Effective Use of ICT in Teaching and Learning

Posted by Andrew Ferrier on Mar 8th, 2007
 

After the Primary ICT Leaders forum, I received an email from one of the delegates asking about training programs that focus on best use of ICT in supporting teaching and learning. One of those emails that make you have a bit of a think..

When I visit schools, I often see that the controllers of the technology are the teachers, with children passively looking on. Our CPD programs have addressed  ICT and teaching through numerous courses on using the Interactive Whiteboard, MS Office courses etc. But I often wonder where  ’learning’ and ‘children’ fit into the equation and whether we have done enough in this area.

 We often wonder what the classroom will look like in the next three to five years (assuming that the word ‘classroom’ will still be around.) I would take out my crystal ball and predict that these classrooms will see children as much more self reliant learners. The challenge for us as teachers will be on how we manage the process to bring about greater self reliance among our learners

Here are some of the things that I would expect a self reliant learner to be doing

  • making greater use of tools such as digital cameras, digital camcorders, interactive whiteboards and computers to create their own films and or animations based on classroom themes planned by the teacher.
  • demonstrating an active role in monitoring their own learning through compiling their own e-portfolios. E-portfolios are available as commercial packages or they can be set up on the children’s personal web page available through the school VLE (LGFL Digitalbrain). The self reliant learner will use their web pages to upload their best work along with their reflective comments. Teachers, parents and other children can use their email accounts to respond. (Currently we have a number of schools trailing the use of a commercial eportfolio product (Spider Net).) I would also expect to see teachers using self reliant learner’s eportfolios as a tool for assessment
  • making effective use of  Web 2 software products for collaborative activities such as Blogs, Wikis, podcasts etc.They will also use elearning tools like Hot Potatoes and Quandary to present their work. These tools would be available for children to access out of school hours via the school’s Virtual Learning Environment site.

 How can we plan for this?
The EDC has been running SLICT courses for head teachers and school leadership teams both last year and this year. The next one available for Primary schools commences on the 26th March. Further information is available from the LAS web site.

We have four ICT marked schools in the Bromley area. They are  Highfield Infant, Darrick Wood Junior School ,Valley Primary School and Darrick Wood School.

The head teachers and ICT Coordinators in these schools would be more than happy to accommodate any visits to see best practice in operation.

All Bromley primary schools should have a copy of the ‘Learning and Teaching using ICT’ kit of resources produced by the Primary National Strategy. This kit contains examples of best practice from Foundation to Key Stage 3. If you don’t have a copy please let me know and I will arrange to get one delivered to you. You might want to distribute the kit to teachers in different year groups, asking them to go through the materials and reflect on the possibilities of undertaking similar activities at your school.

Naturally, change won’t happen unless there is someone in the school to act as model for their colleagues. With this in mind, I am happy to come and assist you or one of your staff members in implementing up the following possible projects in your school to run over a period of 6-8 weeks. In some cases I can, on a limited basis arrange to loan you some kit that may assist.

These activities could include:

  • Developing your schools Virtual Learning Environment
  • Poetry Pod Cast Challenge (We could loan you a USB microphone, Sonic Music Loops and assist in the installation of Audacity (Podcasts Program Creator)
  • Creating films /animations using Digi Blue Movie Creator cameras (Cameras are booked at the moment)Webquests on life in Ancient Rome (using ‘Caesar’ - a simulation program plus the web.
  • Setting up student web blogs (Literacy)
  • Creating adventure games using Quandary or worksheets using Hot Potatoes
  • Building and implementing web quests

Over to you….