Importance of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Schools
Information and communication technology (ICT) is an elaborated term for information technology. ICT stresses the role of computers, internet, mobile devices and other forms of information and communication technologies in our daily lives.
Information and communication technology has impacted almost all of the industries including education, military, business and more. Education industry is one of the industries that has found the best use of information and communication technology. The use of the internet in countries like India has skyrocketed in the recent years, so it is no wonder that the use of internet and other technologies in educational institutions has increased at a rapid rate. Both the teachers and students are making heavy use of ICT in their day-to-day teaching and learning activities.
Information and communication technology can be used in schools in different ways. For teachers, to present, analyse and monitor knowledge. School administrators can use it for easy and effective school administrations by making use of software like school management systems.And finally, students can make use of ICT for learning content and improve digital literacy.
The introduction of ICT has changed the way of teaching. From blackboard and chalk to computers and digital projectors,information and communication technologies helped teachers to teach their students more efficiently. Their workloads also have reduced considerably. In order to use such technologies in schools, teachers have to be well trained and posseses sufficient expertise in ICT aided teaching. Governments are providing training classes for teachers to make them efficient for ICT aided classrooms. ICT makes the whole learning process in a collaborative and self paced way. ICT aided teaching and learning helps students become independent learners and thereby improving the whole standard of education.
ICT has played a huge role in school administration as well, it helped to replace the slow paper-based administrative activities with efficient and fast computer based administration. ICT software like School management systems helped to automate almost all the school activities including research,library,documentation etc. ICT tools played a big role in diminishing the burdens of school administrations and made school administration activities efficient.
ICTs importance also extends to student learning procedure. It facilitates students to develop higher order thinking skills by providing cognitive scaffolding for students as they make sense of the information gathered.Students in the current century looks their answers online instead of asking teachers, that makes the student to be independent, think constructively and research their own. The ICT skills help them secure a job easily in the current era. Information and communication technology enhanced overall quality of students and that gives a better tomorrow for the world
