Benefits of ICT

ICT in the classroom has many benefits. It can benefit schools, classroom teacher, and the students and parents. Below is an outline of the positives aspects of ICT for each stakeholder.

General benefits

·      Greater efficiency throughout the school.

·      Communication channels are increased through email, discussion groups and chat rooms

·      Regular use of ICT across different curriculum subjects can have a motivational influence on students’ learning.

Benefits for schools:

·      Websites can keep the larger community updated

·      Application for the school. Some schools have created apps to keep parents in the loop, it notifies parents of important information such as events happening, important forms that are due and general school information. They can tell the school through the app that there child will be absent and download important forms.

Benefits for teachers

·      ICT facilitates can assist with sharing of resources

·      Teachers can seek professional readings

·      It allows for greater flexibility where tasks can be carried out

·      Gains in ICT literacy skills, confidence and enthusiasm

·      It can make for easier planning and preparation of lessons.

·      Access to up-to-date pupil and school data, any time and anywhere

·      Students are generally more engaged and express more positive feelings when they use computers than when they are given other tasks to do

·      Computer use during lessons motivated students to continue using learning outside school hours

(Mohanty, 2011)

Benefits for students

·      High quality lessons through greater opportunities to collaborate

·      Teaching can be more focused and tailored to students’ strengths and weaknesses, through better analysis of attainment assessment data

·      Improved administration and behavior management through better tracking of students

·      Gain in understanding and analytical skills, including improvements in reading

·      Encouragement of independent and active learning, and self-responsibility for learning.

·      Flexibility of ‘anytime, anywhere’ access (Jacobsen and Kremer ,2000)

·      Students who used educational technology in school felt more successful in school, were more motivated to learn and have increased self- confidence and self-esteem

·      Students for learning in a technology-enhanced setting are more stimulating and student-centred than in a traditional classroom

·      Opportunities to address their work to an external audience

·      Opportunities to collaborate on assignments with people outside or inside school

(Mohanty, 2011)

Benefits for parents

·      Easier communication with teachers

·      Higher quality student reports – more legible, more detailed, better presented

·      Greater access to more accurate attendance and attainment information

·      Increased involvement in education for parents and, in some cases, improved self-esteem

·      Increased knowledge of children’s learning and capabilities, owing to increase in learning activity being situated in the home

·      Parents are more likely to be engaged in the school community

·      You will see that ICT can have a positive impact across a very wide range of aspects of school life. (Mohanty, 2011)

ICT is not only great for your students, but it can make your life so much easier. Sure, there will be a time that you my struggle while you’re learning, but it’s worth it.