Technology gives the quietest student a voice.
The digital world is currently conquering all the phases of everyday life, considered a disturbance in youngsters’ education and a tool to distraction. Nonetheless, Father Roland Awkar has conducted his MA research regarding this controversy.
He learnt theology and philosophy for 7 successive years in Lyon-France; then returning back to his country, Father Awkar has been titled to work in three different schools in Lebanon: Zahle, Tripoli and Ajaltoun. In parallel, he was completing his master’s degree in educational management from the Holy Spirit University-Kaslik.
Nearly 140 pages of thesis content, he compared, on both practical and theoretical aspects, the educational system in Lebanon vis-a-vis the digital integration in schools’ programs. Through his professional experience, he was able to observe, research and evaluate the findings of his hypothesis, which revolves around the complementary relation between the schools’ systems and the homes and lifestyle of Lebanese students.
Upon the work of Boltanski and Thevenot from their book: “On Justification: Economies of Worthâ€, Father Awkar have built a strategy for school programs following 7 criteria for decision making as a principle. Several months of hard work later, he was able to determine the reality of the various backgrounds and cultures among the Lebanese society. On one hand, there are top schools with high-tech equipment and updated curriculum, while on another, some institutes had never had any related training for their administration nor instructors.
According to Father Awkar, although this reflects numerous Lebanese circumstances and upbringings, yet it is unfair to some groups who cannot afford to learn equally and improve academically because technology is surely a rich investment in education.
Antonine International School is one of 5 Lebanese academic institutions with digital integrated learning program, improving students’ grades from 2011 to 2013, proving that technology can be beneficial in the intellectual growth of children.
Whoever said the digital era is a distraction to our minds, never had an interactive board in his classroom enjoying his lesson as most scholars nowadays do.
