You are on page 1of 2

It is my belief that central to the valuable achievement of students in the

academic sphere, engagement and motivation with the content being


presented and the use of ICT can assist with this. Chigona, Chigona and
Davids (2014) support this belief, when they indicated that the use of
technology in within the learning experience can enrich the curriculum, but

in order to do so needs to be embedded into pedagogical practices. As


cited by Bhaumik (2012), Nicholson et al. (2008) has suggested that:
[that] presenting information in a more vivid or more interactive
learning environment will significantly increase satisfaction with the
learning environment as well as interest in the topic.

This excerpt of an essay written as


part of a university course clearly
outlines my understanding of the use
of ICT in the classroom in order to
engage students in their learning.
The elements present in this essay
are:
A) Understanding how to imbed
ICT into the curriculum
B) Importance of experiential
learning in engaging students
C) Links to New South Wales
Board of Studies syllabus

It is important to note that this integration of ICT into teaching strategies


is mentioned in the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers, as a requirement for teachers to be able to
accomplish (ATSIL, 2014). Todays society is developing new technologies at an increasing rate, for this reason
I see it as essential for students to be able to learn about how to use technology appropriately. Therefore, the
integration of ICT in the classroom will allow for students to learn through experiential learning. David Kolb
explains that students work best when learning through experiences as introduced this philosophy of learning
(Bochner et al., 2013). Bochner et al (2013) notes this important for students to have the ability to work

through experiences and social interactions. This coincides with the NSW BOSTES standards view this
knowledge as an opportunity for students to become productive, creative, competent, discriminating and

ethical users of ICT (NSW BOS, 2012). By considering the use of differentiation, through the use of ICT,
both schools and students can ensure that they have created learning areas that are interesting to the students
while also being engaging (NSW BOS, 2012).
In conclusion, it is my belief that there are certain philosophies that during my teaching I will aspire to
incorporate into the classroom because I can understand the benefit in their use. For this reason, ensuring that
students are able to be motivated and engaged within the classroom environment is important as it will assist
students in being able to achieve their personal learning goals. However, this cannot be achieved if several
factors have not been considered, these include, but are not limited to; pretesting, having a knowledge about
the students and their abilities while creating a professional relationship with them. This will also allow for the
use of differentiation in the classroom that can contribute to the students and their learning. Additionally, the
concept of motivation and engagement can be achieved through an effective classroom layout and structure
that can provide students with the opportunity to engage with both the content and their peers in a controlled
environment. While the integration of ICT into pedagogical practices incorporated in the classroom will allow
for a well-rounded education that will assist the students in creating skills and experiences needed for the
future.

You might also like