Practitioners’ skills and knowledge of ICT is critical for the effective use of ICT within education. However, studies have shown that teachers don’t feel prepared to integrate technology into their classrooms in order for students to learn new skills (Doering, Hughes & Huffman, 2003; Imbimbo, 2003; Kelceoglu, 2006; Flemming, Mota-Medi & May, 2007). It is evident that without good guidance and education about how to efficiently use computers and ICT within educational settings, practitioners tend to make their own decisions about the extent of involvement of technology within their classroom (Bolstad, R). Dockett, Perry and Nanlohy (1999) state; “These decisions are influenced by such factors as teachers’ own level of confidence with computers, and their beliefs about learning and teaching in the early childhood years”. However, this statement is more than 10-years-old, which means nowadays, practitioners would have a lot more training and guidance to ensure their knowledge and confidence of ICT is up to a standard that allows them to integrate it into their lessons.
Effective uses of ICT may include simple apps or website, such as Puppet Pals or Voki, which will encourage students to be creative. Also, by encouraging students to work in groups or in pairs, this will help develop their ability to share.
Here is an example of a Voki:
http://www.voki.com/site/pickup?scid=13646833&chsm=8ec3b5b06139bc97738114529307291e
References:
Bolstad, R. (2004). We have the technology, now what? Practitioners learning to use ICT in early childhood educational settings. The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education. 37-51.
Dockett, Perry & Nanlohy. (1999). Cited in; Bolstad, R. (2004). We have the technology, now what? Practitioners learning to use ICT in early childhood educational settings. The role and potential of ICT in early childhood education. 37-51.
Doering, A., Hughes, J., & Hu man, D. (2003). Preservice teachers: Are we thinking with technology? Journal of Research on Technology in Education, 35(3), 342–362.
Fleming, L., Motamedi, V., & May, L. (2007). Predicting preservice teacher competence in computer technology: Modeling and application in training environments. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 15(2), 207–231.
Kelceoglu, I. (2006). An exploratory study of rst-year elementary teachers’ utilization of technology. Unpublished thesis, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH.
Imbimbo, J. (2003). e voice of the new teacher. Washington, DC: Public Education Network.
I agree with Jenna, the knowledge and skills of practitioners are vital in order to use ICT effectively in the classroom. However, I do believe the skill set and expertise of practitioners vary as some have not had the training that others have had resulting in lack of confidence when using it. There is evidence that most practitioners know the basics of ICT such as using the interactive whiteboard, word processor and games via the internet, although they do recognise that development is needed in order to gain technological awareness when in the classroom. By having more training, it allows the practitioners to gain more confidence in using ICT and supply this to the children’s learning in order for them to develop and enhance their knowledge (Dahl, C, 2008).
ReplyDeleteReferences
Dahl,C. (2008). A review of the evidence on the use of ICT in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Available: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/1631/2/becta_2008_eyfsreview_report.pdf. Last accessed 16th Jan 2016.
I understand that it is crucial today for practitioners to have at least a basic understanding of ICT as it is integrated throughout the national curriculum. Also, using ICT can be beneficial to enhance the learning of students, for example through the use of interactive games or simply the interactive whiteboard. Therefore, it is appropriate to say that the more experienced and trained the practitioner is with using ICT, the more effective they will be in encouraging meaningful learning in a class of students from a generation in which technology is a fundamental part of everyday life (Leask and Pachler, 2014; Yuan and Lee, 2012).
DeleteLeask, M., & Pachler, N. (2014). Learning to teach using ICT in the secondary school : A companion to school experience (3rd ed., Learning to teach subjects in the secondary school series). London: Routledge.
Yuan, Yuan, & Lee, Chun-Yi. (2012). Elementary School Teachers' Perceptions toward ICT: The Case of Using Magic Board for Teaching Mathematics. Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology - TOJET, 11(4), 108-TOJET, 2012, Vol.11(4), p.108-118.
Although I agree that practitioners use of ICT is paramount, I also understand, many educational technologies are not being fully exploited by practitioners. Reasons for this include limited teachers’ experience with ICT and opportunities for continuing teacher education and professional development. Some Practitioners lack of background knowledge about the benefits of using ICT in educational settings and teachers’ limited skills result to a lack of confidence regarding the use of ICT (Mirzajani, 2016). It is now an obligation for practitioners and teachers especially, to undertake in service training in order to be able to deliver lessons, following the required information in the curriculum.
DeleteReferences:
Mirzajani, H,. Mahmud, R,. Ayub, Ahmad, F, M,. and Wong, S,. (2016) ‘Teachers' Acceptance of ICT and Its Integration in the Classroom’. Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 24(1), pp. 26-40.
From personal experiences at school, the use of ICT in the classroom was not as common as it is today. Even though at the end of my primary school years we had interactive whiteboards in the classroom, some teachers still preferred to teach and show examples on the whiteboard. This is possibly because they lacked in confidence when using ICT as they had not had much training, or possibly because they had been teaching for many years and liked to stick to their traditional learning styles, as this is where they were most comfortable.
ReplyDeleteRichard Adams (2014) have stated in the Guardian that there is evidence to suggest that teachers who stick to their traditional styles of learning are more likely to get students to succeed. This is because they are able to use class time more efficiently and stick to clear rules to manage the children’s behaviour. However, this can be seen as a strong debate due to other professionals believing a more ‘progressive’ style of learning is better.
What is your opinion on this?
Reference
Adams, R. (2014). Education study finds in favour of traditional teaching styles. Available: https://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/oct/31/education-traditional-teaching-versus-progressive. Last accessed 16th Jan 2016.
I agree that ICT was not commonly used during my primary school experience, and was not as commonly used in my secondary school experience as it is today. Research has found that factors such as lack of teaching experience with ICT, lack of help supervising children when using ICT, and lack of financial support all contributed to the lack of ICT used during education (Mumtaz, 2000). Research also shows that there is a relation between teachers’ ICT competence, and their use of ICT in their classroom (Wastiau et al., 2013). Therefore, it is essential that teacher’s participate in professional activities that can develop and influence their use of ICT (Fredriksson et al., 2008; Valiente, 2010).
DeleteReferences:
Fredriksson, U., Jedeskog, G. & Plomb, T. (2008) Innovative use of ICT in schools based on the findings in ELFE project, Education & Information Technologies, 13 (1), 83-101.
Mumtaz, S. (2000). Factors affecting teachers' use of information and
communications technology: a review of the literature. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education. 9 (3), 319-342.
Valiente, O. (2010) 1–1 in Education: Current Practice, International Comparative Research Evidence and Policy Implication. OECD Education Working Papers, 44 (1)
Wastiau et al. (2013). The Use of ICT in Education: a survey of schools in Europe. European Journal of Education. 48 (1), 11-27.
ICT can be found in abundance in primary school classrooms today. It has had an extensive amount of money spent on it in order to meet the national requirements set by the Government to integrate it effectively into the curriculum. Therefore, if the teacher who plans the lessons for their classes is uninterested and unskilled in using ICT, the amount of money spent on the equipment could be rendered useless and wasted (Beauchamp, 2016; Hall, 2015). Although it is fairly simple to use ICT equipment such as an interactive whiteboard, it is still the way in which the practitioner uses the technology which has an effect on a child’s learning (Crawford, 2013). Furthermore, it is important to acknowledge that there are numerous practitioners who have been teaching for years and have had success with many students throughout their career without using ICT.
DeleteBeauchamp, G. (2016) Computing and ICT in the primary school. From Pedagogy to Practice. London: Routledge.
Crawford, R. (2013). The ICT teacher's handbook : Teaching, learning and managing ICT in the secondary school (2nd ed.). London: Routledge.
Hall, D. (2015). The ICT handbook for primary teachers a guide for students and professionals (2nd ed.). Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon ; New York, N.Y.: Routledge.
Throughout my education, I have first-hand witnessed the growth of the emphasis placed on integrating ICT throughout many subjects. Personally, I feel that this has made my education more interesting and has encouraged student-led learning to the point where I have felt confident in completing assignments independently through much of my education. However, I have been lucky enough to have had teachers who have been confident in using ICT with much of the curriculum and have been set tasks using ICT in an efficient and useful way (Hammond, 2014). It is useful to note that, as claimed by a policy document from the Department for Education and Skills (2005b), a school with good ICT resources and skilled practitioners have higher achievement at key stage 2 than schools with poor ICT resources and practitioners who are untrained with ICT.
ReplyDeleteDepartment for Education and Skills (2005b). Fulfilling the potential: transforming teaching and learning through ICT in schools. London: DfES.
Hammond, Michael. (2014). Introducing ICT in Schools in England: Rationale and Consequences. British Journal of Educational Technology, 45(2), 191-201.
I agree with Ryan, technology has the capability to revolutionize teaching and learning. The integration of ICT in classrooms has the potential to develop on students ‘Twenty first century skills’. The intensity and extent to which technology is being utilized within teaching impacts on the quality of students learning (Skryabin, 2015). Practitioners skills and knowledge in the main influence on students, therefore they must provide opportunities for students to learn in an information age (Bingimlas, 2009).
DeleteReferences:
Skryabin, M,. Zhang, J,. Liu, L,. and Zhang, D. (2015) ‘How the ICT development level and usage influence student achievement in reading, mathematics, and science’, Computers & Education, 85, pp. 49-58.
Bingimlas, K, A. (2009) ‘Barriers to the Successful Integration of ICT in Teaching and Learn-ing Environments: A Review of the Literature’, EURASIA Journal of Mathematics, Science & Technology Education, 5(3), pp. 235-245.
Following on from Jenna’s main post, I believe practitioners’ skills and knowledge is very important for the effective use of ICT. Technology is becoming even more familiar within today’s society, which means it is essential practitioners are competent with using ICT in educational settings. Integrating ICT into the classroom is considered a crucial strategy for increasing the effectiveness of the teaching/ learning (Mirzajani, 2016). Practitioners who are confident with using ICT grant many benefits. An example, is time investment, if teachers put time into preparation for lessons and technological teaching styles, it could have a positive influence on their students learning and attainment. Practitioners ICT skills can be made effective by, making the lessons interesting, more interactive, more diverse, more motivating for the pupils and finally more successful. Practitioners who maintain a positive attitude towards ICT itself, will be positively disposed towards using it in the classroom (Mumtaz, 2000).
ReplyDeleteReferences:
Mirzajani, H,. Mahmud, R,. Ayub, Ahmad, F, M,. and Wong, S,. (2016) ‘Teachers' Acceptance of ICT and Its Integration in the Classroom’. Quality Assurance in Education: An International Perspective, 24(1), pp. 26-40.
Mumtaz, S. (2000) ‘Factors affecting teachers' use of information and communications technology: A review of the literature’. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education, 9(3), 319-342.
Due to technology becoming even more apparent within today's society, it is essential that practitioners and settings become familiar with technology and integrate it into their classrooms. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) demonstrates that technology needs to be used effectively in both teaching, and learning, to ensure a country provides the future workforce with the essential skills, knowledge and understanding needed for the twenty-first century (UNESCO, 2011; Younie, Leask & Burden, 2015).
DeleteTechnology has become a effective tool within science lessons in primary schools. Becta (2009: 2) suggests nine main applications and uses for ICT on science. These applications are: 1) providing information; 2) supporting fieldwork; 3) assisting obersations; 4) recording and measuring; 5) sharing data; 6) facilitating interpretation; 7) simulating experiments; 8) providing models or demonstrations; 9) enhancing publishing or presenting. All of these applications are ways to keep pupils focused and interested in lessons they may sometimes find boring.
References:
BECTa (2009) Primary Science with ICT: Pupil’s entitlement to ICT in Primary science. Conventry: Becta
United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (2011) UNESCO ICT Competency framework for teachers. Available online at: www.unesco.org/new/en/unesco/themes/icts/teacher-education/unesco-ict-competency-framework-for-teachers/. Accessed on 18tj January 2017.
Younie, S, Leask, M & Burden, K (2015). Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School. 2nd ed. Oxon: Routledge.
An example of ways in which practitioners can integrate ICT into their lessons is Kahoot. Kahoot is a free game-based learning platform that integrates fun into learning. It's very simple to use, so very minimal training is needed.
ReplyDeleteHere is an example of a Kahoot I made earlier: https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/c8eaa3ad-f237-4d79-914f-ae79476348ef
By using this form of technology in a discussion, the children will be eager to use ICT to answer the initial question. A debate could then be started depending on the answers the children give to the initial question.
From personal experiences, having observed ‘Kahoot’ being used in a primary school as an end of lesson task, I believe that it is a successful way to integrate areas of the curriculum into a playful exercise, while also testing children’s understanding of a topic. Practitioners who demonstrate their technological abilities by using new software, allows children to explore and experiment for themselves and play appears to be an arena for action and improvement (Piaget, 1999).
ReplyDeleteReference:
Piaget, J. (1999). Play, Dreams and Imitation in Childhood. (First edition 1945) London: Routledge.
It is important to understand that the use of ICT and teaching ICT are completely different. However, many practitioners argue that if ICT is being used when teaching other subjects then it is also being taught. This is usually the practitioners who do not have much skills and knowledge on the subject who think this. Although this is only really helpful when teachers reinforce what has been taught and integrate them with other lessons to practice these skills. New ICT concepts are introduced regularly and practitioners should be able to teach these to the children instead of focusing on subjects that are more natural to them. For example, teaching English is never put into question as children need to be taught how to read, write and spell and this should be the same as ICT as children need to have specialist time to learn new skills within the Technologic environment that we have today. This can only be done by practitioners having the skills and knowledge to do this, in order to teach effectively (Simmons, Hawkins, 2009).
ReplyDeleteReference
Simmons, C, Hawkins, C (2009). Teaching ICT. London: SAGE.
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ReplyDeleteAs a 90s kid, there are so many things I can connect to that 20-year-olds are missing out on due of technology.
Today's youngsters are busy playing on tabs while we built memories with nature in gardens, on streets, and in the rain with our pals.
They are playing video games on their cell phones.
Dolls are a lot of fun to play with.
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