This is a reflection of my learning experience as an ICT support specialist over the past two years at the University of Johannesburg, my reflection will be based on the Technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) model which is a model that gives us a new framework for the integration of technology in education and how we can structure our classrooms to provide the best educational experience for learners while incorporating technology.
The first year of me as an ICT specialist student was really exciting because it was my first encounter with computers, it was really over whelming because it was completely different to how I was used to do things. Firstly, my lecturer reassured me and my colleagues that it was going to be a very exciting journey which indeed was. Firstly, this module was different from the other modules which I registered for because everything was done online, from submissions to even writing exams. The uniqueness of this module also made me realise that incorporating technology into teaching made learning very interesting which was something I did not know because I was used to the traditional method of teaching. In my two years of teaching, the only resource I had to print on paper was the CAPS document so this also made me realise that it is cost efficient because you do not have to spend money on printing and also it saves us a lot of time.
During my two years as an ICT support student I also discovered that learning is a process which I do not want to stop going through because there is always a new invention especially in this field which I can incorporate in my teaching but most importantly, I have also discovered that it is not just about me and my learning process. Rather, the true importance becomes how I am able to inspire and motivate others (my learners) with learning that uses technology as a catalyst. I have come to understand that learning is dependent on interaction with others. Hearing and seeing the ideas and experiences of others, sharing my ideas, discussing and learning from each other produces a richness of truth and learning. Technology helps to foster this interaction among many learners.
My colleagues also played a major role in my learning process in this field because they were really helpful especially with explaining of assignments and I learned a lot from them as well because our learning experience differ. Also learned that keeping technology as a different learning set causes problems but when we understand the framework of TPACK, we can integrate technology into the content and pedagogy of our classrooms. I personally did not know that there a simulations online which can be used to explain certain concepts, only got introduced to this way of learning through ICT and I found them really helpful because they made learning much easier and enjoyable.
The major problem that I experienced with this module over the two years is that as much as I learned in the classes which happened once a week, when going to my teaching practice, incorporating whatever that I was taught was completely different to what I had to teach the learners and this was something I struggled with over the years, I felt as though that there should be more time and the focus should be strictly aligned with CAPS document.