ICT for School Improvement – A Ghanaian Teacher’s Perspective (How I Became a Reluctant Tech Guru)

As a teacher in Ghana, I’ll admit, I’ve always been a bit of a technophobe. Give me a chalkboard and a piece of chalk, and I’m in my element. But when my principal came to me the other day and said, “Kofi, we need to start using technology to improve the way this school runs,” I felt my heart sink faster than a lead balloon.

“Technology? In my school?” I thought. “But I can barely operate the ancient desktop computer in the staff room, let alone integrate it into the daily operations of the institution!”

Alas, there was no escaping it. My principal was determined to drag this school – and me, by default – kicking and screaming into the 21st century. And so, with a heavy sigh and a silent prayer, I embarked on a journey to become the school’s very own ICT guru.

It all started with a staff meeting, where our principal laid out her grand vision for using technology to streamline everything from student enrollment to teacher attendance. I sat there, nodding along politely, while secretly imagining myself back in the good old days, when the only technological advancement we had to worry about was figuring out how to operate the boombox in the music room.

But then, the principal turned to me and said, “Kofi, you’re going to be leading the charge on this. I know you can do it!” And just like that, I found myself thrust into the unfamiliar waters of school administration 2.0.

The first few weeks were nothing short of a disaster. I spent more time staring blankly at the computer screen than actually getting any work done. Simple tasks, like setting up a digital attendance tracking system, had me sweating bullets and repeatedly calling the IT guy (who, by the way, had the patience of a saint).

But just when I was about to throw in the towel and resign myself to a life of chalkboards and paper records, something amazing happened. I started to see the benefits of this whole “technology in school” thing. Suddenly, keeping track of student enrollment and attendance became a breeze. Managing teacher schedules and leave requests was a matter of a few clicks. And the best part? I didn’t have to lug around stacks of files and ledgers everywhere I went.

Of course, there were still plenty of hilarious moments, like the time I accidentally deleted the entire school database (oops!) or when I tried to give a presentation using the interactive whiteboard and ended up drawing all over the principal’s face. But slowly, surely, I began to embrace the power of ICT, and even started sharing my newfound knowledge with my fellow teachers.

Now, I’m not going to lie, there are still days when I long for the simplicity of the good old days. But I’ve come to realize that technology isn’t the enemy – it’s a tool that, when used properly, can transform the way we approach school administration and, ultimately, improve the educational experience for everyone involved.

So, to all my fellow Ghanaian teachers out there who are just starting to dip their toes into the world of ICT, take heart. It may seem daunting at first, but with a little patience, a lot of trial and error, and a healthy sense of humor, you too can become a tech-savvy school admin superstar. And who knows, you might even have some fun along the way!