УДК 13.00.08
Rakhimbayeva A.A.
Tashkent Regional Chirchik State Pedagogical Institute
USAGE OF IT TOOLS AS A FACTOR OF INTEGRATION METHOD OF
TEACHING FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Annotation: Information and communication technologies (ICT) have become commonplace entities in all aspects of life. Across the past twenty years the use of ICT has fundamentally changed the practices and procedures of nearly all forms of endeavour within business and governance. Education is a very socially oriented activity and quality education has traditionally been associated with strong teachers having high degrees of personal contact with learners. The use of ICT in education lends itself to more student-centred learning settings. But with the world moving rapidly into digital media and information, the role of ICT in education is becoming more and more important and this importance will continue to grow and develop in the 21st century. In this paper, a literature review regarding the use of ICTs in education was provided. Effective use of ICTfor Education, along with ICT use in the teaching learning process; quality and accessibility of education; learning motivation. Learning environment. Besides, an overview of the ICT and scholastic performance.
Key words: ICT integration, Education, Teaching and learning process, computing.
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) have become the most basic building block of modern industrial society in a very short time. Mastering information technology and understanding basic skills and concepts of ICT are now highly regarded by many countries. ICT has been increasing at an amazing rate in instruction among teachers.
The need for development of ICTs is a global resolution and has been a subject of great significance to all humankind [6]. These technologies have become central to contemporary societies. Whether one is talking on the phone, sending an email, going to the bank, using a library, listening to sports coverage on the radio, watching the news on television, working in an office or in the field, going to the doctor, driving a car or catching a plane, one is using ICTs. Information and communications technology is a shorthand for the computers, software, networks, satellite links and related systems that allow people to access, analyze, create, exchange and use data, information and knowledge in ways that were almost imaginable. The prevalence and rapid development of ICTs has transformed human society from the information technology age to the knowledge. Kitschner and Davis [4]identified the following competence required by lecturers in ICT utilization in instruction in education. These include: competence to make personal use of ICT in instruction, competence to master a range of educational paradigms that make use of ICT in instruction, sufficient competence to make use of ICTs as mind tools, competence to make use of ICT in instruction as a tool for teaching, competence in mastering a range of
assessment paradigms which make use of ICT in instruction, competence in understanding the policy dimensions of ICT use in instruction for teaching and learning. The ICTs have the potentials not only in ensuring effectiveness and efficiency in these two areas of teaching and learning; but also in erasing the administrative duties. According to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development [7] and Gbenga [1], ICT can work in a number of general ways as follows:
• It can be used to train students in skills which they will need in further education and as an ongoing learning process throughout the rest of their lives and for their future jobs, e.g., wording processing, email communication etc.
• It can provide access to information and communication outside the classroom e.g., via the internet.
• It can be used to support teacher development via external networks.
• It can support and potentially transform the learning and teaching process.
Jones and Preece [3] reported that both students and teachers need to learn to
trust the technology for technological performance as well as enhance the uptake and reduce resistance to technology. Teachers need to be confident and competent in using various ICT tools to build their trust in the technology. Without teachers' competency and mastery skills of ICT integration which is appropriate to their needs, ICT could not be put into good use for instructional delivery. In this regard, teachers should have a range of different technical and communication skills which include using chat rooms, word processing skills, web page authoring and using various kinds of ICT tools such as File Transfer Protocol (FTP), compress and decompress of files, e.g., Win zip and so forth. As Grabe and Grabe [2]suggested, before attempting to answer this question one must point out that in the current information society a country could choose to be an e-tiger (a country determined to take radical policy decisions to be a front runner), e-floater (a country trying to keep pace with the most dynamic countries), e-follower (a country that makes the best use of what reaches it in due course), or e-skeptic (a country which does not believe in the transformation and development potential of ICT and does not take any active step). So only the first two can stay networked. The best will receive residual e-fallout (willing in the case of e-follower and unwilling in the case of e-skeptic). Kozma and Anderson [5] claim that ICTs are transforming schools and classrooms by bringing in new curricula based on real world problems, providing scaffolds and 17 tools to enhance learning, giving students and teachers more opportunities for feedback and reflection, and building local and global communities that include students, teachers, parents, practicing scientists, and other interested parties. Similarly, the roles ICTs play in the educational system can be pedagogical, cultural, social, professional and administrative.
Nevertheless, teachers are one of the important factors in students' high achievement. The teachers' beliefs will influence them to integrate ICT in their teaching practice. As found in this study, the knowledge and skills about ICT that teachers are equipped with will encourage teachers to integrate ICT into the teaching and learning process that will increase student learning outcomes.
Besides ICT skill and knowledge, the teachers' attitudes are also another key factor that plays a role in ICT integration in education. Many studies have found that the teachers' attitude toward ICT will affect ICT integration for teaching and learning purposes. Teachers' attitudes and skills will influence their perception on education and will determine their teaching style.
Professional training and development refers to many types of educational experiences to learn and apply new knowledge and skills that will improve teacher performance on the job related to the individual's work. No doubt training and professional development programs for teachers would allow them to have opportunities to learn more from time to time. Moreover, such programs will ensure teachers stay up-to-date on education information in certain research areas and the latest curriculum implemented and that teachers are engaging with new technology available and several resources that help to improve their teaching. The training provided by central office will provide a platform for teachers to upgrade their skills and knowledge, sharing knowledge with peers, and connecting to the latest changes in the education field.
Sources used:
1. Gbenga, A. (2006). Information and communication technology and web mining techniques. Paper presented at Education Trust Fund Capacity Building Workshop for Knowledge-driven Growth for Nigerian Universities North-central zone held at University of Ilorin.
2. Grabe, M., & Grabe, C. (2007). Integrating technology for meaningful learning (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
3. Jones, A., & Preece, J. (2006). Online communities for teachers and lifelong learners: A framework for comparing similarities and identifying differences in communities of practice and communities of interest. International Journal of Learning Technology, 2(2), 112-137.
4. Kitschner, P. & Davis, N (2003). Pedagogic benchmarks for information and communication technology in teacher education. Technology Pedagogy Educ, 1, 125147.
5. Kozma, R., & Anderson R. E. (2002). Qualitative case studies of innovative pedagogical practices using ICT. Journal of Computer Assisted Learning, 18, 387394.
6. Olaofe, I. A. (2005). Nigerian educational emancipation: roadmap from crisis to resurgence. Faculty of Education Seminar Series, No. 1. Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.
7. Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD). (2005). Annual Report Prepared by the Public Affairs Division, Public Affairs and Communications Directorate. Published under the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD.