Many teachers still unable to use technology in education

Abu Dhabi: The burden of using technology to aid and enhance learning lies with teachers, but many educators in the country are still unable to employ digital tools effectively, a top education official said in the capital on Wednesday.

“In the UAE, we are blessed with easy access to technology and an abundance of smart devices. But a smart classroom has to be driven by smart teachers,” said Dr Ali Al Nuaimi, director-general at the emirate of Abu Dhabi’s education sector regulator, the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec).

“Teachers need to understand that there is a generation gap. Today’s children know and understand advanced technology better than they do. So it is up to educators to catch up with them, and then use these smart devices to make learning enjoyable and engaging,” he said.

Dr Al Nuaimi was speaking at the British Education Training and Technology Middle East, a two-day exhibition and workshop series that kicked off in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday. Delegates at the event showcased the newest tools for educators while also discussing how to transform education to meet future challenges.

Addressing attendees at the congress opening, Dr Al Nuaimi stressed that it is not enough for today’s teachers to simply translate learning content into read-only files and worksheets for their pupils.

“Some institutions deliver content to pupils using tablets and pages, but such technology use is not worthwhile because it does not engage children. Our educators need to make learning so much fun through smart devices that children simply want more, just as they wait for the arrival of the next smartphone,” he explained.

The director-general stressed that the UAE aims to become a top knowledge-based economy, and that it is the education sector that will provide the basis for the transformation.

“Graduates are the ‘output’ of education, but they are the ‘inputs’ for all other sector of the economy. So we must work to use technology in education in such a way that it produces smart, innovative graduates and future leaders,” he said.

Meanwhile, the UAE’s Mohammad Bin Rashid Smart Learning Programme, an initiative that is deploying smart devices across public school classrooms in Dubai and the northern emirates, on Wednesday launched a model to help schools assess their level of technology engagement and use.

Mohammad Gheyath, director-general at the programme, said that teachers do feel that using technology in education creates a bigger workload for them.

“But all our teachers also acknowledge the effectiveness of using smart tools. And we want them to understand that such technology integration is inevitable. At the same time, we offer professional development to help them in their efforts,” Gheyath said.

Officials at the Bett Middle East also announced that the UAE will be a founding member of a global education think tank being convened by technology giant Microsoft, the Leading Countries of the World in Transforming Education. Argentina and Finland, which also have innovative education practices, will be the other founding countries.