Current Direction of Icts in Education

The Importance of ICTs in Queensland Education

The modern generation schoolchildren are growing up in an environment where information and communication technologies are encompassing almost all area of there lives. It is the responsibility of Queensland Education to prepare students with the skills and knowledge they will need to take control of their digital futures (Education Queensland, 2003). Therefore, it is of upmost importance for teachers to integrate ICTs into the curriculum. This essay will discuss the great benefits ICTs have on child learning and also explore the current direction in which teachers can integrate ICTs into the classroom.

Using ICTs in education develops the needed skills a child needs to use computers and other technologies; however, ICTs provide a teaching strategy that engages the learner. Roblyer (2004) states that using ICTs can create an exciting way to present information to students and due to the fact that ICTs engages the learner it allows the student to learn more.

Another great positive of using ICTs in primary schooling is that it addresses the fact that each student has different learning abilities. Gardner (1989) calls this Ð''Multiply Intelligences.' Using ICTs allows students to excel in their area of Ð''intelligence', for example a child who has spatial intelligence but has difficulty in written expression can show their learning process through sound and pictures (Roblyer, 2004). The use of ICTs is also beneficial to a child's learning because it covers the four fundamental teaching areas.

Ð'* Active engagement

Ð'* Group

Ð'* Interaction

Ð'* Connection with the real world

As mentioned earlier ICTs engage the learner, however, they can also involve extensive group work and interaction with both students and ICT equipment. ICTs play a central use in society; therefore, they give children a Ð''real world' connection. This also givers students purpose in learner because they are using technologies that they will need to deal with on a day to day basis. Incorporated internet use into learning also allows students to connect with vast qualities of information and allows the learner to create learning