Appropriate and inappropriate applications of ICT

Why do we teach ICT? Enhances learning and teaching; Key skill for future work / life-long learning; National Curriculum requirement.

 Developing understanding  speed and automatic functions of ICT can enable teachers to demonstrate, explore or explain aspects of their teaching, and pupils' learning, more effectively e.g. use of a spread sheet to perform calculations in order that patterns can be concentrated on rather than the calculating.  explore prepared or constructed models and simulations

ICT can help learning by Extending access to sources the capacity and range of ICT can enable teachers and pupils to gain access to historical, recent or immediate information, through, for example, accessing information on CD-ROM or the Internet Enhancing enquiry skills search for and compare information from different sources

ICT can help learning by Enhancing the development of ideas – the provisional nature of information stored, processed and presented using ICT allows work to be changed easily - in using a word processor to edit and refine writing Enhancing the communication of ideas – communicate with other people, locally and over distances, easily and effectively – present information in ways which are accessible in different forms for different audiences.

“There are indeed many examples of complex technology being used to achieve low-level educational goals” Underwood and Underwood (1995) Note some examples which you have seen.

Why does this happen?  Unreliable hardware  Inappropriate software - high percentage of ‘educational’ software is practice and drill  Generic, open-ended software requires greater investment of time

Why does this happen?  Comparative lack of IT training for teachers to learn how to use IT more effectively - teachers unfamiliar with programs and their potential  Non IT confident teachers feel more secure using computers for holding activities Packed curriculum

“if computers are used to service the teacher’s needs for organisation and control, they will make little impact on children’s learning” Somekh and Davis (1997) Share an example of computers making an impact on children’s learning.

Three modes of using ICT: to support teaching and learning; (Supporting ongoing activities in teaching and learning, e.g. drill and practice spelling exercises.) to enhance teaching and learning; (Activities enhance subject work and make a tangible impact on teaching strategies and styles e.g. editing written work to improve content, appearance and accessibility for a particular audience.) to extend teaching and learning. (The ICT-based work is central to the classroom activities, some of which would not be possible without its use e.g. branching multimedia story.)

Does ICT support, enhance, or extend children’s learning? If not, why is it being used?

Factors which teachers need to take into account: clear identification of how ICT will be used to meet specific subject objectives to improve pupils’ attainment; ensuring that pupils have adequate ICT skills to achieve those objectives; planned match of pedagogy with the identified purpose of ICT activities and learning outcomes.

The Four Es Teachers should make sure that ICT: E nsures that the learning outcomes can be achieved; E nables the learner; E ases and supports the task; E nhances the task’s quality and value. Barker and Franklin (1998)

ICT without the computer Developing keyboard skills with ‘dummy’ keyboards Annotating and revising printouts Prepared questionnaire to support information handling activity Planning LOGO or Roamer sequences or procedures on paper

Peer support liberates the teacher gives children the opportunity to teach their peers having to explain helps demonstrate understanding or misunderstanding

Annotated screen dump to support graphics activity and file for record keeping

Organising children with hot seat and shadow, head-phones, computer file and screen prompts to support activity.

ICT in the classroom - high profile Computer notice- board Children encouraged to display computer work from home Clearly visible rota

Screen prompts for LOGO, help cards, rota, tick sheet and wall display.