Luiz Rose explains what schools and teachers should be thinking about when considering new technology for the ELT classroom.
It may sound like a cliche but technology is here to stay so we can either try to resist it or embrace it. In ELT, a lot has happened in recent years and we have seen many new technologies emerging. To name just a few, classroom presentation software, interactive ebooks and interactive platforms. The list goes on.
But, the question over whether we should embrace these new technologies still remains. If we adopt a new technology too soon we may risk adopting something that has not been thoroughly tested yet and may be discarded later. If we take too long to adopt a new technology we risk becoming outdated.
For example, I remember when publishers started replacing the old audio tapes for the new audio CDs. Some schools resisted adopting the new media but eventually had to give in because they could no longer find audio tapes. On the other hand, schools that made the switch to the new media more quickly had no problems when the publishers stopped manufacturing old tapes.
However, more recently schools had to decide whether to use iPads with their students and then had problems finding that some of the software was not available yet. We also saw a similar trend with interactive whiteboards, which were a must-have a few years ago. Some schools spent thousands of dollars purchasing a whiteboard and now many schools are recognizing that they do not need one – that they can do almost anything with just a projector or a large TV and presentation software.
We may now see another big switch from printed workbooks to new online workbooks. Some schools have already changed to the new format but others are reluctant to do so. I predict that in a few years publishers will not publish printed workbooks anymore. So, why wait?
Questions to consider before adopting new technologies
I believe that there are several questions we should ask ourselves before adopting new technologies:
- Will this technology bring benefits to my students and teachers?
- Is the change going be easy or hard to implement?
- Will my teachers need to be trained? If so, who will train them and when?
- How will I evaluate the benefits of this new technology?
- What is the cost?
If you do decide to adopt a new technology in your school it is always a good idea to try to convince your teachers and students that this is in their best interests. When schools decide to adopt something without telling teachers and students first, they may encounter much more resistance. Adopting a new technology is never a pain free process. It involves changes and sometimes problems that have to be dealt with. However, the benefits in the long run usually make up for these drawbacks.
Top tips to teachers and schools when adopting new technology
Here are some tips for teachers and schools:
- Never be afraid to try a new technology in education. You won’t be able to evaluate it if you don’t try it yourself.
- Check whether other teachers or schools have adopted this new technology and try to get feedback.
- Conduct informal research among your students to see what they think about the new technology.
- You may want to pilot a new technology first with a small group of students to see if it works before adopting it with all your students.
Discover more great tips for using tools and technologies in the classroom.