Well, its almost the end of the course, albeit we still have a major assignment to complete. But I don't see it as the end, but the beginning of many more days of experimentation and learning to use more ICT in the language classroom. It had been a very enlightening journey for me, taking this module. It has been a paradigm shift for me, from assuming that using ICT merely refers to the use of IT to enhance my lessons presentations; I now know that ICT represents the nature of instructional relationships that is mediated by digital technology. Language acquisition has moved from being drill and practices to that of authentic discourse in the real world.
There is so much more to be done now that I am aware of the resources that are out there and from the knowledge I had garnered from the course. First and foremost, the Administrator and Management of my private preschool have to be shown and convinced of the advantages and feasibility of using ICT in the classroom setting. Budgets need to be reviewed to include more hardware, as well as teachers' training. One of our selling points of being a better preschool than the rest, would be little graduates who are confident in the use of ICT as they do their learning. Imagine our framework for development is to support learning in early childhood through information and communications technologies! I don't think many preschools in Singapore can use that as a selling point!
I can go and have a discussion with the IT head at Headquarters, but I think I should encourage him instead to get enrolled in this course to get the full meaning and understand the extent of what it means to use ICT in the classroom!
Its the beginning of many more exciting learning journies with the students, as we navigate out from the 4 walls of our classroom to access a vast array of information through communication technology.
