Technology, Tools & Traditional Language Teachers
The sheer quantity of electronic tools available to language teachers, the vast assortment of materials on the Internet and constant technological advances may seem overwhelming or threatening to those of us who have spent years honing our teaching styles in traditional language teaching contexts. Why would we change an approach that is tried, true and comfortable?
Of course there are several factors that could lead language school managers or freelance teachers to seek out technological aids. One of these is change and another is competition. As technology changes, learners and their employers may come to expect more from their course providers. Course providers that are able to meet these expectations have a competitive advantage.
However, dedicated teachers or language school managers often already have their own “systems” and styles. Therefore, when we consider implementing technological enhancements, it is important to find a solution that allows teachers and schools to preserve their own approaches. We must be careful to use technology to make teachers’ jobs easier rather than more complicated. We must give teachers tools that allow them to accentuate their strengths rather them bog them down in technologies that they don’t understand.
This is a fundamental premise underpinning MyLAMPA (My Lesson & Activity, Management, Planning & Access). As opposed to a new teaching system, MyLAMPA is an organizational platform where teachers can store and retrieve their own ideas and exchange ideas with peers around the world.
Get your MyLAMPA account and organize your teaching today at www.mylampa.com.
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