THE USE OF INFORMATION COMMUNICATION AND TECHNOLOGY (ICT) IN MATHEMATICS CLASSROOMS : A CHALLENGE FOR TEACHERS IN ASEAN COUNTRIES

Mathematics education reform efforts in SEAMEO countries have been done continuously for years to improve the quality of students in this field. Manyattempts have been made to alter mathematics curriculum and instruction in all grades. Utilizing technology has become one of the reforms for future mathematics education in this region. Despite the extensive research documenting the benefits of ICT use in developed countries, there are still many skeptics who worry that calculator use will impair students mathematical ability and result in increased mathematical illiteracy. SEAMEO RECSAM as the center of excellence in Scienceand Mathematics Education has continuously conducted courses in the use of technology for the past few years, but the implementation of the product of the training in ASEAN countries still remains in questions. This paper describes the demand on the use of ICT in helping students understand and develop their mathematical thinking and also describes some South East Asian countries curriculum in integrating ICT and its implementation in mathematics classroom.Some recommendations on how to incorporate this new technology effectively and appropriately in mathematics classrooms are given. This article also provides a brief summary of SEAMEO RECSAM programs in utilizing technology in training mathematics teachers and to show some examples of the products of the training developed by participants.