How is technology utilized for education in Brazil's public school system?
How can my students make meaningful connections to students around the world? The starting point would be working with students and teachers I have already met, and the unbelievable enthusiasm in Natal was contagious. As in the United States, the access to technology in Brazil's public schools varies widely. Budget cuts, lack of infrastructure, and a shortage of IT expertise plague the schools I visited. But the same issues are discussed regularly at faculty meetings in the United States. I learned that Brazil's government feels that internet access is a critical need, but a clear action plan needs to be developed. How can a school realistically implement technology if there is one computer lab for hundreds of students? And if that computer lab has already been sitting there for several years waiting for IT to hook it up, chances are that the computers will be obsolete before they are used as more than data processing tools. The question of whether technology access falls under the national or state jurisdiction also was a common theme. In several schools, technology such as LCD projectors was waiting in storage closets for installation. At another school there were several LCD projectors mounted, but it was up to the teacher to provide their own laptops to project materials, and there was no internet connection. Many teachers simply cannot afford a laptop, so again, technology is very hit and miss. Creating a national (or state) plan to address implementing technology is critical as a first step.
An essential second step is a clear teacher training program. Several teachers mentioned attending staff training, but a half-day training session is only the tip of the iceberg. Staff need time to first develop proficiency with computers, and for using the internet, and only after that can they begin to start learning how the web can be used as an instructional tool. One teacher mentioned the fear that using the internet meant not having the time to cover the curriculum so that students will pass national exams. My impression was that the large majority of staff I spoke with had a very limited understanding of how technology can be used to enhance, rather than replace, the existing curriculum.
The good news is that even though the educational system may not have mastered technology, Brazilian students have not hesitated to become global. The large majority of students I met had cell phones with 3G/4G connections. Students are actively using many of the same social media sites that are used in the United States. Because of the fear that students will be online during class on inappropriate sites, the use of students' internet access through their cellphones is against school rules. Every educator I spoke with mentioned the fear that students would be gaming or on social sites rather than using WiFi for educational purposes. My feeling is that schools might be better served using the students' existing phone service rather than waiting for the government to bring technology to students in the form of labs or 1:1 personal laptop programs.
Technology implementation, teacher training, school funding, appropriate use of classtime . . . the issues mentioned in Brazil were the exact issue we mention all the time in the United States! We need to work through these issues, because our students and staff would love to see how similar we really are!
An essential second step is a clear teacher training program. Several teachers mentioned attending staff training, but a half-day training session is only the tip of the iceberg. Staff need time to first develop proficiency with computers, and for using the internet, and only after that can they begin to start learning how the web can be used as an instructional tool. One teacher mentioned the fear that using the internet meant not having the time to cover the curriculum so that students will pass national exams. My impression was that the large majority of staff I spoke with had a very limited understanding of how technology can be used to enhance, rather than replace, the existing curriculum.
The good news is that even though the educational system may not have mastered technology, Brazilian students have not hesitated to become global. The large majority of students I met had cell phones with 3G/4G connections. Students are actively using many of the same social media sites that are used in the United States. Because of the fear that students will be online during class on inappropriate sites, the use of students' internet access through their cellphones is against school rules. Every educator I spoke with mentioned the fear that students would be gaming or on social sites rather than using WiFi for educational purposes. My feeling is that schools might be better served using the students' existing phone service rather than waiting for the government to bring technology to students in the form of labs or 1:1 personal laptop programs.
Technology implementation, teacher training, school funding, appropriate use of classtime . . . the issues mentioned in Brazil were the exact issue we mention all the time in the United States! We need to work through these issues, because our students and staff would love to see how similar we really are!