ICT in Primary Education Classrooms: Benefits and Disadvantages
Author: Adrián Nieto Muñoz @superprofeadri | Primary School Teacher, specialist in Latin American and Caribbean languages, Master's in ICT and Digital Learning, and tutor for 4th, 5th, and 6th grades.
We are at a time when technology occupies an important place in our society, and considering that the purpose of school is to prepare students for inclusion within it, we cannot ignore the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in our classrooms.
Now, it's true that we're often reluctant to integrate these new tools into our classrooms because, although they have many benefits, they also have some drawbacks. That's why today I want to show you some of the advantages and disadvantages of using them in the classroom.
Starting with the advantages, we'll say that they are very motivating for students, while also predisposing them to learn. For example, when I suggest using the convertible mini laptops in class, they love it, even if it's just to look up the RAE dictionary online.
On the other hand, ICTs allow us to bring realities into the classroom that we wouldn't be able to access without their help. In other words, we have numerous tools and YouTube channels that allow us to watch videos about the desert, the human body, and so on, which will make our explanations more enriching.
Another advantage of using these tools is that they allow us to access knowledge through different dimensions, and now that we have Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in mind, they help us apply them since we can present learning through images, sounds, videos... which will help focus attention on the students.
students with learning needs.
But the use of ICT in the classroom not only has benefits, but whenever they are not used properly, we can enter into a large number of disadvantages, among which I would like to highlight:
Time wasting or distraction: sometimes children spend their time using ICTs "without meaning" and all they are doing is wasting time and getting distracted. This is sometimes difficult to control, but it could be solved through a "class mode" lock, like the one found on some SaveFamily devices, such as their watch, which prevents children from being distracted by them.
Finally, the use of ICT can lead to students having access to information that is incomplete or not entirely accurate. Therefore, we as teachers must teach them to search for information using a variety of sources and always on reliable websites.
I hope this has encouraged you to use ICT in the classroom and learn more about it!
We are at a time when technology occupies an important place in our society, and considering that the purpose of school is to prepare students for inclusion within it, we cannot ignore the use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) in our classrooms.
Now, it's true that we're often reluctant to integrate these new tools into our classrooms because, although they have many benefits, they also have some drawbacks. That's why today I want to show you some of the advantages and disadvantages of using them in the classroom.
Starting with the advantages, we'll say that they are very motivating for students, while also predisposing them to learn. For example, when I suggest using the convertible mini laptops in class, they love it, even if it's just to look up the RAE dictionary online.
On the other hand, ICTs allow us to bring realities into the classroom that we wouldn't be able to access without their help. In other words, we have numerous tools and YouTube channels that allow us to watch videos about the desert, the human body, and so on, which will make our explanations more enriching.
Another advantage of using these tools is that they allow us to access knowledge through different dimensions, and now that we have Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in mind, they help us apply them since we can present learning through images, sounds, videos... which will help focus attention on the students.
students with learning needs.
But the use of ICT in the classroom not only has benefits, but whenever they are not used properly, we can enter into a large number of disadvantages, among which I would like to highlight:
Time wasting or distraction: sometimes children spend their time using ICTs "without meaning" and all they are doing is wasting time and getting distracted. This is sometimes difficult to control, but it could be solved through a "class mode" lock, like the one found on some SaveFamily devices, such as their watch, which prevents children from being distracted by them.
Finally, the use of ICT can lead to students having access to information that is incomplete or not entirely accurate. Therefore, we as teachers must teach them to search for information using a variety of sources and always on reliable websites.
I hope this has encouraged you to use ICT in the classroom and learn more about it!