ICT Training for Teachers

Talent Guide

Conference Area

ICT Tasks

Glossary of terms

References

ICT Competencies

Resources to Download

ICT Tasks

Module 1: Why use ICT?

Task 1

Before you start on the tasks, make sure you have a copy of the Checklist to record your progress. You will find this in your pack, and you can download a copy by clicking here.

Define a clear rationale for using ICT in your own school context. In this you should give a clear indication of how you see ICT enhancing teaching and learning within the English, Maths and Science curriculum and the six areas of learning within the Foundation stage. You should include existing good practice and opportunities you consider possible. You may find you will return and amend this rationale when you have completed other aspects of the course and have a more in-depth understanding of a wider range of ICT resources.

Use a word processor or Proforma to write up your work. Keep the document in your portfolio.

Click here for a Proforma to record your notes.

Task 2

Write down the ICT resources you are most familiar with and those you would like to learn more about. You can write this up using a word processor or as a table in a spreadsheet. Headings would be:

1. ICT resources I have used;

2. ICT resources I’d like to know more about;

3. ICT resources I’d like to use but are not available in school.

You may need to talk to your ICT Co-ordinator to find out what is available. If you have a school list of resources, you could highlight those resources which you have used/would like to use.

Keep the results in your portfolio.

Click here for a Proforma to record your notes.

Module 2: The Use of Generic Resources

Task 3

Consider the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT resources for a literacy activity.
View the DfES produced CD-ROM "Use of ICT in the Literacy Hour"; choose four examples and comment on the advantages and disadvantages of using ICT.

Click here for a Proforma to record your notes.

Task 4

Foundation Stage

Create an activity that will allow pupils to explore and discover the use of icons and tools in generic software (such as AppleWorks, Microsoft Office).

Examples:

• Sort graphics such as clip art having designed a template
• Use painting and drawing to allow pupils to produce representational drawings of themselves or an object of their interest (toy, animal, vehicle etc.)

Key Stages 1 and 2

Create an activity that will encourage pupils to sort and classify in different ways.

Example for KS1

Sorting shapes
Make the following headings out of card: (‘2D shapes’ and ‘3D shapes’) or (‘large’ and ‘small’, ‘symmetrical’ and ‘not symmetrical’, etc.). Your pupils can think of other headings or groups for the shapes. Give your pupils a collection of shapes (for example, a collection of books) to sort out for specific headings. Once they have finished sorting, help them create a database to catalogue the shapes using a suitable piece of software (e.g. ‘First Workshop’). You will probably need to prepare the Database for very young children. Ask other pupils to try out the database.

• What fields are you going to use?
• How can you sort the data in different ways?
• Did they find it easy to use?
• What, if any, were the difficulties?
• How could you improve the task?
• What skills did the pupils use and what skills did they learn?

Extension activity: Depending on the age and experience of your pupils, they can find additional information.

E.g. contains a right angle, number of sides, number of faces, number of equal sides etc.

You could change the fields in the database and ask your pupils to enter the additional data.

Example for Key Stage 2

Animals and their Habitats
Make the following headings out of card: ‘Desert’; ‘Jungle’; ‘Ocean’; ‘Prairie’; ‘Polar Regions’; ‘Mountains’ (you can add other habitats if you wish, depending on the age and experience of the pupils).

Set these headings out on a table. Give your pupils a collection of cards with pictures (or names) of animals and ask them to sort them into their correct habitat. It is useful to have reference books or CD-ROMs available for the children to use to check their work. Once they have finished sorting, help them create a directory of ‘Animals and their Habitats’ using a database. Ask other pupils to try out the directory.

• What fields are you going to use?
• How can you sort the data in different ways?
• Did they find it easy to use?
• What, if any, were the difficulties?
• How could you improve the task?
• What skills did the pupils use and what skills did they learn?

Extension activity: Pupils could also find out the characteristics that help these animals survive in their habitats. This could be added to the database already created. Get pupils to think about how the database could be altered to add in this new data.

Pupils in Upper KS 2 could plan and set up their own database, deciding on fields, to answer a question that they have come up with, such as 'Do the tallest people have the longest legs?'

Keep a record of your work in your portfolio.

Task 5

Create an activity that will encourage pupils to predict and model e.g. using ‘Pixies’, ‘Roamers’, ‘Pips’ or spreadsheets.

Examples for Foundation Stage/Key Stage 1

Create a route for ‘Pixies’, ‘Roamers’ or ‘Pips’ for pupils to work out how to navigate it.

Use number tiles or create your own templates to the size of Pixie, Pip or Roamer. Place them on a table or the floor and encourage children to program the toy to travel to and from specific locations. You can use numbers on the tiles to encourage and develop use of number operations. Pupils can design their own routes using tiles and navigate how to travel around them.

Dressing Teddy (in the Foundation Stage resources folder on the conference site)

Example for Key Stage 1/lower Key Stage 2

Create an activity using a spreadsheet which allows pupils to explore relationships between numbers.

There are some examples in the Resources folder on the conference site.

Example for upper Key Stage 2

Try setting up a spreadsheet to calculate the cost of a class party.

Think about what food and drink will be needed. You will also need to consider how much of each item will be required. Write a formula to give you a total. Write a second formula to calculate the difference between the amount you have to spend and the amount you have spent. You can then use the spreadsheet model to work out how much you can spend on each item without spending too much. If you have spent too much you will need to cut down on some items. Keep changing the amounts until you have spent within budget and have the items you require for the party. Have fun!

Keep the results of your work in your portfolio.

Task 6

Show evidence of using generic software to support professional efficiency e.g.

• Letters
• Reports
• Spreadsheets to record and analyse pupil progress/assessment
• Rotas/class lists
• Schemes of work
• Policies
• Databases (e.g. SENCO, IEPs)
• Attendance data (using school admin. database)

Module 3: The use of subject specific ICT resources

Task 7

Select either a piece of software, a CD-ROM or a web site you plan to use as part of an activity and evaluate it using the following questions to help you.

Design

• Do children find it easy to work out how to use it?
• Is it fairly self-explanatory?
• Is it easy to navigate - can children use it independently?
• Is it straightforward to enter data or instructions?
• Does it give feedback, if so what kind?
• Can you customise it to suit the needs of the children you are working with?

Content

• Are there useful support materials which come with the package?
• Is the language and information suitable for the age range and special needs of the children you are working with?
• Is the content non-sexist? Are both girls and boys in active, positive roles? Is the subject interesting and motivating to both sexes? (this doesn’t apply to generic software)
• Does it encourage cultural diversity?
• Is it relevant to your scheme of work?
• What links are offered to others sites? (web sites only)

Teaching and Learning

• How long will it retain children’s attention, interest and motivation?
• Does it support a range of teaching and learning styles and models of classroom management?
• Does it encourage open or closed responses from pupils?
• Will it support the learning of less able pupils?
• Can it extend the learning of highly able pupils?
• Will it support and enhance teaching? In what way?
• Does it support the teaching of Literacy and Numeracy?

Click here for a Proforma to record your notes on evaluating resources.

Click here for a Proforma to record your notes on evaluating web sites.

Module 4: Planning for and managing the use of ICT

Task 8

Plan an ICT activity in the context of English, Maths or Science. Use the planning Proforma in the appendix to the Lewisham publication 'Ideas for integrating ICT into the primary and secondary classroom'.

Click here to see examples of lessons developed by Lewisham teachers, their activity planner and resources.

The following is a list of headings in the Proforma plus short explanations

ICT Task: Name of task

Year Group: Year group the task is designed for

Resources: ICT and subject context resources required for the activity

Consolidation/Focus: Which subject is the focus for teaching and which subject is being consolidated by the activity.

The context (pupils’ prior experience): Description of the prior knowledge, skills and understanding (in both the subject context and ICT) the pupils will be expected to have before they attempt to engage with the activity.

Task description: Description of the task pupils will carry out.

Learning intentions (skills, knowledge and understanding for the subject and ICT separately): List of the learning intentions for ICT and for the subject context in which the activity takes place. The learning intentions should be grouped into three levels to represent what children, in three ability ranges, might be expected to know and do at the end of each activity.

Teaching approach: Outline how teachers managed the activity in the classroom, for example, where whole class teaching was used, how pupils were grouped and how the activity was differentiated.

Subject learning gains: Give the main reasons for using ICT in this/these lessons. Make explicit the benefits of using ICT over other methods.

Form of assessment: Indicate the form of assessment to be used, for example, teacher observation, peer/self assessment and/or teacher/child discussion.

• Click here for a Lesson Plan Proforma
• Click here for an ICT activity planner for KS 1 & 2
• Click here for an ICT activity planner for the Foundation Stage
  

Task 9

Log on to the Becta site and use it to review your school Health & Safety policy:

http://www.becta.org.uk

You will need to address ICT related Health & Safety issues when planning your lessons; the examples below could provide the evidence:

Design a poster for your room that encourages pupils to use computers safely. Use a desktop publishing program to publish a professional looking poster. Put your poster on the wall in your classroom and keep a copy of your work in your portfolio.

Do you have guidelines on the safe use of the computer suite? If so, include them in your portfolio; if not, perhaps you and your group could write them.

Module 5: Teaching and Assessing the use of ICT

Task 10

Teach the activity you planned in Task 8, Module 4.

If you have not already downloaded it, you should click here for the Lesson Plan Proforma used in Task 8.

Reflect on how you taught the activity and the role you adopted.

Write up your work using the teacher evaluation proforma.

Keep your reflections in your portfolio. Include evidence of the pupils’ work and any materials you produced to teach the lesson.

Task 11

Assess the pupils' work done in response to the activity you wrote for for Task 8, Module 4. Make notes on how you assessed this. Were there any gaps in the evidence you needed to make a judgement about pupils’ attainment?

If so, you may find it helpful to create a reflective writing frame to help pupils reflect on their work and help inform your assessment. Have a go at creating a frame and give it to the children to write up their work. The writing frame proforma (pupil diaries) printed in the Lewisham publication may help you to construct your own.

• Click here to download a sample Computer Diary KS1 (Word format).
• Click here to download a sample Computer Diary KS2 (Word format)

You could use a desktop publisher to create your frame. Try to add some appropriate pictures that will help children access the questions, particularly children with special educational needs or children with EAL.

Alternatively, you could also use a multimedia program like HyperStudio, to create a ‘speaking’ writing frame.

When all the pupils have finished their reflections, use their write-ups to help inform your assessment of their attainment. Keep a record of assessments for your whole class.

You might want to record assessments on the 'ICT Work Sample and Assessment' Proforma, which you can download from this site, or photocopy from the Lewisham publication.

Task 12

You will have had several opportunities during your training to engage in an on-line discussion on issues related to teaching and learning.

Collate/print evidence of the contributions you have made to the conference site on at least 2 occasions. Instructions for logging onto an on-line discussion are outlined below:

1. Read all the instructions before clicking on the link!
2. Click on Conference Area here or at the top of each page.
3. This will take you to a Welcome page which lists all the different Conference areas. The conferences are arranged in folders, and the Welcome page has a direct link to each of them, as well as to your Talent mailbox. There are some Help pages as well.
4. Click on the conferencing area that you wish to enter. You could start with the Primary Curriculum to look at the range available, or go straight to a subject area. Don't forget that you have your own personal Talent mailbox!
5. When prompted, type in your user name and password.
6. Once you have logged onto the Conference area you can use the browser buttons to jump in and out of the Conference and choose different folders using the Welcome page, or you can move around inside the Conference area using the Conference navigation buttons.
   
7. Print out your contributions from your mailbox and add them to your portfolio.

NB To do this, navigate to the conference desktop, click on mailbox and open your message. You will see the full text of your message. Click on File and Print. (If you print your message at the earlier stage, you could find that only part of the message is visible in the window.)

Module 6: Evaluating the Impact of ICT and Planning for Future Development

Using the evidence in your portfolio, evaluate the impact of ICT on teaching and learning in your classroom over the duration of your NOF ICT training. The framework below is offered as a guide.

Reflect on the rationale you wrote at the start of your NOF training (Module 1).
What changes or additions would you make to it now? Why?

Reflect on the use of generic resources in your lessons. (Module 2)
How has the use of generic resources made a difference to your teaching and pupils' learning?
Using a word-processor... Using a database... Using a spreadsheet... Using the Internet...

Reflect on the software, and/or Internet sites you have evaluated or used in your training. (Module 3)
How has the use of subject specific software, other ICT resources or Internet sites made a difference to your teaching and pupils' learning?

Reflect on the lesson(s) you planned, taught and evaluated; and the pupils' work that you assessed. (Modules 4 & 5)
What benefits or impact did ICT have on the pupils' work?

Click here for a Proforma to record your notes.

Task 14

Using the following prompts to start your thinking for this Task:

• Revisit the audit form you completed at the beginning and reflect on any progress you have made. In which three areas of your ICT training do you feel you have made most progress?
  
  
• Consider the term ahead, how do you plan to use your knowledge, skill and understanding of ICT to enhance your teaching?
  What areas of the use of ICT would you like to make further progress?
  
  
• What do you think would be the expected impact of further professional development on teaching and learning?
  

Write an action plan using the following headings. You could use the Proforma provided or a word processor or spreadsheet to help you.

1. Areas in which I have made progress
2. Targets (max. 3 per year)
3. Planned Reading/Action/Activity
4. Others involved
5. Timing
6. Expected Impact on Teaching and Learning

Finally, review the rationale you wrote for using ICT in Task 1, Module 1. What changes have you made in the light of what you have learned during this course?

Click here to download the Proforma if you have not done so already.

Discuss with your Talent tutor whether the evidence in your portfolio can be submitted for further nationally recognised accreditation:

e.g. The Professional development certificate in ICT for Teachers
or The MA Education at Goldsmiths College.

  Task 15

You have now reached the end of your NOF training and should be ready to submit your portfolio.

Use the checklist you were given in your introductory pack to make sure that you have all the evidence you need for your portfolio. Evidence should be clearly labelled with the task number.

Give your portfolio to your Talent School Co-ordinator who will arrange for the Talent advisory teacher to look at it before awarding your NOF completion certificate and any other accreditation.