News / National
'Teachers' failure to embrace ICT skills stifling pupils' creativity'
19 Oct 2018 at 06:31hrs | Views
GOVERNMENT has said failure by some teachers to embrace ICTs is stifling pupils' creativity.
Addressing educationists and other guests at the commissioning of smart class equipment and an Early Childhood Development block at Mpumelelo Primary School in Mpopoma suburb yesterday, outgoing Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango said teachers should embrace new technologies.
She handed over 46 Lenovo laptops sourced from FBC bank to the school for winning the 2016 Permanent Secretary's Award.
Dr Utete Masango handed the same equipment to Montrose High School which also won the same award in the high schools' category in the same year.
She said schools now have a challenge to buy laptops for all their teachers as it would be improper for them to be sharing the devices.
Dr Utete Masango said teachers should drive education transformation instead of resisting change.
"Teachers are the crucial cog in implementing change. Chomsky says if you are teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are so you can introspect and find out where you belong," she said.
Dr Utete-Masango said while teachers are shy to embrace ICTs, learners are keen to use those devices. She said teachers' failure to appreciate ICTs was stifling pupils' creativity.
"ICTs have already been accepted by these little ones who are appropriating these ICT tools. The generation of the 21 Century is known as the digital natives as opposed to us who are known as the digital immigrants. This generation is growing up surrounded by video games, mobile phones and other digital devices so you will find that they are way ahead of us," said Dr Utete-Masango.
She said after FBC provided the laptops, TelOne partnered the Ministry to teach teachers how to use the devices.
Addressing educationists and other guests at the commissioning of smart class equipment and an Early Childhood Development block at Mpumelelo Primary School in Mpopoma suburb yesterday, outgoing Primary and Secondary Education Permanent Secretary Dr Sylvia Utete-Masango said teachers should embrace new technologies.
She handed over 46 Lenovo laptops sourced from FBC bank to the school for winning the 2016 Permanent Secretary's Award.
Dr Utete Masango handed the same equipment to Montrose High School which also won the same award in the high schools' category in the same year.
She said schools now have a challenge to buy laptops for all their teachers as it would be improper for them to be sharing the devices.
Dr Utete Masango said teachers should drive education transformation instead of resisting change.
"Teachers are the crucial cog in implementing change. Chomsky says if you are teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are so you can introspect and find out where you belong," she said.
Dr Utete-Masango said while teachers are shy to embrace ICTs, learners are keen to use those devices. She said teachers' failure to appreciate ICTs was stifling pupils' creativity.
"ICTs have already been accepted by these little ones who are appropriating these ICT tools. The generation of the 21 Century is known as the digital natives as opposed to us who are known as the digital immigrants. This generation is growing up surrounded by video games, mobile phones and other digital devices so you will find that they are way ahead of us," said Dr Utete-Masango.
She said after FBC provided the laptops, TelOne partnered the Ministry to teach teachers how to use the devices.
Source - chronicle
