Teacher Education in Brazil: The Use of Free Software in Math Education
- PDF / 136,937 Bytes
- 5 Pages / 504.567 x 720 pts Page_size
- 43 Downloads / 169 Views
Teacher Education in Brazil: The Use of Free Software in Math Education Eliane Elias Ferreira dos Santos1 and Aleandra da Silva Figueira-Sampaio2 1 Escola de Educação Básica, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil 2 Faculdade de Gestão e Negócios, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Synonyms Elementary education; Free software; Mathematics; Support material; Teacher education
Stakeholders, Formal Education, and Technological Resources Brazilian efforts to include technology in education started over 40 years ago. Nevertheless, much progress still needs to be made. The qualitative and conscious integration of these resources into the classroom depends on the joint efforts of government, schools, teachers, and students. The government is responsible for establishing the public policies that provide the physical infrastructure and materials needed for deploying technologies in the classroom. The state is also © Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2020 M. A. Peters (ed.), Encyclopedia of Teacher Education, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-1179-6_401-1
responsible for implementing continuing education programs for teachers. Setting up computer labs in schools is less complex than developing effective pedagogical projects with these resources. Equipment availability, pedagogical planning, and teacher training do not always occur simultaneously. Schools and their leaders are responsible for planning, leadership, initiative, creating appropriate spaces, and mobilizing those involved in a process of reflection and experimentation. Schools are also tasked with incentivizing the continuing education of their teachers. Student involvement is essential for successful learning. Computer labs can play an important role in this by motivating, facilitating, and challenging students. However, teachers focus their efforts on educating, not entertaining, through appropriate technological resources that help build specific knowledge. Of all stakeholders, teachers face the biggest challenges, especially regarding professional training. While most students are familiar with computers, the internet, and other technologies, educators often resist the use of these resources, whether in their personal lives or in their classrooms. Most teachers who fall into this category come from a generation that lacked these technologies in everyday life and whose professional development either did not cover the use of technology in the classroom or did so in only a superficial or technical manner. Teachers may also feel
2
Teacher Education in Brazil: The Use of Free Software in Math Education
intimidated by the technological know-how of their students. Therefore, teacher training should focus on teaching processes, selection of technologies, technical issues, development of methodologies that achieve the goals of mathematics, and preparation of materials that students can relate to and that build knowledge. Training teachers on the adoption and implementation of information technology
Data Loading...
