ICT in Primary Education

Coordinating ICT in the Primary SchoolLecture 1, 25th April 2012

The module

• ICT in primary education• The ed/tech ecosystem• Computers• Mobile tech• Software• Networks / The Internet• The Web• Apps• Computer Science• Programming• Curriculum development

• Models of good practice

• Resources and support

• Professional development

• Innovation and the future

Assessment

An ICT PolicyAims, pedagogy, legislation,

AUP, social networking, assessment, procurement, job

description(with links/refs please)

Outline scheme of work24 units, titles, objectives, outline of activities, resources, cross curricular links

A seminar30 minutes on an innovative

technology or pedagogic practice

Presentation slides

Handout750 words

This morning

1. ICT in teaching

2. ICT for learning

3. ICT as a subject

Moore’s Law

"Now, what I want is, Facts. Teach these boys and girls nothing but Facts. Facts alone are wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root out everything else. You can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon Facts: nothing else will ever be of any service to them. This is the principle on which I bring up my own children, and this is the principle on which I bring up these children. Stick to Facts, sir!"

1895?

1903?

1911?

1967 - Plowden

• 'At the heart of the educational process lies the child'

• 'Until a child is ready to take a particular step forward it is a waste of time to try to teach him to take it'

• 'One of the main educational tasks of the primary school is to build on and strengthen children's intrinsic interest in learning and lead them to learn for themselves'

1983

1988The National Curriculum

• Entitlement

• Standards

• Continuity and coherence

• Public confidence

1992 – Three Wise Men

Curriculum organisation and classroom practice in primary schools: a discussion paper Alexander, Rose, Woodhead (1992)

•much topic work has led to fragmentary and superficial teaching and learning

•avoid approaches which are excessively complex in order to make best possible use of the teaching time available

•a variety of teaching roles from generalist to specialist.

1995

2003

2005 – Schools White Paper

• Personalisation … means a tailored education for every child and young person

• It means every pupil being able to extend their learning and develop their interests and aptitudes

• Good schools already use ICT … to set and mark work online … and to link the classroom and home

• By 2008 all schools will be able to offer access to e-learning resources both in and out of school. We will encourage all schools … to make available a personal online space to every pupil

2008?

2009 - Rose

“The approach advocated in this report of embedding ICT throughout the primary curriculum will yield a number of benefits, such as the use of technology to develop deeper cognitive skills; education of young people so that all can use technology, with none excluded; and an informed understanding that ensures full ‘digital literacy’. Given these benefits, by the end of Year 6 primary children would be well on the way to harnessing technology for lifelong learning.”

2010 – the first 100 days

• Becta

• Rose

• Harnessing Technology

• BSF

2011

Despite their importance in balanced educational provision, we are not entirely persuaded of claims that design and technology, information and communication technology and citizenship have sufficient disciplinary coherence to be stated as discrete and separate National Curriculum ‘subjects’. We recommend that:

Information and communication technology is reclassified as part of the Basic Curriculum and requirements should be established so that it permeates all National Curriculum subjects. We have also noted the arguments, made by some respondents to the Call for Evidence, that there should be more widespread teaching of computer science in secondary schools. We recommend that this proposition is properly considered.

2012

In order to facilitate more innovative ICT provision in schools, I am proposing to make provision under the 2002 Education Act to disapply the existing ICT Programmes of Study and Attainment Targets at all four key stages, and the associated statutory assessment arrangements at Key Stage 3, from September 2012.

Under this proposal ICT would remain a compulsory subject within the National Curriculum, subject to the outcomes of the National Curriculum review. However, schools would be freed of the requirement to adhere to the existing Programmes of Study, Attainment Targets and statutory assessment arrangements.

2012

Why teach ICT?

To research more effectively; better communication skills; more efficient use of existing software skills

@simonkellis

#WhyTeachICT

Industry is screaming for ICT 'professionals' not ICT 'users'

@teraknor

#WhyTeachICT

It’s Interesting, Creative and Transformative! It's also relevant, bridges generation gaps and is future focused and driven!

@clareire

#WhyTeachICT

To connect us with the global community and enable children to be passionate about its potential to develop for the future

@dawnhallybone

#WhyTeachICT

It’s the only truly innovative subject - new resources produced every day

@goodallict

#WhyTeachICT

Because it is the most exciting, magic & possibly even life changing subject in the curriculum!

@janewoods3

#WhyTeachICT

You stay warmer in the winter than PE teachers

@simon_elliott

#WhyTeachICT

Don't ... Support it instead. Far more fun ;-)

@grumbledook

#WhyTeachICT

Information and communication technology (ICT) prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technology. Pupils use ICT tools to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information responsibly, creatively and with discrimination. They learn how to employ ICT to enable rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures. Increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with pupils being able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to best effect, and to consider its implications for home and work both now and in the future.

DfES/QCA 1999

The Importance of ICT

ICT has enormous potential not just for a National Curriculum. It will change the way we learn as well as the way we work.

Chris Yapp, ICL Fellow for Lifelong Learning

The Importance of ICT

The modern world requires new skills. Understanding ICT and, more importantly, being able to apply it to the problems we face is one of the most important. Increasingly ICT will be vital for our individual prospects and for our economy’s future.

Lord Dennis Stevenson, Prime Minister’s Adviser on ICT and Education

The Importance of ICT

ICT expands horizons by shrinking worlds.

David Brown, Chairman, Motorola Ltd

The Importance of ICT

With scientific method, we took things apart to see how they work. Now with computers we can put things back together to see how they work, by modelling complex, interrelated processes, even life itself. This is a new age of discovery, and ICT is the gateway.

Douglas Adams, Author

The Importance of ICT

To argue against the importance of ICT in the primary curriculum is to ignore the increasing digitisation of information worldwide. This will require digital literacy of all children for their full participation in society.... In all branches of knowledge, all professions and all vocations, the effective use of new technologies will be vital. Children not only need to learn to use specific devices and applications, they also need to understand the fundamental concepts of safe and critical use.

Sir Jim Rose, 2009

The Importance of ICT

dICTatEd

http://www.med8.info/qqa/

(select Roehampton)

Aims

• To develop confident, safe and independent users of technology.

• To develop the knowledge and understanding needed to apply and develop technological solutions purposefully and creatively.

• To build knowledge and understanding of how hardware and software works and is made.

Young people have huge appetites for the computing devices they use outside of school. Yet ICT and Computer Science in school seem to turn these young people off. We need school curricula to engage them better if the next generation are to engineer technology and not just consume it

Matthew Harrison, Royal Academy of Engineering, 2010

And yet…

Learners and technology 7-11

“At present it would seem that there is little enthusiasm or excitement amongst primary pupils about ICT uses related to formal education.”

•Draw on the best elements of home ICT, above and beyond games and passive consumption

•Cultures of trust

•Enthuse children about learning with ICTs

Cranmer, Potter & Selwyn (2008)

Ofsted 2011• Most of the Key Stage 1 pupils observed were able to

learn programming through devising and testing sequences of instructions for floor robots. However, in Key Stage 2, pupils in the majority of schools visited had insufficient opportunities to develop their understanding and use of programming, and data logging and handling.

• In schools where teaching and learning were judged to be satisfactory or inadequate, less confident teachers took a rigid and prescribed approach to lessons in case they were unable to respond to the more advanced questions from pupils.

• Where the curriculum was inadequate, schools were not delivering the full National Curriculum and were failing especially to deliver the requirements in the more demanding areas of data handling and logging. In one school pupils reported that they learned more about ICT at home than at school.

Teachers using ICT with learners

Strongly agree:ICT makes learning more

effective

ICT has a positive impact on pupils’ attainment

The overwhelming message is that most pupils and teachers have found the introduction of ICT into the classroom a positive development, motivating pupils and teachers alike and changing radically the learning experiences of both.

The literature contains a great deal of persuasive argument that ICT is valuable in improving learning, teaching, motivation and achievement

It is not easy to determine causal relationships between a single initiative and any observed changes in behaviour or achievement.

‘Does technology improve learning?’ is not a straightforward question with a straightforward answer. Indeed a mass of conflicting debates and arguments surround this topic.

Digital technology will not automatically support and enhance learning processes unless some thought is given to the ‘goodness of fit’ between the learning task and the learning technology.

Many debates over technology and learning appear to be driven by wider beliefs of what constitutes ‘good’ or ‘desirable’ learning.

Counter arguments

Counter arguments

• Children spend too long in front of screens anyhow

• They’re digital natives – they can do all this already

• It’s boring

• Literacy and numeracy are more important

• It doesn’t need to be on the curriculum as it’s already embedded

• The web isn’t a safe place for children

• It’s a waste of money

• It doesn’t raise attainment

ICT Policies

• St Bede’s: http://is.gd/fA1G4u

• Crick: http://is.gd/39hJP2

• St John the Baptist: http://is.gd/AEDuSy

Or just Google primary school ICT policy

Your policy:

• A school ICT policy, which should include the following elements:

• The aims of ICT education

• Guidance on pedagogic approach

• Coverage of relevant legislation specific to ICT

• An acceptable use policy in appropriate language for primary pupils

• Advice to teachers on the use of social networking sites

• Statements detailing the assessment of ICT

• Specific guidance on how ICT can support inclusion

• Criteria on which resource procurement decisions are to be based

• A job description of the ICT or e-learning coordinator

• As assessed work, this should be supported by reference to academic or professional literature