End of a Journey

Hi All,

As we come nearer to the end of this journey, I wish to thank you all for your support over the past two years. We have had many challenges but we persevered to the end. Thanks to our tutors for standing beside us.
God Bless.

Activity 7: Budgeting and Fundraising

·         Before you can really plan effectively for future ICT spending you need to be aware of what ICT you have currently  in school and what it is costing you to maintain and what it will cost to replace. In other words, the the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) of a school's ICT totals all the costs associated with the purchase, implementation, operation and maintenance of the ICT (equipment costs / software and licences / technical support / broadband charges) must  be considered when budgeting for ICTs. The school must also  have a realistic training budget, in which ICT training for individual staff is an option, and  training costs built into major developments.

 Fundraising activities should also form part of the school's ICT budget so that a more realistic picture of the school's financial position can be seen.

Activity 6: ICT Action Plan

 

It was Yogi Berra who posit, "You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you are going because you might not get there." 

The action plan that I created will help me to gauge the progression of ICT throughout the school's curriculum.

Action planning is a process which will help you to focus your ideas and to decide what steps you need to take to achieve particular ICT goals that you may have. It is a statement of what you want to achieve over a given period of time. Preparing an action plan is a good way to help you to reach your objectives of integrating ICT into teaching and learning. It involves:

• Identifying your objectives
• Setting objectives which are achievable & measurable.
• Prioritizing your tasks effectively.
• Identifying the steps needed to achieve your goals.
• Being able to work effectively under pressure.
• Completing work to a deadline.

• Having a contingency plan

An effective action plan should give you a concrete timetable and set of clearly defined steps to help you to attain your objectives and focus your ideas.

Activity 5: Draft ICT Policy

An ICT policy helps to provide guidelines for action and highlights the interventions that the school hope to embark upon. This assists the school in the daily operations and is only meaningful when it is employed.This policy should be the driving force  in guiding the school administrators and other stakeholders in addressing problems that may arise from time to time during the integration of ICT in teaching and learning. Once the policy is developed, adopted and shared with all stakeholders it will serve as a document containing firm and fixed guidelines that will propel daily operations involving ICT use at the school.

An ICT policy is necessary because of the increasing need for integrating ICT into teaching, learning, assessment and monitoring an d schools must ultimately have a vision and a sort of road map suitable to their ideal situation and would provide a clear picture of how ICT is used and managed in the school. Therefore it is imperative that all stakeholders form part of creating the ICT policy so that it would be easier to gain their buy-in and support fir ICT integration in the school.

Draft ICT Policy

ICT facilities 
• The ICT resources that will be there include projectors, IWB, desktops, printers, digital cameras, laptops, one computer in each classroom, internet, and camcorder. These resources will be used to engage students in learning activities, conduct researches, collaboration, problem solving, teacher ICT skills, access teaching and learning materials on the internet.
• ICT resources will be housed in the classrooms, staffroom and library as well as in the computer resource centre.
• They will be secured using burglar bars on windows and doors as well as an alarm system. Virus protection and passwords will be placed on all systems.
• ICT coordinator will ensure that antivirus software are updated frequently and the onsite technician will provide quarterly diagnostics so that the systems will get an overhaul to ensure that they are not slowing up or having virus issues.
• $50 000 will be budgeted for ICT hardware and software annually.

 Curriculum integration of ICT 
• The teacher will facilitate learning activities by providing activities that are meaningful and authentic for students to solve problem, collaborate with peers, conduct peer assessment and communicate with others in and out of the classroom while learners engage in active learning to construct their own knowledge. Students will also be able to monitor the progress of their own work and make improvements where necessary.
• ICT will be used in supporting teaching and learning by allowing the teacher to provide differentiated learning activities for students and giving access to those students and teachers who do not have many alternatives to access ICT outside of school hours. Varied assessment strategies and ICT tools and software will be created to monitor, assess and record students’ progress and inform teaching. 
• All teachers will be responsible for ICT integration and the manner whereby ICT skills are developed. 
• Access to ICT resources will be scheduled by ICT coordinator for the use of the computer lab, however; individual teachers will utilize ICT resources in their existing timetabled subjects.
• E-safety will be taught throughout the school so that students and teachers will be aware of how to stay safe and be more responsible while using the internet. 
• $25 000 will be budgeted for curriculum ICT resources, including Internet access 
• Administrative use of ICT 
• ICT will be used to communicate with the Ministry of Education, teachers, parents and other stakeholders via e-mails as well as for record keeping and retrieval purposes and creating presentation tools.
• A total of $5 000 will be expended annually towards use of ICT in administration.

Staff development 
• Staff development strategy: ICT professional learning focus on teacher capabilities and developing their ICT skills. Learning, Teaching, Assessing and Reporting – developing an understanding of how ICT can enable improved teaching, learning, assessing and reporting. Learning places and spaces- access to ICT resources and physical layout of the classroom. ICT-enabled learning communities- communicate, share, collaborate, investigate and co-create within local and global communities.
• Staff development activities will take place at break time, during lunch, after school and at mid term.
• Staff will be given access to the school’s wireless internet network so they can use their laptops in the classroom.
• All staff members will be provided with at least 12 hours of professional development per term.
• A total of $25 000 will be expended annually towards the school’s professional development activities.

 ICT and the community 
• The administrative staff will make the school available to the community members so that they can be taught about ICT. 
• The community will spearhead fundraising activities so as to assist the school in purchasing and maintaining ICT tools.
• The school website will be created as well as a Blog to provide community with access to information pertaining to the activities of the school and students.
• Create a learning network with teachers and students in other schools.

Sustainability 
• The Board of Education will in collaboration with corporate citizens will provide funding to help maintain the policy. 
• This policy will be reviewed annually by the ICT coordinator and any necessary changes will be made.
• Major review of the ICT policy with staff at the culmination of every three years

Activity 4B: Staff Development in ICT

When attempting to integrate ICT into teaching and learning, staff competencies must first be assessed. Teacher professional development activities must be planned to cater to the development needs of each teacher so that they will have the capacity to use ICT for teaching and learning. Both in-service and pre-service programmes can be organized to help schools achieve this. Most of these programmes should emphasize the development of basic ICT skills and occasionally include the application of ICT as a teaching and learning tool for teachers. This is an important outcome since having resources without the expertise on how to use them is a sure path towards wastage of investment. It is also clear that there is a need to expand and intensify the professional development programmes so that teachers can be challenged to perform at higher levels. 

Activity 4A- ICT in the Curriculum

It is imperative that the school's curriculum drives the ICT and not the other way around. ICT capability supports and enhances student learning across all areas of the curriculum. A carefully planned curriculum will enable students to develop and apply ICT knowledge, skills and appropriate social and ethical protocols and practices to investigate, create and communicate, as well as expand their ability to manage and operate ICT to meet their learning needs. Learning areas provide the content and contexts within which students develop and apply the knowledge, skills, behaviours and attitudes that comprise ICT capability.

• ·      transfer knowledge learned in school into the wider community apply skills from situation to situation because of the authentic experiences they are given.
• ·       assume new roles as opposed to being the dispenser of facts and sole expert.
• ·        collaborate using wikis and blogs to solve problems or work on group projects.
• ·     learn skills and use tools not in isolation but with a basic understanding or rationale for their use in problem-solving endeavors.

Activity 3- Planning for ICT's in your school

A swot analysis is useful in enabling you to identify the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that exist within your organisation so that proper planning and forecasting as well as staff auditing can be conducted to ensure that all systems are in place for the smooth integration of ICT into the school's curriculum. It is therefore important that schools make use of this vital tool when planning for ICT integration so they can get a better picture of what they have and where they need to go.

Activity 2:Policies and ICT

It is imperative that schools have ICT vision and policies so that all stakeholders can be aware of their roles and responsibilities where ICT integration in schools is concerned. Despite precautions at school, open access to the Internet has become an integral part of many children’s lives. A growing danger is presented by the ease of uploading material to the Web. There are some social networking sites which allow children to set up an account and create a web page in minutes. Information given by users is not checked and there are very limited safeguards. Children are being told (often by teenagers) to look at their sites and can end up in dangerous situations. Therefore, it is our responsibility as custodians of these students to ensure that they use ICT tools in a safe and responsible manner.

Vision: The vision is for all students and teachers to acquire the highest quality training, skills and knowledge in using ICTs across all areas of the school’s curriculum so they can be productive and lifelong learners and feel safe when using ICT.

In ten years’ time, I visualize teaching and learning with ICT

J  ICT is fully incorporated into school’s Curriculum

J  Student’s individual ICT capability and understanding are developed

J  Students know how to stay safe online or there is an e-

safety policy

J  Enhanced teaching and learning in other areas of the curriculum by cross curricular use of ICT

J  ICT is used as a tool for learning and investigation

J  Students are confident and capable of using IT throughout their education, home and further work life.

J  Teachers and students’ interests in new technologies are stimulated.

J  Improved communication between school and parents, corporate citizens, donors and other social groups.

J  Access to qualified and competent technical support.

J  Students are assessed in multiple ways.

Module 10 : Activity 1-Where is your school in this world of technology?

Schools have differing views about ICT integration; hence the reason for the different levels of ICT integration that were observed from different schools. Several factors have hindered some schools from advancing their ICT programmes. These including lack of training, reluctance on the part of teachers to use ICT in teaching and learning as well as lack of infrastructure and resources. My school is currently in the emerging stage of ICT integration and I am optimistic that in the not too distant future, we will be in the applying stage once we get our ICT vision created and all stakeholders come on board. 

Seasons Greetings

Hi All,
Happy to know that we are nearing the end of this module. Seasons greetings.

Activity 10: Flipped Classroom

In flipped classroom teachers assign pre-class homework consisting of brief, recorded lectures and presentations, digital readings with collaborative annotation capabilities, and discussion board participation. This frees up classroom time to promote active learning through collaborative, project-based learning using simple display and sharing tools. The flipped classrooms open the doors for teachers to communicate and guide their student's learning instead of being the end-all-be-all of the content. When students are given the opportunity to self-drive their basic learning, they can create stronger connections to the information.

All teachers should be cautious when deciding to use the flipped classroom. Lectures can be disengaging, but at the same time, the lecturer can use props and different ways of speaking in short periods of time to engage the audience. 

Activity 9: Cellphones in the Classroom

Cellphones, like other devices have their pros and cons

Pros

•          Cell Phones Can Help Students Be More Organize
•          Alleviates Strain on the school's network.
•          It Speeds Up Information Retrieval
•          Allows Us to Teach students Digital Responsibility and Citizenship
•      It sets a Model for Effective Change and Innovation

Cons

•    They lead to disruptions in class
•  Possible cheating on tests
•  Texting may affect spelling and writing in the classroom setting because of language used
•  Gang rivalry and  after school fights

I think that issues such as theft of phones and students not having compatible phones will have to be ironed out before  before using cellphones in the classroom. The following could also be followed:

·  Upon entry and departure of class  ensure cell phones are turned off and stored in your backpack.

·  On days when not using cell phones for learning ensure they are set to silent.

·  Only use phones for learning purposes related to classwork.

· If you notice someone in the class using their cell phone inappropriately, remind them to use proper cell phone etiquette.

·  Strong crisis communication plan must be in place for dealing with issues such as cellphone theft.

Activity 8:Managing online communication and collaboration

The use of social networks in the classroom is quite prevalent in today’s society. Such powerful technologies have their dangers and society is still struggling to react adequately to the issues raised. pupils are way ahead of us with social networking, instant messaging, text and mobile use, although many young people lack an appreciation of online dangers and of the consequences of their actions.

E-Safety encompasses not only Internet technologies but also electronic communications such as mobile phones and wireless technology. It highlights the need to educate children and young people about the benefits, risks and responsibilities of using information technology. It provides safeguards and raises awareness to enable users to control their online experiences.

The Internet is an open communications channel. The World Wide Web, e-mail, blogs and social networking all transmit information using the Internet’s communication infrastructure internationally at low cost. Anyone can send messages, discuss ideas and publish material with little restriction. These features of the Internet make it an invaluable resource used by millions of people every day.

Much of the material on the Internet is published for an adult audience and some is unsuitable for pupils. In addition, there is information on weapons, crime and racism access to which would be more restricted elsewhere. Pupils must also learn that publishing personal information could compromise their security and that of others.

Activity 7: Learning with Tablets

Learning with tablets can enable teachers to implement individualized learning curriculum more easily, freeing the teacher to produce a more effective learner experience for the class as a whole. Tablet computers open an immense range of possibilities for learning. In addition to the benefits of being green technology and digital textbooks being faster and cheaper to produce, they can eliminate the need for other single-purpose machines. With the right technical support, tablets are fairly easy to learn how to use and can be a valuable tool in lesson preparation and presentation.

Why use Tablets?

Ø  The tablets are easy to personalize, carry around and flexible to use.

Ø   The increasing megapixel count and better optics would enable teacher to utilize camera in lessons.

Ø  Tablets offer a good battery backup that last between six to ten hours on continuous usage

Ø   Tablets have limited storage capacity    

Ø  Typing long documents can prove to be difficult  so plan activities accordingly

Ø  Caters to the needs of diverse learners.

Ø  They offer enhanced ebooks featuring images, video and audio which are impossible to include in print or in a standard ebook.

Activity 6: One to One learning

One-to-one learning helps students of all ages to improve their academic performance and build their confidence as well as develop life-long learning skills.  Diagnostic evaluations, prescriptive one on one tutoring and small group activities help one to one learning to thrive. Students are able to enhance, remediate and advance their skills with One to One support due to the prescriptive nature.  

Activity5:Interactive Whiteboard

An interactive whiteboard is an instructional tool that allows computer images to be displayed onto a board using a digital projector. The instructor can then manipulate the elements on the board by using his finger as a mouse, directly on the screen. Items can be dragged, clicked and copied and the lecturer can hand write notes, which can be transformed into text and saved. Interactive whiteboards are powerful classroom tools and they have the potential to improve students’ academic performance and create various learning opportunities once they are properly integrated into teaching and learning. I think IWB's are excellent and can help to improve interactivity and collaboration once they are properly used. I have had training in using interactive whiteboards and found them to be very effective, especially when teaching difficult concepts. They can be useless tools and have the potential to impede learning if teachers do not plan carefully and manage classroom activities effectively.

Activity 4: One Computer Classroom

Understanding of one computer classrooms and how one can adopt strategies and procedures to facilitate good classroom management in such a situation is very crucial for teachers if they are to successfully implement a one-computer classroom. Concerns regarding equity, time management and computer hardware are a feature of one computer classroom. Some ideas for using a one computer classroom include:

      Use the Computer as Teacher Tool

      Use the Computer as Multi-Media Chalk Board or Flip Chart 

     Have Students use the Computer as a Tool for Individual Input as Part of a Larger Group or Class Project

      Use the Computer as Learning Center or Station 

      Use the Computer as Cooperative Learning Tool

      Have Students Use the Computer to do Individual Work for Practice or Assessment

Activity 3: Learning Labs

Learning labs are classroom areas that provide time to practice, and a safe place devoted to learning through action. In a learning lab, students explore real-life issues and develop solutions for these issues. 

You can adopt procedures to facilitate good classroom management in learning labs by:

• ·        Giving instructions BEFORE students come to the lab.
• ·         Teaching students to sit in their same seat, turn on the computer, and begin working as soon as they enter the room.
• ·         Ensuring important websites and passwords are displayed.
• ·        When giving directions in the lab, move quickly.
• ·        Always having something for students to do when they finish early
• ·        Having an alternate activity planned in case something goes wrong with your lesson
• ·        Giving meaningful, engaging assignments, preferably ones that allow students to work at their own pace.

Activity 2- Learning in ICT enabled Classroom

ICT -enabled classrooms can have advantages and disadvantages.

The advantages include active student engagement, learning of 21st century skills, flexibility and increase participation from all students.

The disadvantages of computers in the classroom include the fact that many teachers are ill-equipped to use it as a teaching tool, the Internet can pose harmful material to students, and computers can prove to be a waste of time when software is not effective. Weigh the pros and cons of having a computer in the classroom with advice from a former classroom instructor in this free video on education.

Activity 1-Principles of Classroom Management

Classroom management is a primary concern for teachers. Though classroom management success comes over time, it's important for new and experienced teachers alike to hone good classroom management skills so that they and their students can get the most out of their time together. Good classroom management boils down to a contract of mutual respect between students and the teacher -- but understanding how to draft the contract with students can be challenging at times.

Good practical measures to effectively manage classrooms in which ICT is integrated:

      ICT use policy must be clearly communicated to all students

      Students must be actively engaged at all times

      Tasks should not be set too easy or too difficult for students to complete

      Teacher should communicate all expectations clearly to students before they perform given tasks.

Plan effectively based on ICT resources that are available.