ROLE OF ICT IN 21st CENTURY's TEACHER EDUCATION
ICT is a scientific, technological and engineering discipline and management
technique used in handling information, its application and association with social, economic and cultural matters (UNESCO, 2002). ICT stands for Information and Communication Technologies. ICT is a part of our lives for the last few decades affecting our society as well as individual life. ICT which is now broadly used in educational world. Teacher, Student, administrator and every people related to education are popularly used ICT. Teacher use ICT for making teaching learning process easy and interesting. A competent teacher has several skills and techniques for providing successful teaching. So development and increase of skills and competencies of teacher required knowledge of ICT and Science & Technology. In modern science and technological societies education demands more knowledge of teacher regarding ICT and skills to use ICT in teaching –learning process. The knowledge of ICT also required for pre-service teacher during their training programme, because this integrated technological knowledge helps a
prospective teacher to know the world of technology in a better way by which it can be applied in future for the betterment of the students. Now – a- days ICT‟s are transforming schools and classrooms a new look by bringing in new curriculum based on real world problems, projects, providing tools for enhancing learning, providing teachers and students more facilities and opportunities for feedback. ICT also helps teachers, students and parents to come together. Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) helps
students as well as teachers to use more technology for making teaching learning more attractive for the betterment of our future generation. Teachers must know the use of ICT in their subject areas to help the learners for learning more
effectively.So, the knowledge of ICT is very much essential for the both prospective teachers as well as in-service teachers also. This will help teachers to know integrated technology with classroom teaching.
Why do we use ICT in teacher Education?
The classroom is now changing its look from the traditional one i. e. from one way to two way communication. Now teachers as well as students participate in classroom discussion. Now Education is based on child centric education. Soy the teacher should prepare to cope up with different technology for using them in the classroom for making teaching learning interested. For effective implementation of certain student-centric methodologies such as project-based learning which puts the students in the role of active researches and technology becomes the appropriate tool. ICT has enabled better and swifter communication; presentation of ideas more effective and relevant way. It is an effective tool for information acquiring-thus students are encouraged to look for information from multiple sources and they are now more informed then before. So for this reason ICT is very much necessary for Teacher Education.
Recent Trends in Teacher Education
Based on various changing needs of our society now emphasis is also given to the
various educational theory and educational practices. According to these theories and practices changes are also undergo in teacher education also. It is natural that teacher education must include new technology. Teachers should also know the right attitudes and values, besides being proficient in skills related to teaching. As we know the minimum requirement of any training programme is that it should help the trainee to acquire the basic skills and competencies of a good teacher. Now-a-days new trends
in teacher education are Inter-disciplinary Approach, Correspondence courses,
orientation courses etc. Simulated Teaching, Micro Teaching, Programmed
Instruction, Team Teaching are also used in teacher education. Now-a-day Action
Research also implemented in Teacher Education. ICT acts as the gateway to the
world of information and helps teachers to be updated. It creates awareness of
innovative trends in instructional methodologies, evaluation mechanism etc. for professional development.
Different Strategies for applying ICT in Teacher Education
i) Providing adequate infrastructure and technical support.
ii) Applying ICT in all subjects.
iii) Applying new Pre-service teacher Education curriculum.
iv) By using application software, using multimedia, Internet e-mail,
communities, understanding system software.
Role of ICT in 21st Century’s Teacher Education
* ICT helps teachers in both pre-service and in-Service teachers training.
* ICT helps teachers to interact with students.
* It helps them in preparation their teaching, provide feedback.
* ICT also helps teachers to access with institutions and Universities, NCERT,
NAAC NCTE and UGC etc.
* It also helps in effective use of ICT software and hardware for teaching –
learning process.
* It helps in improve Teaching skill, helps in innovative Teaching.
It helps in effectiveness of classroom.
* It also helps in improving professional Development and Educational
management as well as enhances Active Learning of teacher Trainees.
* It is now replacing the ancient technology. As we know now-a day‟s students are always have competitive mind. So teacher must have the knowledge of the subject. This can be done through ICT.
* ICT helps teachers in preparation for teaching. In order to introduce ICT in
pre-service teacher education different methods and strategies are applied.
Different tools are used such as word processing, Database, Spreadsheet etc.
Various technology based plans are used to help the teachers for their practice
teaching.
* ICT prepares teacher for the use of their skills in the real classroom situation
and also make students for their future occupation and social life.
ICT used as an „assisting tool‟ for example while making assignments,
communicating, collecting data & documentation, and conducting research.
Typically, ICT is used independently from the subject matter.
* ICT as a medium for teaching and learning. It is a tool for teaching and
learning itself, the medium through which teachers can teach and learners can
learn. It appears in many different forms, such as drill and practice exercises,
in simulations and educational networks.
ICT as a popular tool for organisation and management in Institutions.
* Teachers must provide technological support to learn using motion picture,
animation, simulation training which helped student teachers to give model
presentation. If the teacher is highly equipped with technology, the student
will also be equipped with technology.
* It removes the traditional method of teaching and prepare teacher to apply
modern method of teaching.
* ICT is plays an important role in student evaluation.
* ICT is store house of educational institution because all educational
information can safely store through ICT.
* ICT helps Teacher to communicate properly with their students. So ICT bridge
the gap between teacher and students.
* ICT helps Teacher to pass information to students within a very little time.
* ICT helps Teacher to design educational environment.
* ICT helps Teacher to identify creative child in educational institute.
* ICT helps Teacher to motivate students and growing interest in learning.
* ICT helps Teacher for organizational preconditions (vision, policy and
culture).
* It is also helps Teacher for their personnel support (knowledge, attitude,
skills).
* ICT helpful for technical preconditions (infrastructure).
ICT helpful for designed learning situations which are needed for both
vocational education and the training of future teachers (in the teacher training
institutes).
* Teacher training institutes can develop their curriculum using ICT.
With the help of ICT Teacher training institutes can develop communication
network.
* Teachers learn most from their own networks (learning from others) with the
help of ICT.
Teaching occupies an honorable position in the society. ICT helps the teacher to
update the new knowledge, skills to use the new digital tools and resources. By using and acquire the knowledge of ICT, student teacher will become effective teachers. ICT is one of the major factors for producing the rapid changes in our society. It can change the nature of education and roles of students and teacher in teaching learning
process. Teachers in India now started using technology in the class room. Laptops, LCD projector, Desktop, EDUCOM, Smart classes, Memory sticks are becoming the common media for teacher education institutions. So we should use information & communication Technology in Teacher Education in 21st Century as because now teachers only can create a bright future for students.