Very often when we are talking about ICT use in the classrooms, the concern has been centered on the practitioners who will bring in ICT into the classrooms, namely the teachers. It may seem unfair because teachers seemed to be bear the brunt of any new initiative, from those meant to improve the economy those meant to improve the loyalty of their students to their respective countries. Worse many teachers have seen fads come and go and area  little skeptical of things new that is shoved in their direction simply because the additional load due to these new initiatives add to the already burgeoning work load of teachers.

It, therefore, becomes important for teachers school administrators to assist the teachers to make that transition to any new initiative. If we look at the ICT for education initiative, teachers must be assisted in a areas for them to be successful in moving in this direction. When using ICT for education, teachers are expected to:

(a) shift from rote learning to constructing knowledge;

(b) emphasize more on the acquisition of thinking skills;

(c) change their main mode of assessment from the high stakes examinations approach to a more flexible one emphasizing formative evaluation which are likely to require alternative modes of assessment;

(d) teach for transfer of learning so that students find their learning relevant in their lives;

(e) and provide a range of learning experiences for the holistic development of their students.

In short, what is required is a paradigm shift for most teachers.

This is no easy task even for those who are aware of the implications of using ICT for eduaction. Teachers themselves may not see this need for a paradigm shift in the nature of their job. For these reasons alone, school administrators will do well to take any attempt to introduce ICT for education, with deliberate careful planning and stages. Otherwise, all they will achieve is a school with lots of new ICT equipment but old teaching methodologies.

If there is one fundamental about successful teaching that all teachers must adhere to is this simple maxim, “There is no teaching if there is no learning.” This maxim shows that teaching and learning are simply two sides of the same coin and one cannot exist without the other.

If only teachers remember this simple yet powerful maxim, no teacher will simply rush through lessons with the goal of “covering” the syllabus for the academic year. The maxim means that the teacher must always pause to check if the learning that the teacher hopes to have taken place among the students, has actually taken place.  It means that the teacher would be making continuous assessment of the learning that is taking place. The teacher does not even wait till the end of the lesson  to check for learning. Assessment is done as regularly as the teacher’s heartbeat during the lesson. At every stage of the lesson the teaches assess if the students are still “with” the lesson and does not proceed any further until what needs to be learned first, is learned. This may seem commonsensical but alas in the factory-like assembly line system that most schools adopt, common sense is often sacrificed for speed and administrative efficiency.

The maxim also calls for teachers to take even greater care in the preparation of their lessons. They would have to be clear about the objectives that they have set out for the lesson because the assessment of the learning that has taken place is dependent on these objectives. Key to the planning of the lessons would be knowing where the assessment of the learning is to be done and also the awareness of how the assessment is to be done.

In the planning of the lesson, the teacher also takes into account the prior knowledge that the student has, to make the learning a naturally smooth process rather than an intellectually and emotionally jarring experience. The teacher would ensure that the learning is constructed and properly scaffolded so the transition from one learning stage to another is not only smooth but also naturally progressive cognitively.

In the planning also, all learning and teaching aids used must also be geared towards making learning as easy as possible. These teaching aids may be traditional ones or more modern ones like the use of ICT tools. Teaching aids, including all teaching technologies, are never to be used for their own sake. They are to be used only if it helps in a smooth learning process.

In the effort to ensure a smooth progression of the lesson, the teacher must also anticipate potential problems that students are likely to face during the course of the lesson. This may include problems with understanding concepts or confusion in the mental operation of routine tasks or skills. This will make the teaching and learning experience a more pleasant intellectually and be an even emotionally stimulating one for both teachers and students.

The goal in every classroom is for the learning experience to be as intellectually and emotionally liberating as possible. By upholding the maxim, “There is no teaching if there is no learning,” teachers will avoid the common pitfalls of poor teaching. Most of all, students will know that their teachers really care about their learning and the former will make that extra effort to be successful in their learning.

Teachers planning to move their teaching and learning online must be aware that it is important for them to equip themselves with certain skills. Besides the ICT literacy that is to be expected of them, what other skills would they need?

In truth, the basic teaching skills that a teacher is supposed to have in brick-and-mortar classroom still applies and perhaps it may be argued that some of them become even more essential. The essential ingredients of what makes a good class and lesson will still remain. Teacher beliefs and values, class management skills, a clear understanding of the learning outcomes, the assessment of the learning, good instructional planning and motivational skills are all still important ingredients of a successful class whether online or otherwise.

However, the manner these skill are put into practice in the online classroom will differ quite considerably. For example, with regards to the need to create a safe learning environment, in a brick-and-mortar classroom, everyone is able to see and talk to each other spontaneously while in an online classroom, this is not the case. Plus the facial gestures and the nuances in the way words are spoken that is so important in everyday communication is replaced with only dry and impersonal text. This is where the well-known emoticons come into play. Other examples of unique online class management skills include for example taking into account the types of online behavioral tendencies of online participants.

Good instructional planning or design becomes even more important in the online classroom. Good instructional planning is required in a brick-and-mortar classroom but in such classrooms, teachers can make spontaneous adaptations to the situation in the classrooms. In an online environment it is not as easy to do so. This can influence considerably the flow of the lesson or instruction.

In short, teachers need to familiarize themselves first with the likely online classroom environment. They must also remember that the online classroom environment can differ according to the kind of learning activity that is to be used. A discussion forum is quite different from a synchronous chat session. The facilitation approach for both would also be quite varied. Drill-and-practice activities require perhaps less class management attention. The best way for teachers to understand the differences between these environments is to perhaps undergo an online class themselves.

In seeking to understand the students’ online experience, the teachers must learn to be online students themselves. The online experience for the teachers does not have to be a class on online learning itself. But it is important that whatever the online course the teacher undergoes, the teacher should consciously note the experience and compare it with their past classoom learning experience. Only then can they craft an online lesson themselves. The crafting of an online lesson goes beyond the technicalities of the online learning platform. More important is the re-shaping of the traditional teaching skills to fit the new environment.