Understanding ICT Integration

All of those involved with education in one way or the other have been talking about using ICT for education without giving a thought to the purpose behind doing it. The reason for doins so is clear to all, because others are doing it so we must also catch up with them.Without pondering over what we want to achieve through ICT , we have jumped to join the bandwagon. This senseless hurry to use ICT in education is not doing any good to the education system. Just about everybody has resorted to instaling computers, buying some CDs and then call it ICT integration. We really need to analyse whether bundling some hardware and some software leads to the integration. We are not sure why we want to use ICT- whether for imparting ICT literacy knowleged or for imparting ICT facilitated literacy/education. The issues are enormous and i am just highlighting a few of those

• Who is out target audience- students, teachers or both ?
• What should we teach- I.T. or I.T. facilitated/enabled ?
• What should be the ICT curriculum be like ?

I have just touched the tip of the iceberg and know for sure that if we open the Pandora Box, it would be total chaos and confusion. I think its time that we sit and ponder to use ICT more judiciously in oue education.

Narinder