TRENDS IN MATTERS EDUCATION

As we get to the last quarter of 2020, allow me share a little food for thought regarding STEM education transformation through the use of I.C.T .It is true and many of us understand that, the products and services of the future will depend on engineers, scientists, and technology experts creativity to invent them.This will only happen when all our learners will embrace and appreciate I.C.T and its integration especially in the STEM subjects. However, we may ask how I.C.T fits into this increasingly significant role of STEM education? Nowadays, teaching activities include Information and Communication Technology (I.C.T) in all of its aspects due to their implementation in everyday life. The integration of diverse digital tools into traditional educational process changes it and enables its transformation. The understanding of these digital tools is essential for their effectiveness in all school subjects but more so in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). S...

What is gamification? Gamification is defined as the practice of making activities more like games in order to make them more interesting and enjoyable. This would therefore means incorporating game elements, for instance, like point and reward systems as incentives for people to participate in an activity. Gamification therefore is the application of game design elements and principal s in non game contexts in order to encourage people to take part. Gamifying education content could also have a lot of benefits in the learning outcomes. And now teachers are starting to realize the advantages, too.  The benefits of gamification in education Below are some major benefits of using gamification in the teaching and learning process. 1. Gamification reduces learners’ fear of failure As much as failure  may be perceived as an integral part of learning,in the classroom it tends to be a source of diminished self esteem. The learner feels dejected and may end up with a wrong attitude ...

 Education Trends evident in 2020 and beyond Customized  Learning Experiences Improvement in education technology will make it easier for teachers to offer a broader variety of content. Students, who have become more devices -savvy than ever, will be able to explore education through the media  that resonate with them closely. This may be in many areas of learning,for example,problem-solving in a digital modern learning environment, finding  new ways to understand spelling through games, or carrying out an experiment in a virtual lab in the comfort of their houses/classrooms. This digital explosion of possibility  makes teachers  jobs easier and better. For instance, it will take less work to set learners on the right path during the teaching/learning process. This in turn helps teachers  to redeem time that  they  need to properly help learners on individualized levels especially if they experience certain learning challenges. Learner-Center...

Advantages of  ICT integration in the classroom Today’s learner is  more  likely to be already interested and engaged in using technology due to early exposure as compared to one of yester years. This presents many  opportunities for institutions and teachers to enhance the teaching and learning process through integrating some forms of technology in the classroom, making it  more effective and productive . Below are some of the top benefits of using ICT in the classroom. Improves learner engagement When technology is integrated into the learning process, learner's  interest is heightened and in turn their engagement in the subject matter is captured at a higher level hence improving expected outcomes .Integration of technology  during lessons offers varied opportunities  in making  learning more fun and enjoyable in terms of teaching same things in new ways. There is also is much fun when learners navigate the gadgets in carrying out specifi...

 Here is some food for thought concerning Online and Distant Learning in Kenya especially for primary and high schoolers. Here  are some of the uncleared questions about educational ICT interventions in  Kenyan context. 1.Should It be said that ICT is the solution,  then ,what is the problem? To start with, it is worth noting that teachers  use (or fail to use) ICT  during  the teaching process for various reasons . The intentions they have for using ICT in their work,  is that ICT will bring benefits of some kind, especially to the learning process and the expected outcomes. Therefore, while the country pushes  for various educational ICT programs  and projects, the real question is: what educational problems is ICT integration expected to solve? In other words, the use of ICT in the educational process ought to target specific objectives and outcomes. 2.What is our discourse about “using ICT in education”? Our discussions  about...

 Will the pandemic help to clarify ICT integration into education  in Kenya? To be part of the global efforts in curbing the spread of COVID-19, the Ministry of Education in kenya  closed all schools, colleges and universities from Monday, 23rd March 2020. As a result, this decision has put millions of children  youth  and adults out of school. Sometimes later, the Government was prompted to implement Radio and Television learning through the KICD package to ensure continued learning in the absence of schooling.On the other hand, some private schools started Online classes using some of the latest platforms in tech world e.g. Zoom,Google meet,Gooole classroom,Microsoft Teams as well as Streamyard.But unfortunately like i earlier stated ,these platforms,were in use by a small selected percentage . Going by history, Online and Distance Learning (ODL) is not a new phenomenon in the country, but COVID-19 has led to  a new high of its usage  by many learner...

There is a lot of information implying that, the learning crisis is, actually, a teaching crisis. For learners to learn, they need good teachers—but many governments and education systems don't focus on what teachers know, what they do in the classroom, and in some cases whether they even show up as would be required of them and if they did,do they actually have enough learner contact time? But all in all, in every country, there are dedicated and enthusiastic teachers who, despite all challenges, enrich and transform the learners lives. They are the heroes and heroines who defy the odds and make learning happen with passion, creativity and determination.In  my country Kenya ,for example,there are several such dedicated educators and the whole world is well aware of Teacher Tabichi. This is a teacher who wants to make sure that ALL children learn despite their background.Therefore given the essential role teachers play, addressing the learning crisis requires supporting them, who a...

In recent times more than any other time in history,it may be said without a doubt that the world is facing a learning crisis. As much as many countries have worked towards increased access to education, however,it may not escape the eye of a keen obsever that ,being in school isn’t the same thing as learning. Around the globe, many children grow into youth without even the most basic skills like calculating the correct change after buying a few items from the local store, reading a doctor’s instructions, or getting to count the money in an accont—let alone building a fulfilling career or educating their children. For many counries,education is a major pillar in building human capital. Many researches show that the productivity of about half the population of the world’s children will be less than half of what it could be if they were to get complete education and proper  health care in their early lives. When countries plan and disseminate education well, education –  in addi...