ICT Leadership for Education Managers

School ICT Learning programmes (Module 3: Workshop 3)

Ideally you should have two categories of teacher in a school. Teachers who teach about ICT and teachers who teach with ICT. IT and CAT teachers would teach about ICT - it is their subject and ICT is the subject of the learning. Not all schools offer these subjects. Other teachers would teach with ICT - teachers and learners use ICT during lessons. In this workshop we will focus on the latter category of teacher.

One can classify learners' use of ICT according to three modes of learning:

1. ICT supporting learning
   • mostly application, practice and reinforcement of existing learning
   • impact minimal
   • few ICT skills learnt
2. ICT enhancing learning
   • makes an impact on teaching strategies and styles
   • ICT offers opportunities beyond the normal classroom teaching
   • learners learning new skills e.g. information handling skills, thinking skills, relevant ICT skills
3. ICT extending learning
   • activities which may be difficult without ICT
   • supplement by high level of learning skills development e.g. problem solving, higher order thinking, collaboration, independent learning
   • ICT learning model, University of Chester

By the end of this task you could achieve the following outcomes:

- Conduct an informal audit on the extent of ICT use in your school.
- Reflect on and compare the contexts of ICT literacy and ICT integration in your school.
- Identify curriculum uses of ICT.
- Define the roles of the teacher and learner when using ICT in your school.
- Plan specific actions to make the use of ICT in learning programmes more effective in your school.

2 hours 30 min

Workshop questions: Can ICT enhance and extend learning?

	Description	Resources
1	Introduction and audit (30 min) Listen to the trainer introductory presentation. (5 min) Meet in groups of three. Identify the nature of ICT use at your school and compare this with how other members of your group use ICT. Use these points to guide your discussion: (15 min) Is ICT used for administrative purposes? If so in what way? Do you offer IT as a subject in any form? If so, how does offering IT as a subject affect the access to IT by other learners? Do you have issues with equitable access? How do teachers use ICT to support or enhance their teaching? How do you think the use of ICT at your school can improve? What do you notice about the similarities and difference between your school and that of the other members of your group? Report back to a brief whole group session in which you discuss the question in the previous point. (10 min)	» View the introductory presentation » View the levels of teaching practice
2	ICT or Computer Literacy (45 min) Reflection (25 min) Listen to the trainer introductory presentation. (15 min) If you have an ICT Literacy programme for learners at your school, work on your own and evaluate the programme using the programme evaluation tool. (10min) or If you do not have an ICT Literacy programme at your school, meet in a group with your trainer. You will discuss issues that may be preventing you from offering a programme and seeking some solutions collaboratively. (10 min) Meet in groups of four. Brainstorm a list of contexts that will be meaningful to learners using ICT. (5 min) Meet as a whole group and compile a common list. For each item identify whether the context for ICT use can be integrated with teaching in the curriculum (and which Learning Area?) or whether it is more appropriate for separate ICT Literacy classes. (5 min) Open the course workbook at 3-3-2. Record the list of ideas to take back to your school. (10 min)	» View the trainer presentation » View the programme evaluation tool
3	Using ICT to achieve critical outcomes (45 Min) Listen to and consider the trainer presentation (15 min). Work in pairs. Spend some time looking at various ways in which teachers use ICT in the classroom. As you do so reflect on and discuss the following questions (30 min): How does this activity support curriculum outcomes, including critical cross-curricular outcomes (click here to read the document). Are the learners required to use higher order thinking skills ? (critical outcomes 1, 4, 5, 7) Do the learners make decisions and solve problems? (critical outcomes 1, 7) Do the learners work in groups? (critical outcomes 2, 3) Are the learners required to take some responsibility in managing their learning? (critical outcomes 3) Will learners be required to work critically with information and produce their own information? (critical outcomes 4) Will learners be required to communicate their thoughts and ideas in some way? (critical outcomes 5) Will learners collaborate with other learners locally and abroad? (critical outcomes 2, 5, 6, 7) Will learners use ICT or other technologies during learning? (critical outcomes 6) Are learners encouraged to think critically and investigate issues in depth? (critical outcomes 7) Are learners encouraged to examine issues in their local community, regionally and globally? (critical outcomes 7)	» Using the Internet for research. » Using presentations to share knowledge. » Using spreadsheets for entrepreneurship and EMS » Using spreadsheets for mathematics discovery learning. » Teachers learning online » Using the word processor to prepare class worksheets. » Using the word processor for interactive worksheets. » Using a desktop publisher for brochures. » Learner support document » Learner sample presentation » Learner sample brochure » Learner sample website
4	Role of teacher and learner (this activity must be done in tandem with Activity 3 above) (30 min). Work on your own. Read the two short accompanying resource documents on types of learning activity. (5 min) Work in pairs. Consult your notes from the previous activity. Write a statement about the roles of teachers and learners in a classroom that is ideal for ICT integration. Focus on these questions: The role that ICT can play to support learning in the 21 st Century classroom. The role that the teacher can play to support learning in the 21 st Century classroom. Which specific types of learning activities would you like to see developing and happening in your school over the next few years? What kind of support do your teachers need in order to achieve this role? Write your statement in your course workbook. Your statement should be no longer than 500 words.	» What South African curriculum frameworks say about type of learning activity. » What international research says about standards of teaching and learning.
5	Community of principals Join the Partners in Learning Network and find a community of principals online.	» Go to the Partners in Learning Network

Related scenarios

» Issues regarding effective use of ICT resources
» Information leadership: Managing ICT resources
» School ICT readiness