The implementation of ICT through the use o

tablets in primary education

Celia Zapata, Mariela Chi

Background

On August 2014, the minister of education in Mexico (SEP) launched a

federal program called “Programa de Inclusión y Alfabetización Digital”

709, 824 tablets were given to 5°grade primary school students and

teachers.

Though its use was going to make an impact in the classroom, the

teacher’s guide suffer no change in its contents or methodology.

Since the moment students started using the tablets, several technical

failures were reported: low memory storage capacity, overheating, slow

processing of data, etc.

Global policies: UNESCO

In an international framework, the UNESCO has been concerned with

the project “Competency Standars Teachers” which is a guide to

ministers and departments of education of all over the world to engage

with the use of ICT

It states that there are three levels to improve education in conjunction

with the economical development of each country:

1. Basic notions of ICT

11. In-depth knowledge

111.Knowledge generation.

Our proposal

According to the current situation in Mexico, we believe public education

is not ready to face a full encounter with tablets in the classroom. There

has to be an adjustment process.

Our proposal is to limit the use of tablets in the classroom to specific

purposes. Meaning that ICT are going to be implemented through the

use of tablets insofar as teachers can apply them to the contents of an

integrating project of all subjects.

This will function as a transition to promote the use of ICT in a moderate

fashion in order to prevent the misuse of tablets.

Rationale

The acquaintance with tablets could oust good practices such as

reading a printed book, searching in the library or skills like handwriting

or mathematical calculation.

Not all subjects or topics in the program are predisposed to the use of

tablets, However, ICT are much easier to apply to an integrating

projects.

Teachers can select the orientation and objectives the project will have

according to the contents of the 5°grade primary program.

Digital competences will be acquired as part of the process of making

the integrating project and not as part of a lesson (as it happens in the

class of “cómputo” o “informática”).

For Against

Use tablets as a support in the classroom. (not as a notebook)

Information Access. (not to do the whole homework)

Motivates students.

Means of expression and creation.

Surf Safely.

Abuse of selected time(Outside

and Inside the classroom).

The lack of teaching strategy.

Displace good old practices.

Lack of technical infrastructure.

(Internet)

Distracting device.

Conclusion

In conclusion, working with tablets in the classroom, far from being a

inadequate idea, is a really important step regarding ICT. But is a

progress that must not be rushed. A transition is really needed so that

teachers and students can implement it in the best possible way.

Moreover, the existing gap between different socio-economic sectors

are not contrasted for whether they have access or not to tablets, but to

the use of ICT to acquire digital competences through any kind of

devices the have, howsoever called (books, pc, digital whiteboard)

References

Castañeda Castañeda, A. (Noviembre de 2013). El uso de las TIC en

educación primaria: la experiencia Enciclomedia. Red de

Investigadores Educativos. A. C. .

digital, P. d. (s.f.). Secretaría de Educación Pública. Obtenido de

http://www.dee.edu.mx:8080/piad/resource/pdfp/Plan_de_clase.pdf;jses

sionid=e02931c363e4bc82bb6253c8d5c3

García Cué, J. L. (s.f.). Integración de TIC en México.

Tello Leal, E. (2008). Las tecnologías de la información y

comunicaciones y la brecha digital: su impacto en la sociedad de

México. . Revista de Universidad y Sociedad del Conocimiento.