teachers ha'e learned to use com(uters to sa'e
time rather than create additional demands&
A) Appropriation& This stage is more of a milestone than a (hase&
Personal a((ro(riation of the technology tools +y indi'idual
students and teachers is the catalyst to this change in
technology use& TeachersB (ersonal attitudes toward technology
+ecome the +enchmar% for this milestone in instructional
e'olution& Teachers understand technologyBs usefulness! and
they a((ly it effortlessly as a tool to accom(lish real wor%& 5ore
interactions +etween students are o+ser'ed! and students wor%
with com(uters fre8uently& There is e'idence of (ro4ect*+ased
instruction! colla+oration and co*o(eration! and creati'e
schedules& =t this milestone! teachers should encourage routine
(eer o+ser'ations and grou( discussions +esides discussing
alternati'e assessments&
C) Invention& Teachers e<(eriment with new instructional (atterns
and ways of relating to students and other teachers& They reflect
on teaching and 8uestion old (atterns of instruction& Teachers
+egin to see %nowledge as something children must construct
rather than something to +e transferred& Interdisci(linary (ro4ect*
+ased instruction! team teaching! and indi'idually (aced
instruction are hallmar%s of this (hase& )lassroom interactions
change& 0tudent e<(erts surface to assist their (eers and
teachers with technology& 2urthermore! students wor% together
in more colla+orati'e ways&
It is clear to see how much our /0 classrooms can +enefit from the fi'e ste(s
a+o'e& It is sure that when these ste(s are followed! a more conduci'e and
en4oya+le learning en'ironment utilizing I)T as a teaching*learning tool is
achie'ed&
0o why then! is the integration of I)T in the /0 classroom such an
im(erati'e9 3e((! 3inostroza! a'al and :eh+ein ("00A) in $o% ("008) state the
reasons +elow;
A new society requires new skills: Due to the fact that I)Ts are the
(reeminent tools for information (rocessing! new generations need to
+ecome com(etent in their use! should ac8uire the necessary s%ills! and
therefore must ha'e access to com(uters and networ%s during their
school life&
Productivity enhancement: 0chools are %nowledge*handling institutions?
therefore! I)Ts should +e fundamental management tools on all le'els of
an educational system! from classrooms to ministries&
A quest for quality learning: 0chools should (rofoundly re'ise (resent
teaching (ractices and resources to create more effecti'e learning
en'ironments and im(ro'e life*long learning s%ills and ha+its in their
students&
Definitely! with the a+o'e ste(s to accom(lish a conduci'e classroom with
integrated I)Ts! as well as the concrete reasons as to why and how much of an
im(ortance of its im(lementation! we can only rea( in its +enefits towards the
students and teachers of /0& Pa(ert (199>) in $o% ("008) identified se'en
effects I)T in the classroom had on students;
enhanced moti'ation and creati'ity when confronted +y the new
learning en'ironments
a greater dis(osition to research and (ro+lem*sol'ing focused on
real social situations
more com(rehensi'e assimilation of %nowledge in the
interdisci(linary I)T en'ironment
systematic encouragement of colla+orati'e wor% +etween
indi'iduals and grou(s
a+ility to generate %nowledge
ca(acity to co(e with ra(idly changing! com(le<! and uncertain
en'ironments! and!
new s%ills and a+ilities fostered through technological literacy&
2urthermore! $ozma and =nderson ("00") added to this claim +y
concurring that ICTs are transforming schools and classrooms by bringing in
new curricula based on real world problems, providing scaffolds and tools to
enhance learning, giving students and teachers more opportunities for feedback
and reflection, and building local and global communities that include students,
teachers, parents, practicing scientists, and other interested parties.
En the other hand! too much focus is a((lied on the students as well as
the tools in which o(timum I)T integration can +e achie'ed& ,e still need to thin%
a+out the teachers as they will +e the mediator that +ridges the %nowledge ga(
that consists of the s%ills and (edagogies of the su+4ect +etween the students
and the I)T tools used& =mran ("008) states that little attention is paid to the true
gatekeepers of ICT integration the teachers& This statement ma%es (erfect
sense +ecause they can turn the atmospheric barometer in their classes from
one that is welcoming and safe to one that is intimidating and unwelcoming & In
other words! they dictate the (ace of the classroom& =mran ("008) further states
that! it is a well!known fact that successful ICT integration is dependent very
much on the ones in charge of the classrooms. 3e shows further e<am(les that
concur with his theory? :o+lyer (199#)! a teachers vision of the use of
technology to improve the e"isting classroom practices will determine the e"tent
and effectiveness of ICT integration in the classroom. ,e can ela+orate further
+y saying that constructi'e educational I)T (ro4ects will +e marred without the
in(ut and recognition of teachers&
Teachers who ha'e +een ser'ing for many years need constant
(ersuasion and assurance a+out using I)T in the classroom& =mran ("008)
e<(lains that this is due to the adage! If it aint broke, dont fi" it referring to tried
and tested teaching*learning methods& These teachers reason that there should
+e no sense in changing the way they teach or the teaching aids used in their
classes +ecause their methods ha'e +een successful so far& ,hy resort to a
different a((roach which lowers students achie'ements than stic% to old methods
that wor%9 It is not to say that teachers are 'ery negati'e and closed to change of
times howe'er! all they need is a little (ush as they ha'e seen teaching trends
that come and go and +e forgotten& The word here is convince& ,e need to
con'ince them that I)T is here to stay! thus it is all the more im(ortant for them to
gear their students using these tools to (re(are for the future&
:eferences
1& ='gerou! )& (1990)& F)om(uter*1ased Information 0ystems and the
5odernisation of Pu+lic =dministration in De'elo(ing )ountriesF in 0&
1hatnagar! 14orn*=ndersen! .& GInformation 0ystems for De'elo(mentH
(ondon! 2almer) ((& >0*8C&
"& 1racey! 1& ("00C) GI)T; = Powerful .ew Tool to Teach iteracyH& In 1racey! 1&!
)ul'er! T&! /d&F3arnessing The Potential of I)T for /ducation* =
5ultista%eholder =((roachF Inited .ations I)T Tas% 2orce& :etrie'ed from;
htt(;JJwww&digitaldi'ide&netJcommJdocsJ'iew&(h(9DocIDK199
#& )om(aine! 1& 5& ("001) GThe Digital Di'ide; 2acing = )risis or )reating a
5yth9H(1oston! 5IT Ini'ersity Press)
A& /zer! -& 2& ("00C) FInter(lay of Institutional 2orces +ehind 3igher I)T
/ducation in IndiaF& De(artment of Information 0ystems& ondon! ondon
0chool of /conomics and Political 0cience
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