I have commented before on the approach to using ICT for education for Indonesian schools. There has always been a a laboratory-centric approach to using ICT. In addition, there is also I believe an unhealthy penchant for a software centric-approach to the use of ICT. In Indonesian schools they actually teach students software like Flash, Dreamweaver or some graphic software like CorelDraw or Adobe Photoshop. It is unclear why this is done except to provide students with a familiarity with such software.

Why? I really don’t know. They believe ICT is important but is it important for students to learn such software? It is important for students to learn to be entrepreneurs. Does it mean that schools teach students specific enterepreneur-related subjects skills? What about other possible career options? Do we teach such subjects in schools too?

The lack of clarity about why ICT is used in Indonesian schools has to be addressed as ICT use in school usually amounts to quite a significant investment by the schools and parents. The North Central Regional Educational Labotory (NCREL) , a leader in the educational uses of ICT has this to say about ICT use in education:

Technology is not transformative on its own. Evidence indicates that when used effectively, “technology applications can support higher-order thinking by engaging students in authentic, complex tasks within collaborative learning contexts” (Means, Blando, Olson, Middleton, Morocco, Remz, & Zorfass, 1993). Instead of focusing on isolated, skills-based uses of technology, schools should promote the use of various technologies for sophisticated problem-solving and information-retrieving purposes (Means & Olson, 1995).

In other words, new technology can be an appropriate vehicle for promoting meaningful, engaged learning. It allows students to work on authentic, meaningful, and challenging problems, similar to tasks performed by professionals in various disciplines; to interact with data in ways that allow student-directed learning; to build knowledge collaboratively; and to interact with professionals in the field. Technologies also can be used to promote the development of higher-order thinking skills and allow opportunities for teachers to act as facilitators or guides and often as a co-learner with the students.

~ Critical Issue: Promoting Technology Use in Schools by Jan Gahala, North Central Regional Educational Laboratory

This approach makes a lot more sense as the focus is on using ICT as a tool to teach the essential skills and knowledge for the 21st Century. It is not to teach ICT per se. What ICT is used for is to support the teaching and learning beyond only the traditional teaching and learning approaches that do not prepare students to take their place in society. This is I believe one of the prerequisites of a world class school. It doesn’t prepare students for obsolescence.