Module 10 Final Reflection

The module was quite timely and relevant to what is happening on the ground here in Antigua and Barbuda and it proved to be a fitting end to the course.

I wish to thank the Commonwealth of Learning for the foresight and innovativeness regarding the use of ICTs for teaching and learning and for empowering me to empower others.

Module 10 Activity 4 Choosing Your Focus

It is imperative that as a school plans for the integration of ICTs into the curriculum, it has to be cognizant of the focus that it needs to have.  The school will first need to examine the issues and principles surrounding integration and make decisions as to the way forward. One of the main issues to be considered is whether or not ICTs in the curriculum must start with the curriculum.  Should there be a curriculum review to incorporate ICTs or do individuals in the school simply need to know basic computer skills?

Another focus should be on the principles of teaching and learning that will influence the integration of ICTs.  Pedagogical underpinnings will follow here.  The school will need to decide on the outcomes that it needs from the integration process and work towards it.

Teachers in the integration process will also need to determine the learning outcomes of using ICTs in their subject disciplines.  Will it be to enhance, replace, extend or reinforce learning or will it be a combination of these?  These are tough questions which need to be answered but which are integral to the approach that teachers take in the process.

To top the process is the need for the school to create an ICT policy and work towards it.  It will mean input from all stakeholders towards the development of a school that is 21^st Century ready.

Module 10 Activity 7 Budgeting and Fundraising

For any new initiative, whether it is at a school or other institution, there must be some idea of the cost that will be incurred as a result of the venture.  Integrating ICTs into a school is no exception and the fact that is usually a costly venture, there is a need to budget. 

When budgeting for ICTs at school, it is important that the items that are needed are identified, prioritized and budgeted. In doing so, one must identify sources of funding and or donations so that the needs can be met. School fundraising activities will also form an integral part of the procurement process since the proceeds from such activities may be used to significantly offset the cost of the integration process. It is imperative that a fundraising plan be created by the school in order to map out the paths that the fundraising strategy will take.

Once the budgeting and fundraising plans are in place, the school can then move on to the next phase in the bid to integrate ICTs into the teaching and learning process as well as in the management of the school.

Module 10 Activity 6 Plan of Action

My school is working towards the integration of ICTs in its curricula as well as for the management of the school.  To this end, an ICT development plan was formulated with a view to creating an ICT policy governing ICTs and their use at the school.  The plan is a work in progress and will be upgraded as more decisions are made regarding the use of ICTs.  The following is the plan of action for my school:

Plan of action

1.     Already achieved in my ICT priority area

All teachers have laptops for teaching Multimedia projector is available for use by teachers Some integration of ICTs in curriculum areas Wireless Internet access High density computer labs Students BYOD – tablet devices Creation of draft ICT Policy Teachers have varying levels of ICT training ICTs are integrated in some lessons

2.     In the process of doing in my ICT priority area

More training in ICT integration for teachers Procurement of more ICT resources Finalizing the school’s ICT policy Creating an ICT task force to manage ICTs at the school Training of administration staff in use of ICTs

3.     Still to be done in my ICT priority area

Training in assessment using ICTs Procurement of ICT resources to cater for students with special needs Creating a school website for access by parents and other stakeholders Continuous training in ICT integration Continuous training of administrative staff Technical support staff to be drafted Formation of linkages with corporate citizens to secure continuous funding for ICT resources

Module 10 Activity 5 Draft ICT Policy

Having conducted a SWOT analysis at my school, it was evident that there is a need for an ICT policy to address the use of ICTs at the school. These areas include staff development, ICT integration, access by all , assessement methods and procurement of ICT resources. To this end, my draft policy will include (but not limited to) the following:

Staff Development

All staff will be aware and guided by mission and ICT vision of the school

a.       Teachers

                                 i.            Mandatory assessment of teachers’ ICT capabilities with a view to meet those needs.

                               ii.            Mandatory enrolment in online courses in ICTs which are supported by the school

                              iii.            Assessment using ICTs

                             iv.            Monitoring and evaluation

                               v.            Trained in Education Management Information System (EMIS)

b.      Administrators

                                 i.            Trained in Education Management Information System (EMIS) for record keeping and generation of records, reports etc.

                               ii.            Use of ICTs to keep track of equipment, furniture stationery and books

                              iii.            Use of ICTs for communicating with parents, stakeholders

Curriculum

a.       Curriculum be revised to include pedagogy involving the use of ICT

b.      ICTs are integrated in curriculum areas

c.       Development of communities of practice (CoP) for the continuous exchange of best practices in curriculum integration

d.      The practical skills of blogging, podcasting, ethical use of social networking must be inculcated for learners.         

Assessment

a.       Teachers be trained in the use and delivery of assessment methods involving ICTs

b.      Learners assessed using ICTs

c.       Software be upgraded on a continuous basis to accommodate assessment using ICTs

ICT Resources

Use and safety policy should be in place to govern the use of resources.

a.       ICT devices in each classroom

b.      Media room

c.       Appropriate software to supplement teaching and learning

ICT Access (staff, learners, community)

a.       Access to the internet

b.      Access to ICTs on the compound outside of class time (access policy)

c.       Special needs children

Module 10 Activity 3 Planning for ICTs in your school

School’s General Vision

The school envisions a learning community in which all stakeholders work collaboratively as active partners to support and enhance continuous student achievement and professional growth of the staff in the process of nation building.

School’s ICT Vision

ICT will be used effectively to enhance teaching and learning in all areas of the school, to support collaborative and co-operative learning, to develop higher order thinking skills, to assess learning and to help all students realize their educational and social potential.

Alignment between the general vision and its ICT-specific vision:

The SWOT analysis revealed that the school’s general vision focuses on the enhancement of continuous student achievement and professional growth of staff but it does not specifically state how this will be done.  It may be argued that ICTs play a leading role in the development of students and teachers in the school, but as they are written, both visions are not specifically aligned in the role that ICTs will play. This non-alignment of the visions would most likely result in ad hoc ICT planning and development at the school. To this end, there will be a need to align the school’s general vision and the ICT vision so that together they will clearly form the guiding principle in the work that needs to be done in ICT at the school

Module 10 Activity 2 A Vision for school ICT Policy

Ten years from now, I envisage ICTs being fully integrated into the school’s curriculum as well as being the driving force for the school’s day to day operation.  Learning using ICTs will be anytime anywhere learning.  The school would have implemented ways for the ICTs to be fully integrated into the curriculum and students to use ICTs for effective learning.  The schools vision for ICT will reflect national as well as international needs so that the students will fit seamlessly into any society.

Issues to include are:

·         ICT vision, mission, rationale

·         The need for learners to be autonomous in learning

·         The teachers role will be on managing learning

·         A competence-based curriculum apportions knowledge where it has a relevance to the

competencies which are being taught.

·         Usage of ICT for students, teachers and administrators

·         ICTs for special needs and exceptional students

·         Health and safety issues

·         Internet acceptable use policy

·         World wide web use, email and chat policy

·         sanctions

·         Agreement forms for children and Permission forms for parents

Module 10 Activity 1 Phase of ICT Use

ICT use in my school places it at the applying phase.  Staff and students have started using ICTs for teaching and learning in a number of ways since they have access to ICTs at school as well as at home. Teachers have been issued with laptops for teaching and students in grades 8 to 11 have been issued with tablets for learning.

The school has ICT devices in the computer labs which are basically used for Information technology, a subject being offered at the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) level. The labs are also available for use by staff and students outside of scheduled class time once the room is booked in advance for that purpose. Classrooms are not equipped with computers but teachers may use their laptops with multimedia projector to teach their lessons. In addition, the school is equipped with wireless internet technology which enables teachers to set tasks and students to complete tasks requiring its use. Teachers generally use ICTs to prepare and teach certain aspects of their lessons, conduct research, keep records and create learning resources for their students. Some teachers, especially the more mature ones, are still hesitant in using ICT to teach for fear of being ridiculed by the students who might have more knowledge about ICTs than they do. Teachers have been exposed to the use of ICTs for teaching but some of them are afraid of changing the way that they teach. They are reluctant to move away from the teacher-centred classroom (familiar territory) to a more student-centred environment (unfamiliar territory). There is still a need for ICT integration in the teaching and learning process at my school.

School administrators, on the other hand, use ICTs for report generation, record keeping, assessment and other word processing tasks that are required on a day to day basis.  

Module 8 Activity 10 The Flipped Classroom

The flipped classroom is a teaching approach which involves a reverse of the traditional lecture and homework.  Students watch video lectures and complete tasks on their own after which they would interact with the teacher in the classroom to deal with concepts that they do not understand. The video lecture is often seen as the key ingredient  in the flipped approach, such lectures being either created by the teacher and posted online or selected from an online repository. The value of a flipped class is in the repurposing of class time into a workshop where students can inquire about lecture content, test their skills in applying knowledge, and interact with one another in hands-on activities. During class sessions,the teacher functions as a coach or advisor, encouraging students in individual inquiry and collaborative effort.

The flipped classroom is one that I would employ because it encourages constructivism at home for the students as well as collaboration when they get back to the classroom. The teacher is able to determine those students who have grasped concepts and those who need individual assistance in dealing with the learning.

Module 8 Activity 9 Cellphones in the classroom

Cellphones are not allowed in schools in Antigua and Barbuda but their use for learning cannot be ignored.  The potential for cellphones  in the classroom is vast. Students can use them to check for facts, to do research or search for specific information, take pictures of the black/whiteboard for reference later on and to check blogs, emails among other things. They are fully mobile and ubiquitous and most students have cellphones. The cellphone possibilities are endless and perhaps if given the chance it could enhance learning in schools in Antigua and Barbuda. One important consideration is that schools will have to put measures in place to control their use and limit them to the learning at hand.

Module 8 Activity 8 Managing online communication and collaboration

In light of the paradigm shift to ICT for learning, it is important that teachers craft learning experiences that involve a number of communication tools to include emails, blogs, instant messaging and cell phones.  Teachers have to be aufait with these tools to be able to effectively incorporate them into the classroom. In addition, schools that are desirous of using social networks for learning should have comprehensive e-safety policies to guide staff, students and parents on acceptable use of the network.

Module 8 Activity 7 – Tablet Devices in the Classroom

Tablet devices allow teachers to pursue individualized learning curriculum.  In addition, their use prevents classroom segregation and conflict since the students are free to pace themselves as they engage in tasks. The teacher will be free to work with different ability groups without moving too slowly for the quicker students or too fast for the slower students. The table initiative in Antigua and Barbuda with students in grades 8-11 receiving a tablet has made it possible for teachers to cater for the individual needs of their students. 

As a teacher, I will employ the following strategies in my class:

1.            Create standardized backgrounds for students’ tablets that include their names, ID numbers and other distinguishing information that can help in the location of misplaced devices.

2.            Set rules for the use and safety of the devices with the help of the students (especially if they are issued by the school).

3.            Make students work at their own pace.  The tablet provides an opportunity for differentiated instruction.

4.            Create enabling environments for use of the tablets by keeping the students engaged in inquiry based learning. This will prevent students from ‘straying’ from the learning.

5.            Select the appropriate apps needed for the learning in advance and ensure that only those selected are used for the activities.

Tablets are known to enable students to become producers and creators rather than passive consumers of knowledge. Students are ‘forced’ to employ 21st century skills such as critical thinking and problem solving when faced with inquiry-based and other forms of active learning in the classroom

Module 8 Activity 6 one-to-one learning

One to one computing learning is one in which each student works independently on a device at home or at school.  Ubiquitous learning is encouraged and there is an attempt to bridge the digital divide between those who can afford and those who cannot afford the devices.  In addition, differentiated learning is encouraged since students are able to learn at their own pace based on their needs.  The use of technology encourages students to become more engaged in the lesson and participate more in class.  On the down side, however, most one-to-one implementation strategies are based on the new tool as the focus of the program. Unless teachers break out of the limited vision that one-to-one computing is about the device, schools are doomed to waste their resources.

Technology will not be in every classroom and there are some principles learnt in the one to one vision that may be implemented in the classroom without technology. Chief among them is the need for teachers to continuously develop and be prepared at all times.  In this way, the learning will be focussed and the tasks meaningful. In addition, it is important that the students manipulate the learning as much as possible, using critical thinking and problem solving skills.

Module 8 Activity 5 Interactive Whiteboards

Interactive whiteboards are useful tools in a classroom with limited computers.  It is a great tool in a one computer classroom where the teacher can connect the computer to the board for projection so that a large number of students can view the lesson at the same time. The availability of presentation software will provide students with the opportunity to manipulate the learning and as a result keep them engaged. The effective use of the interactive whiteboard means that the teacher must employ the 5 p’s of success which are ‘proper planning prevents poor performance’ in order for the teaching learning process to be effective.

Module 8 Activity 4 The One Computer Classroom

The one computer in a classroom can be used by teachers to maximize learning if proper planning is done.  The fact that there is only one computer means that the teacher will have to find innovative ways of using the computer to enhance learning for all students. One great way of using the one computer in a classroom is to use it as a tool for instruction.  The teacher will project aspects of the lesson on the computer to a larger screen for the whole class to see. In cases where printing is possible, the teacher could make individual students print the work so that they can have their individual copies for the tasks at hand.

It may also be used as a resource tool for learners to prepare work and interact with the learning as well as a tool to improve social skills especially when learners are given tasks that they are required to do in groups. This fosters collaboration and sharing.

What transpires with the one computer in the classroom is dependent upon the teacher’s ability to plan and be innovated and creative to make teaching effective and learning improved.

Module 8 Activity 3 Learning Labs

Learning labs are usually associated with subject areas that specifically require the use of ICTs to negotiate the subject, for example, Information Technology. It is usually a room that has individual computer units set out presumably for individual use.  What appears to be missing is the fact that ICTs should be a part of the teaching/learning process and should form part of any subject curriculum with the ultimate aim of improving learning.  This means that computers should not only be restricted to learning labs but should be a part of every classroom so that they may be accessed readily by learners whenever the need arises.

If schools have learning labs as the only means of accessing ICTs, then careful management of same should be emphasized. The design and layout must carefully be considered so that collaboration among learners could be fostered. The lab should also be easily accessible to learners whenever they need to do individual work.

Module 8 Activity 2 Learning in ICT enabled classrooms

Learning in the 21st century is supported by ICT enabled classrooms where students are continuously engaged and responsible for their own learning. I do believe that students learn better when they are involved in the learning and the presence of ICTs create such an environment. This suggests a student-centred environment where the teacher acts as a facilitator and /or guide in the learning process.

In the ICT enabled classroom, teachers and students are exposed to a wealth of information in various subject areas through the Internet and the World Wide Web. They do not have to rely on books and magazines from libraries or other sources which may be outdated or unavailable due to limited copies.  The students are also exposed to a number of media to source information. In addition, ICT facilitates access to resource persons and other professionals around the world.

While the pros for ICT enabled classroom are numerous, we must also bear in mind the high cost of hardware and software, maintenance cost as well as the need for training and support of teachers to use it for teaching and learning. Teachers will have to effectively plan for the incorporation of ICTs in their lessons.

Module 8 Activity 1 Classroom Management Principles

As a practitioner for quite a number of years, I have come to realize that effective management of any classroom requires putting measures in place to reduce or prevent disruptions from occuring rather than to use alot of time to try and quel the disruptions. This would involve employing certain measures in the classroom that would focus the students' attention on the tasks at hand rather than to have time on their hands for disruptive behaviour. I believe in having an orderly classroom and I enforce this by setting rules and ensuring that they are understood and adhered to. Another measure that I practise is that of ensuring that I have all students attention before commencing a task. This gets them ready and focused for the task at hand. This is quite an effective measure for my classroom since I do not have to wait for the students to focus. As soon as I step into the classroom, the students become attentive. Another good practice is that of calling students by name to answer questions.  In this way, they will not know when they will be called to respond to a question and as a result will have to keep abreast of what is happening in the classroom.

Module 9 Activity 10 Partnership Letter

As a leader in any institution, it is important that links are formed to make the mission of carrying out the vision a reality. In the context of the school and its desire to be a 21st century institution, alliances need to be formed with corporate society who will assist the school in realizing its dreams. The prospective partner will need to see the benefit of the partnership in helping the youth in their cognitive and social development.

Module 9 Activity 9

It is critical that a school that is trying to integrate ICT into its operation gets the support of its stakeholders. While it is clear that 21^st Century teaching and learning is the order of the day if learning is to be effective, teachers and students must also see the relevance of the technology and must be willing to use it. It is therefore important that the school creates an ICT vision that is shared by all concerned so that every aspect of the school’s operation reflects it.  Ubiquitous learning will take place with ICTs as the main thrust.

To realize a shared vision, stakeholders must first see the need for ICT integration and assist in charting the way forward for the implementation. It is important that all stakeholders ‘buy in’ to the project.