There was a time when teachers and libraries were the only points of reference, but with up to the minute information available online, answers can be found quicker than you can say “Lets Google it,” a phrase so deeply assimilated into our consciousness and vocabulary that we don’t “Find out” anything anymore, so to speak. Teaching practice today is largely informed by the technologies available in the classroom and the traditional role of the teacher has changed with it. As ‘guardians of the learning’, schools are extending the ICT skill set of their teachers so that they in turn can coach next generation into becoming independent learners, empowering them in the process.
Implementing change at grass roots level
Integrating technology into classroom practice does not come overnight and by making it fundamental to teacher training, it is clear that over a period of years it is hoped that teaching culture will change to embrace it and, even better, see it as such a natural and necessary component to learning that it becomes only notable by its absence. Since 2003 the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) has offered support for ICT in Initial Teacher Training (ITT) through annual funding rounds open to all accredited ICT providers, with the aim of directly increasing provision for ICT equipment and new research into ICT in teacher training.
The TDA used a five point e-maturity scale derived from Hooper and Reiber (1995) to analyse the scheme’s success. In this model, the five stages of ICT were identified as: familiarisation; utilisation; integration; reorientation; and e- maturity. “At the beginning of the projects, 17% of respondents felt that their organization was at a stage even before ‘familiarisation’, that is they were unaware of the potential benefits to practice of the ICT project in question before it began. After the projects, 90% of trainees were thought to have moved into one of the higher categories - integration, reorientation or evolution,” it said.
Interestingly, there were found to be huge variations in the impact projects had on trainers. There were certain technologies, such as the use of video and other multimedia approaches, that generated a much greater initial take up by tutors, trainers and mentors it said. A similar impact was seen in the ICT-led enhancements to existing administration and support systems used by staff.
We talk a lot about how education needs to be more relevant to improve results in the classroom, so the TDA’s decision to do exactly that with teacher training represents a very logical step forward. In this context, it would appear that the more socially recognisable and high-status technologies, in addition to those designed to make completing every day tasks easier, worked because their benefits could be clearly seen. However, like any form of change in the workplace, there will be some who see it as part and parcel of the job, while others will be more reluctant to ‘fix something that isn’t broken’. Unsurprisingly then, the smoothness with which technology is integrated into the curriculum was found to relate directly to the culture of the school and the teachers it housed:
“A great deal of the variation in take up can be accounted for by the fact that trainers and mentors were less likely to change or adapt their pedagogy in order to accommodate or make the best use of new technologies. Trainees who had not developed a ‘habitual pedagogy’ were more likely both to engage with ‘new’ technologies and change their pedagogies to incorporate their use.”
The TDA has advised that providers audit the digital habits of both trainees and trainers to ascertain the match or fit between current skill sets and those required by ICT implementation: “This would inform professional development and alert providers to the potential quick wins available using certain technologies.” Elaine Hunt, School Workforce Development Adviser for Medway Local Authority commented “In terms of professional development, a very relevant and frequent need is in ICT and keeping up with technology. We look at a whole school development plan for teachers and support staff, with opportunities for ongoing training and assessment. People always need ICT training and there is always a professional development and performance management need in the workforce as a result.” The re-education of the education sector in the use of ICT is a challenge, but it is one that both new and established teachers are rising to with phenomenal results.
At BETT we saw a number of virtual learning environments, including Panasonic’s aptly named ‘Classroom of the Future’, designed to improve performance management and student engagement. Bearing in mind we are recovering from what is widely regarded as the worst recession since the 1930’s, these sorts of products must improve teaching and learning or Industry wouldn’t spend money developing them further. The TDA agrees: “One of the key factors in moving ICT development away from being a series of projects to an evolving and more integrated way of working was, in a number of instances, the development of a virtual learning environment (VLE) which could be used by trainees and mentors and dispersed across schools. VLE’s not only became a crunch point between those developing ICT for teacher trainees and those responsible for the overall ICT strategy for their institution, but also provided an alternative ICT infrastructure that supported and enhanced other developments,” it insists.
So how important is ICT to the curriculum?
LG undertook a survey on the show floor at BETT in which it was revealed that 81% of key decision makers in education believe it ‘essential’ for schools, colleges and universities to implement innovative ICT solutions. 60% strongly agreed with the view that “schools and colleges that fail to implement such solutions risk being left behind.” Every single respondent agreed that ‘cost-effective ICT solutions are an essential teaching aid in today’s educational environment. Despite some of the challenges faced by the TDA, for those that attended BETT, making the case for integrating ICT into the curriculum is rather like preaching to the converted. LG products on display at BETT included monitors, network displays, educational projectors, digital signage solutions, networked storage and educational security projects.
Speaking prior to the launch of Panasonic’s ‘Classroom of the Future’, a complete technology solution designed to improve both audible and visual communication in a secure classroom environment, Brennan Peyton, General Manager, Imaging Department, Panasonic System Network Company Europe (PSNE) said: “The education sector is by its very nature interactive, and these new digital technologies will improve the experience of teachers and students alike.” Being able to count the number of raised hands in a class and offer the appropriate encouragement to students will enhance learning throughout the class and deliver more fun, engaging and rewarding lessons. Gesture recognition technology really has to be seen to be believed.” Peyton predicts that remote learning at all levels will increase over the coming years, with Panasonic thus demonstrating its new HD Visual Communication System, designed to improve distance learning far beyond what is said to be possible with current technology.
The benefit of Mobile Technologies
A recent survey by The National Literary Trust found that of 3,001 children aged nine to 16, 24% had their own blog; 82% sent text messages at least once a month; while 73% used instant messaging services to chat online with friends. “Does it damage literacy? Our research results are conclusive - the more forms of communications children use the stronger their core literary skills,” said Jonathan Douglas, director of the National Literary Trust in an interview with the BBC.
John Coe, general secretary of the National Association for Primary Education (NAPE) added: “Young people aged nine and upwards are texting like crazy - inside and outside the classroom. It is a form of reading and writing. It might not be conventional but they are communicating so it is a general gain.” He told how the Association was looking into ways in which this passion for texting might be incorporated into teaching methods - another example of how culturally relevant technologies could be used as motivational tools in the classroom.
In secondary education mobile technologies have already had an impact, with the LSN and the Learning Skills Council creating eight cutting-edge Academies to support mobile learning throughout England. The eight colleges hosting the Academies have been chosen for their pioneering approach to the use of mobile technologies as part of the Mobile Learning Network (MoLeNET), with the first MoLeNET Academy opening at Northampton College last month.
Jill Attewell, Technology for Learning Manager at LSN commented: “Our research has documented that mobile learning technologies can significantly help teaching professionals and institutions enhance the delivery of learning, making it more accessible, personalised and engaging, all of which ultimately leads to better outcomes for learners.”
Bridgwater College aimed to engage NVQ students and help them capture evidence of their skills outside of timetabled sessions. Students were issued with Sony PSP handheld games machines fitted with cameras and pre-loaded with learning materials, including instructional videos and PowerPoint presentations. Students were challenged to access the materials and produce a video of them carrying out specific skills such as soldering a pipe joint, which was transferred to each student’s online portfolio using the PSP’s wireless connection. The programme resulted in increased student motivation and engagement, helping turn around performance for a number of learners at risk of dropping out.
Hastings College used MP4 technology, namely the iPod Touch and wireless networks, to aid learning. The technology enabled the learners, who otherwise had little or no access to technology, to access media rich content and learn at a time and place that suited them. The project made it easier for students to access information in a more engaging and interesting way, helping to improve attendance and retention.
Online resource Edutopia sums it up well: “Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals. As an added benefit, with technology tools and a project learning approach, students are more likely to stay engaged and on task, reducing behavioural problems in the classroom.”
While no technology is ever intended to remove the need for highly qualified teachers, it can provide a boost to professional development and aid in the learning process. Whether Shakespeare is brought to life with devices like the GCSEPod, Media Studies with editing software, or Geography made more fun in a virtual learning environment - the possibilities for brightening up a subject, assessing its impact and developing a child’s learning further are endless with such a vast range of products now available.
