Transforming Teaching & Learning through ICT

Compare hospitals with schools High use of technology means a Victorian surgeon would be unable to work in a modern operating theatre Low use of technology means a Victorian teacher would still feel at home in most modern classrooms We need to modernise our classrooms!

“It all starts with learning, not hardware or software or even technology in general.”

When the focus is on teaching and not technology, ICT offers a diverse toolkit. Don’t get carried away with TECHNOLOGY!

The Learning Revolution How children learn What children learn Who children learn with Nicholas Negroponte – Director Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory

Impact of Technology Input Process Output Don Passey, Lancaster University, UK Intelligent use of ICT lengthens the Process phase of learning. This allows opportunities for deeper, wider and richer learning to take place. Traditional learning Learning through ICT

Select KnowledgeSelect Task Learner Characteristics Stimulus Characteristics Prior knowledge Content & Structure Learning & Teaching Accessories Activity Learning Learning & Teaching Accessories Adapted from Kulhavy, Peterson & Schwartz Where does ICT fit into the lesson planning process?

New curriculum Today’s curriculum New ways to teach (& learn) Today’s ways to teach (& learn) ICT will not only change HOW we teach, but also WHAT we teach.

Typical teacher reactions to ICT change Does the change (potentially) address a need? Will students be interested? Will students learn? Is there evidence that the change works? Is it clear what I will have to do? Will the change take up more time? Will I need to develop new skills? Will the change interfere with existing priorities? How rewarding will the new experience be?

What will teachers need? Training (skills, knowledge) Support (access, enabling, encouragement) Guidance (research, good practice, examples) Resources (time to create, money to buy)

When to use ICT? Arithmetic9 Algebra3 Geometry7 Decimals8 Where to start? Example: A Maths teacher evaluates the quality and effectiveness of his own teaching. He gives himself a score out of 10 for each component of the Maths curriculum, as shown in the table. The lesson in which he scores 9/10 is already excellent, so why change it? The 3/10 lesson is so bad it will need more than ICT to rectify the problems. So the teacher decides to use ICT in the 7/10 lesson, with the realistic aim and clear focus of improving it to a 9/10 lesson!

Development of expertise Novice Advanced beginner Competent Proficient Expert Dreyfus & Dreyfus, “Mind over machine: the power of human intuition and expertise in the era of the computer” (1986)

Stages in teacher ICT development Familiarisation Utilisation Integration Reorientation Evolution Continued focus on teaching Ability to re-focus on learning Hooper and Rieber “Teaching with Technology” (1995)

Understanding of the stages helps movement through the stages Stages of learning to use technology Awareness nervousness & fear Learning the process frustration & time consuming Understanding relaxing, less rules, community awareness Familiarity transparency, confidence Adapting to other contexts invisible usage Creative application in new contexts innovation, transformation Russell, “Six Stages for Learning Technology” (1996)

Strategic Implementation of ICT ICT Management Group consists of: Classroom teachers Members of Senior Management Technical staff Their task: Identify ICT issues (technical/pedagogical/people) Create solutions Plan development (technical/pedagogical/people) Champion the cause of ICT!

Key components are… Finance Power & Telecoms Access Training Content Research Sharing good practice Standards Leadership & Policy