ICT Training for Teachers

Welcome to T@LENT

Important - Talent Site No Longer Supported

NOF Funding came to an end, and with it the means to maintain this site. As a result, the various links and resources will be increasingly out of date, but we hope that the pedagogical ideas are still valid and useful. Please use the site with this in mind!

We do not intend to make any further updates to the site either to correct broken links or to improve the coding which is now seriously old-fashioned and lacking in accessibility. If however you do find anything which is seriously wrong, please send an email to the editor, who will endeavour to put things right.

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Introduction & Aims of the training

Information and Communications Technology (ICT) is widely recognised as a valuable tool for enhancing teaching and learning. The development of the National Grid for Learning offers a wealth of resources for teaching and learning and this increases the need for all teachers to be confident and competent in using ICT effectively in their teaching.

This training sets out to:

• provide teachers with the knowledge and understanding of ICT to support effective teaching;

• give teachers the opportunities for understanding the role of ICT in subject teaching;

• enable teachers to integrate ICT appropriately into curriculum activities that will meet all pupils' needs and abilities.

 TaLENT is made up of a partnership between three different training providers: London Borough of Lewisham LEA, Goldsmiths College and Lewisham College. Our model of professional development and training used is based on combined knowledge and understanding from years of highly successful experiences in supporting teachers both in their classrooms and in a wide range of professional development courses. The approach combines:

• a short taught course;

• distance learning materials;

• on-line conferencing;

• school based classroom support.

This will ensure teachers are fully supported to develop their uses of ICT to raise standards in teaching and learning, responding to individual teacher needs and learning styles.

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The Process of Learning with T@LENT

The distance learning materials have been divided up into modules and made available on-line so that you can become confident and competent in accessing information from the Internet. You will be encouraged, through each module, to access information from the Internet from a range of websites including the National Grid for Learning (NGfL) and the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTa). You will also be encouraged to engage in on-line conferencing. This will give you the opportunity to discuss issues with colleagues both inside and outside your own school.

You may find it helpful to work with another member of staff. This will facilitate discussion and may help in overcoming technical problems as they arise.

Each module builds on your growing knowledge and understanding of ICT. You should aim to complete Module 1, 2 and 3 before engaging in the taught course. The remaining modules can be completed both during and after you have completed the taught course.

The taught course will provide you with the opportunity to meet other teachers, to discuss issues and to have practical hands on experience of using software in a supported environment. The course will consist of two days training for primary teachers and one extended day for secondary teachers. This will involve:

1. seeing how to use software to support subject teaching
2. having hands on experience of using software with the support of a tutor
3. planning integrated ICT activities and identifying opportunities for assessment.

The school based classroom support will enable you to try out ICT activities in your classroom with an experienced ICT advisory teacher to help you. This will enable you to implement some of the ideas you have learned on the course in a supportive environment.

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Identifying your own ICT needs

In order that you can focus on training which will enable you to focus on your individual needs, the TTA have produced Needs Identification Materials. These materials consist of a booklet, and a separate set of CD-ROMs (primary and secondary). The materials are intended to help you identify those aspects of the use of ICT in which training would be most beneficial to your teaching. The materials will also help you to think about some of the possibilities and priorities for your training and professional development in relation to the Expected Outcomes. You may want to work through the needs identification booklet on your own or you may want to work with a colleague or group of colleagues in your school. Your Headteacher may have set aside time during an Inset day to enable you to work through the booklet. Talent Consortium has also produced audit materials which consist of two A/4 sheets and will help teachers to quickly (about 5 minutes) identify their level of confidence in different aspects of ICT. These will be sent to teachers as part of an Introductory Pack.

If you have completed the booklet, or Talent audit materials, and recognise that you already have the knowledge understanding and skills set out in the Expected Outcomes in Section 2, you will not need to engage in the NOF training. You may want to apply for another form of training, for example, an MA module offered by Goldsmiths College or diploma in ICT at Lewisham College. Equally, you may lack confidence and have very little experience of using ICT. In this case, you may want to apply additionally for a basic skills course such as those offered by Lewisham College under the ABLE programme or one of the short skills sessions offered in the ICT Centre at Lewisham Professional Development Centre.

Needs Identification materials are published in a booklet called "The use of Information Communications Technology in Subject Teaching, Identification of Training Needs, Primary (or secondary)". The booklet is available from the TTA on tel. no. 0845-606-0323 and on the TTA web site http://www.canteach.gov.uk. The material is also available on CD-ROM.

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Accreditation Routes

Once you have worked through all the modules and completed all the tasks you have various accreditation routes open to you.

Minimum Requirement to complete training:

To define completion of training Talent will expect teachers to complete and submit evidence for a subject/ICT activity planned, taught, assessed and evaluated. Teachers will need to have participated in the on-line conference and completed an Action Plan by the end of the training.

Lewisham Professional Development Portfolio:

You could submit your portfolio to your tutor to be assessed against the criteria in "The Lewisham Professional Development Portfolio". This portfolio is designed to provide a framework for professional development. It will help you track and record your professional development, identify needs and plan future training.

The portfolio is divided into sections and Section 3 "Subject Expertise" will be used to accredit Talent ICT Training.

When complete, the portfolio should be submitted to the Talent Tutor responsible for the training. The tutor will then assess the portfolio and accredit teachers with the competencies achieved. The Talent Consortium will issue a certificate of completion.

EDEXCEL Professional Development Certificate in ICT for Teachers:

The EDEXCEL Professional Development Certificate in ICT is designed primarily for teachers in employment. The award can only be achieved where the opportunity exists to use ICT in the delivery of the National Curriculum within an educational environment.

Lewisham College is investigating ways of accrediting the portfolios. One of them is the EDEXCEL Professional Development Certificate in ICT for Teachers. As T@LENT training is matched to the units in this programme, teachers completing their Portfolio may also be eligible for this qualification. Teachers having undertaken the training will need to collect a range of material to prepare for the qualification.

T@LENT are likely to offer this training free to teachers because of the funding available via the Lewisham College ABLE Initiative.

Any queries about this accreditation route should be referred to Lyn Gadd at Lewisham College on e-mail at: lga@staff.lewisham.ac.uk or telephone on: 020 8694 3256.

MA Accreditation:

Goldsmiths College will be offering teachers who take part in the Talent training the opportunity to do the MA programme in ICT.

The requirements for this would be the equivalent of 30 hours taught - we do this through our training and the use of distance learning evidenced by portfolio with an appropriately critical/analytical essay of 5000 words on the particular classroom use of ICT. This would include some relevant, referenced background reading and possibly some action research.

This would represent 1/6th of the MA and would include tutorial support. The rest of the MA must be an additional 5 modules, one could be agreed professional development - in Thurrock teachers are doing one on co-ordinating ICT and another on classroom evaluation of software.

One module would have to be a research methods module taught here at Goldsmiths the third or fourth (or fifth) would be from the full range of MA modules offered across London University - there's a huge range.

Dominic Clare runs two part-time modules (one evening per week for 12 weeks) on:

• 'Principles and Practice of IT'
• 'Developing IT';

but there are lots more.

Finally a special report (1 module) or a dissertation (double module) on any subject the teacher wants (in negotiation of course).

All the work would be moderated to ensure it is of MA standard, and credit for modules can be transferred between universities.

There is a registration fee for MA professional development modules and a fee for taught modules.

Teachers who are interested in this accreditation route should contact Dominic Clare at Goldsmiths College on e-mail at: d.clare@gold.ac.uk or telephone on: 020 7919 7758.

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T@LENT Developers Contact Details

These materials have been produced by the above developers and edited by Francis Howlett. They are copyright, but may be used for educational purposes provided their source is acknowledged. If you have any comments or corrections, please email the editor: .

All rights reserved (c) T@LENT 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002

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