We can either risk innovation or slowly fade away.
Over the years I have come across a number of issues that inhibit teachers from using technology in the classroom in a transformative way. These range from the need for more professional development, better laptops, an efficient Internet connection, more support, more money, more evidence of its value, to more time and less content to cover. There are probably more issues for shying away from using technology in the classroom and when meeting so many well meaning and dedicated professional teachers, I do admit that these issues are real challenges faced everyday by you, the teacher. However, I fail to understand those colleagues who say that they need support to teach basic ICT skills or that they do not know how to use digital technology in the classroom. What are we understanding by basic ICT skills? For me basic means knowing the alphabet as the first steps to start reading. What does it mean to you? Knowing that the Internet has been with us for the past 15 years and we have been supporting the classroom teacher in the primary for the same number of years, I have directed my support staff to ask you to tell us what conditions should your school provide to enable you to make the required transformative change.
Emmanuel Zammit is an educator. Started his work experience as a teacher in 1976 and taught in State Primary schools, in the special education sector and in State Secondary school where he taught Technical Design and ICT. He served as a Secondary schools ICT support teacher, Assistant head master in a primary school, Education Officer for eLearning, Assistant Director and since 2013 serves as Director for Digital Literacies.
In 1981 Emmanuel Zammit earned a BEd and completed with distinction further studies in ICT and Education Diploma from the University of Malta. A higher diploma was earned in Online education from the University of London in 2000. In 2008 Emmanuel Zammit earned a Masters Degree (Distinction) in ICT and Education from the University of Leeds. Emmanuel Zammit is a member of the EU Creative classrooms Lab and Chairperson of the Pedagogical advisory group to MEDE’s ICT steering Committee.
In 1982 coauthored and illustrated a textbook for primary school children Lejn il-Missier and 1991 published the textbook for secondary school 11 to 12 year olds on Technical Design. Published various short articles in local religious magazines (Vexillina & Regina et Mater). In 2005 Emmanuel coauthored an automated testing system (SSr) for ICT students and won the NICTAA 2006 for SSr (National ICT Achievements Awards). Emmanuel Zammit won the Best Illustrator 2006 for a series of books covering Maltese culture and in 2007 placed first out of 564 European teachers and won the EU e-Learning Award for the Best ICT Practice. In 2014 and 2015 published two papers one on Digital Literacy and the other on Positive Behaviour in an Online Environment. Before retiring in 2019, Emmanuel and his team managed to implement the National roll out of Tablets to all schools in Malta and restructured the Digital Literacy Directorate.
Emmanuel Zammit is married, a grandfather and lives in Mosta Malta.
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