`A valuable resource for all primary practitioners. This covers everything from turning on the computer, to the history of Government funding for ICT...I would recommend this as a valuable addition to staffroom resources and a friendly and accessible reference for trainee teachers? - TES website
`I have really enjoyed reading this book, it is written in a clear, non-patronising way and the use of technical jargon is avoided. The information given is really informative and the activities are ones I could genuinely use during an ICT lesson? - Janine Thornhill, Higher Level Teaching Assistant (with ICT specialism)
Looking for an easy-to-read guide to embedding ICT within the primary curriculum? This book is packed full of practical examples and suggested activities to help the busy teacher or teaching assistant.
It provides the reader with the subject knowledge they need to confidently teach ICT skills and use ICT in planning, preparation and assessment. The focus is on the difference between learning ICT skills and applying ICT, with the emphasis placed on integrating ICT into the curriculum and learning by doing.
Key features include:
-practical guidance;
-activities incorporating word processing, database, spreadsheet, graphics, control software and Internet use (including email);
-advice on how to meet Foundation Stage and the ICT QCA scheme objectives for each year of primary education.
This is an invaluable resource for trainee teachers, HLTAs and TAs, established teachers, supply teachers, ICT Coordinators and all other educational professionals involved in teaching or supporting ICT within primary education.
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The final section of this book concentrates on the ways in which ICT can successfully be integrated into the curriculum for all stages within primary education. It is divided into three chapters covering the Pre-school and Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. For each stage within primary education consideration is given to the statutory requirements for teaching ICT as well as the need to successfully apply ICT across the curriculum.
Does ICT add value to a childās education?
It is possibly rather late on in this book to ask this but nevertheless it is a vital question. For some the answer is clear: ICT is a fantastic tool that encourages innovation and benefits learning at every level. Others may feel less enthusiastic but still believe that ICT is here to stay and therefore should be used to its best advantage within education. At the other end of the spectrum there are those who are more cautious, doubting the benefits of ICT and questioning whether it does actually improve standards.
Recent research shows (Becta, 2005) that there are measurable benefits.
Schools judged by OFSTED to have very good ICT resources achieved better results than schools with poor ICT. The difference between the two groups of schools has increased in comparison with the results for the previous year. The very good ICT schools had improved their performance and the poor ICT schools had got worse overall. This difference was also seen for schools in similar socio-economic circumstances. When schools with similar socio-economic backgrounds were compared, those with good ICT resources tended to achieve better results than those with unsatisfactory ICT.
Of course there are many factors that affect performance; ICT is just one aspect. Educationalists remain divided on the benefits of ICT as an educational tool, however. Regardless of personal views, it is a fact that ICT is here to stay and our children are going to grow and develop in a world where technology plays an important part.
Embedding ICT in primary schools
The emphasis on embedding ICT within education is apparent in reports, the media and on the agendas of the major teaching conferences, but is it actually happening? A recent study carried out by Ofsted (Ofsted, 2005) found that although the use of ICT as a learning tool is on the increase, none of the schools taking part in the study embedded ICT to the extent that it was an everyday aspect of pupilsā learning.
The report came up with a number of interesting observations, including:
The involvement of senior managers, especially the head teacher, was the most critical factor in good ICT leadership.
Few schools built ICT as a tool for raising standards into their strategic planning.
Most schools made at least satisfactory curriculum provision for ICT, including some balance between teaching ICT capability and its application across subjects.
Most primary schools had a good range of hardware and software, including digital still and video cameras. However, many pupils did not have sufficient access to computers to support their learning across the curriculum on a regular basis.
The Internet was used quite extensively by older primary pupils for research in a range of subjects, while the use of IWBs in schools facilitated cross-curricular links.
It was found that in primary schools, ICT is used mainly to support English and mathematics; there was some use of ICT in other subjects but application across the curriculum is still largely undeveloped.
The aim of this part is to help teachers make ICT an everyday aspect of pupilsā learning by providing suggestions of ways in which ICT can be used across the curriculum. It is imperative that teachers move away from the mindset that they need to teach their pupils an ICT skill and instead look for meaningful ways in which that skill can be learned āon the jobā. For example, rather than teaching a class how to create a spreadsheet, the spreadsheet can be used as a means of displaying data from a science experiment.
ICT resources
There are a host of ICT resources available for primary school teachers and support staff. Some resources are free, others come at a price; some are good or even excellent and some are poor. The difficulty comes with sorting the wheat from the chaff. A simple search on the Internet will usually produce pages of matches and it can be a time-consuming exercise finding a product that is suitable.
To make life easier the government has created the Curriculum Online website to provide a comprehensive directory of products that have been assessed for quality and suitability. It has also allocated substantial funds in the form of eLCs (electronic learning credits) that can be used to purchase the resources that are included on the website. This eLC money is given directly to a school to spend on the multimedia resources they require. No transactions take place directly through the Curriculum Online site; once a product has been selected it is ordered direct from a supplier as an eLC purchase.
Free resources
As well as the resources that can be purchased with eLCs there are numerous excellent free resources available on the Internet. Again, quality can vary but by sticking with the well-known names or recommended sites it is easy and quick to build up a portfolio of educational games and simulations that can add interest to a session.
Some of the suggested activities within the following chapters include websites offering appropriate free resources. It is important to note that websites often change and links can be broken. If a link is not working, go to the home page for the site and search for the resource.
Published schemes of work
The majority of the major publishing houses have produced comprehensive learning resources for teaching ICT at primary level. These usually consist of pupil books, teacher guides and supporting CD-ROMs (compact disc read-only memory) that closely follow the QCA schemes of work. The CD-ROMs generally include simulated applications for music, control and database activities, making the overall package completely self-sufficient. Sold directly to schools some can be purchased using eLCs and although somewhat costly they can provide all the resources required to successfully integrate ICT in one convenient package. Although similar in content, the design and approach can differ and it is worth looking at a few before purchasing. HarperCollins ICT Adventure and Nelson Thornes ICT Handbooks/Integrated Tasks/Trouble shooters are two of the more popular schemes.
Ofsted, 2005 ā Embedding ICT in schools ā a dual evaluation exercise, December 2005: www.ofsted.gov.uk/publications/ index.cfm?fuseactionpubs.summary&id4128
Curriculum Online
www.curriculumonline.gov.uk
HarperCollins ICT Adventure (Elston and Orrell, 2001ā06)
www.collinseducation.com
Nelson Thornes ICT Handbooks/Integrated Tasks/Troubleshooters
www.nelsonthornes.com
Further useful sites are listed in Appendix B.
CHAPTER 9
Pre-school and Foundation Stage
This chapter is designed for those teaching children within the Foundation Stage of primary education (nursery and reception), arguably the most important pe...
