 |
EFFECTIVE TEACHING AND ASSESSMENT METHODS |
1 . Teachers should know when
the use of ICT is beneficial to achieve teaching objectives in the subject and phase, and
when the use of ICT would be less effective or inappropriate.
In making these decisions, they should
know how to take account of the functions of ICT and the ways that these can be
used by teachers in achieving subject teaching and learning objectives. This includes:
a. how the speed and
automatic functions of ICT can enable teachers to demonstrate, explore or explain
aspects of their teaching, and pupils' learning, more effectively;
b. how the capacity and range
of ICT can enable teachers and pupils to gain access to historical, recent or
immediate information;
c. how the provisional nature
of information stored, processed and presented using ICT allows work to be changed
easily,
d. how the interactive
way in which information is stored, processed and presented can enable teachers and pupils
to explore models, communicate effectively with others and present and represent
information effectively for different audiences.
Teachers should understand the implications of
these functions for achieving teaching objectives in the relevant subject(s), e.g. in mathematics and science the use of a
calculator or a spreadsheet may remove the tedium of repetitive calculations and
enable pupils to focus their attention on an emerging numerical pattern or the
relationship between successive readings. However, teachers should be aware that, in this
example, pupils' skills in mental or written calculation are not being developed and
therefore the activity may not suit the particular teaching objectives in hand.
[Further details of the functions of ICT are
given in section B13]
2. Teachers should know how to use ICT effectively to achieve subject-related
objectives, including:
a. using ICT because it is the
most effective way to achieve teaching and learning objectives, not simply for motivation,
reward or sanction,
b. avoiding the use of ICT for
simple or routine tasks which would be better accomplished by other means,
c. where ICT is to be used, what
appropriate preparation of equipment, content and methodology is required;
d. avoiding giving the
impression that the quality of presentation is of overriding importance and supersedes the
importance of content;
e. structuring pupils' work to
focus on relevant aspects and to maximise use of time and resource, e.g. teaching pupils
to refine searches rather than allowing pupils to search freely on the Internet or
on CD-ROM;
f. having high expectations of
the outcomes of pupils' work with ICT, including:
 i. expecting pupils to use ICT to answer valid questions appropriate to the
subject matter being taught;
ii. when appropriate, requiring pupils to save work, and evaluate and improve
it;
g. making explicit the links
between the ICT application and the subject matter it is being used to teach, as well as
the impact of ICT on everyday applications.
3. For those aspects of lessons where ICT is to be
used, teachers should be able to identify in their planning:
a. the way(s) in which ICT will
be used to meet teaching and learning objectives in the subject;
b. key questions to ask and
opportunities for teacher intervention in order to stimulate and direct pupils' learning
c. the way(s) in which pupils'
progress will be assessed and recorded;
d. criteria to ensure that
judgements about pupils' attainment and progress in the subject are not masked because ICT
has been used;
e. any impact of the use of ICT
on the organisation and conduct of the subject lesson and how this is to be managed;
f. how the ICT used is
appropriate to the particular subject-related objectives in hand and to pupils'
capabilities, taking account of the fact that some pupils may already be very competent, e.g. because of home access or through participation
in extra-curricular activities, and
some may need additional support.
4. Teachers should know how to organise classroom ICT
resources effectively to meet learning objectives in the subject, including how to:
a. use ICT with the whole class
or a group for introducing or reviewing a topic and ensuring that all pupils cover the key
conceptual features of the topic, e.g.
through the use of a single screen or display;
b. organise individuals, pairs
or groups of children working with ICT to ensure that each participant is engaged, that
collaborative effort is balanced, and that teacher intervention and reporting back by
pupils takes place where appropriate;
c. make ICT resources available
to pupils for research or other purposes which may arise either spontaneously during
lessons or as part of planned activity, ensuring that the resource is used productively to
achieve subject-related objectives;
d. position resources for ease
of use, to minimise distraction, and. with due regard to health and safety;
e. ensure that work done using
ICT is integrated with other work, allowing ICT to support teaching rather than dominate
activities, e.g. providing
sufficient desk/floor space around the hardware to enable the ICT to be used with other
materials; providing space to write as well as input from the keyboard; positioning ICT so
that pupils are able to sit facing the teacher when required.
5. Teachers should be able to
recognise the specific contribution that ICT can make to teaching pupils with special
educational needs in mainstream classrooms based upon the need to provide access to the
curriculum in a manner appropriate to pupils' needs and to identify where ICT can provide
subject specific support.
6. Teachers should be able to choose and use the most suitable ICT to meet teaching
objectives, by reviewing a range of generic and subject-specific software critically.
7. Teachers should know how to contribute to the
development and consolidation of pupils' IT capability within the context of the subject
being taught through:
a. explicit discussion and,
where necessary, teaching of the IT skills and applications which are used in the subject,
b. using terminology accurately
and appropriately and explaining to pupils any terminology which arises from the
application of IT to the subject;
c. using ICT in ways which
provide models of good practice for pupils, and ensuring that pupils employ correct
procedures when using applications.
8. Teachers should understand how to monitor and assess
pupils' learning in the subject when ICT is being used, and how to evaluate the
contribution that ICT has made to the teaching of their subject(s). They should be able
to:
a. monitor pupils' progress by:
i. being clear about teaching objectives and the use of ICT in achieving them;
ii.observing and intervening in pupils' ICT-based activities to monitor and
support their progression towards the identified objectives;
iii.asking key questions which require pupils to reflect on the appropriateness
of their use of ICT;
b. recognise standards of
attainment in the subject when ICT resources are used, including:
i. recognising how access to computer functions might change teacher
expectations of pupil achievements, e.g. automatic spell-checking, image-making,
graphical representation;
ii.identifying criteria by which pupils can show what they have learnt as a
result of using ICT-based resources from the Internet or CD-ROM, and insisting that pupils
acknowledge the reference sources used in their work, e.g. requiring pupils to
interpret and present the information gained from a CD-ROM for a specific purpose rather
than simply cutting and pasting and/or printing off information;
iii.how to determine the achievement of individuals when the "product"
is the result of a collaborative effort, for example, through observation, record keeping,
teacher intervention and pupil-teacher dialogue;
iv.how to ensure that assessment of ICT-based work reflects pupils' learning and
the quality of their work within the subject(s) rather than just the quality of
presentation or the complexity of the technology used;
c. use formative, diagnostic and
summative methods of assessing pupils' progress in the subject where ICT has been used,
including how to set up ICT activities with targeted objectives for assessment and make
provision in those activities for all pupils to demonstrate achievement, conceptual
understanding and learning through the use of ICT.
9. In addition, teachers of pupils aged 3-5 should
understand the importance of introducing pupils in nursery and reception classes to the
use of ICT and recognise the contribution that ICT can make to this age group, including
how to:
a. encourage pupils to become
familiar with ICT and positive users of it;
b. ensure that all pupils have
opportunities to use ICT, and that their experience takes account of any home use or other
previous experience of ICT,
c. identify and teach the
skills necessary for handling input devices effectively, e.g. switches, mouse, keyboard,
d. use ICT to support the
development of language and literacy, through the use of programs which develop reading
and writing, e.g. to reinforce
letter/sound correspondence, and
encourage pupils to engage with stories, songs and rhymes presented on the screen, as well
as through the use of high quality educational broadcasts,
e. use ICT to support the
development of numeracy through the use of computer programs and robots which develop and
reinforce the use of mathematical language and the recognition and exploration of numbers,
simple mental operations and patterns;
f. use ICT to support pupils'
creative development through the use of computer programs which encourage them to explore
and experiment with pattern, shape, pictures, sound and colour,
g. encourage pupils working
collaboratively with ICT to share responsibilities for making decisions and reaching
conclusions, e.g. as they progress
through a simple computer adventure game.
|
|
|
TEACHERS' KNOWLEDGE AND
UNDERSTANDING OF, AND COMPETENCE WITH, INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY |
| Knowledge,
understanding and skills in using ICT in subject teaching |
For
many teachers, their own knowledge and understanding of ICT may not be sufficient to
ensure that they understand how to use ICT in ways which support good teaching, including,
for example, good pace, challenge, questioning and high expectations of pupils. They may
not be sufficiently competent or confident in using ICT to secure progress in pupils'
learning within the phase and in the subject(s) they teach. It is likely that most
teachers will be familiar with more traditional forms of ICT, e.g. television, video,
tape-recorders, and will have experience of using them in teaching. The content
of Section B, therefore, gives greater emphasis to computer-related ICT because it is new
and because teachers' knowledge, understanding and skills in this area will vary
considerably.
10. In relation to the ICT content
set out in paragraphs 11 to 18, teachers should be able to:
a. evaluate a range of information and communication technologies, and the content
associated with them, justifying the selection and use of ICT in relation to aspects of
their planning, teaching, assessment and class management, including for personal
professional use, e.g. in downloading on-line materials for teaching or writing
reports.
b. understand and use correctly the specialist terms associated with the ICT used in
the subject which are necessary to enable them to be precise in their explanations to
pupils, to discuss ICT in relation to the subject at a professional level, and to read
inspection and classroom focused research evidence with understanding.
The relevance of different aspects of the
content specified below will depend on the subjects and ages of the pupils being taught.
Each teacher should develop the following knowledge, understanding and skills in ICT
relevant to the age range of the pupils they teach and their specialist subject(s).
11. Teachers should be competent in
those areas of ICT which support pedagogy in every subject, including that they:
a. can employ common ICT tools for their own and pupils' benefit, e.g.
word processing, email, presentation software, data handling and can use a range of
ICT resources, at the level of general users (rather than as network or system
managers), including:
i. the common user interfaces, using menus, selecting and swapping between
applications, cutting, pasting and copying files, and cutting, copying and pasting data
within and between applications;
ii.successfully connecting and setting up ICT
equipment, including input devices, e.g. a mouse, touch screen, overlay keyboard,
microphone and output devices, e.g. printers, screens and loudspeakers;
iii.loading and running software, e.g. a CD-ROM;
iv.file management, e.g. organising documents and
folders;
v. seeking and using operating information, including from on-line help
facilities and user guides;
vi.coping with everyday problems and undertaking
simple, routine maintenance, with due consideration to health and safety;
vii.understanding the importance of passwords and
the general security of equipment and access to it.
b. know and understand the characteristics of information, including:
i. that information must be evaluated in terms of its accuracy, validity,
reliability, plausibility, bias;
ii.that information has to be stored somewhere, it
takes up memory (storage space) and that there are implications when saving and
compressing files;
iii.that ICT systems can present static information
or changing information;
iv.that information can be directly and dynamically
linked between applications;
v.that applications and information can be shared
with other people at remote locations.
12. Teachers should, in relation to the relevant subject and age(s) of
pupils:
a. know how to use ICT to find things out, including:
i. identifying sources of information and discriminating between them;
ii.planning and putting together a search strategy,
including framing useful questions, widening and narrowing down searches;
iii.how to search for information, including using
key words and strings and logical operators such as AND, OR and NOT, indexes and
directories;
iv.collecting and structuring data and storing it
for later retrieval, interpretation and correction;
v.interpreting what is retrieved;
vi.considering validity, reliability and
reasonableness of outcomes;
b. know how to use ICT to try things out, make things happen and
understand how they happen, including:
i. exploring alternatives;
ii. modelling relationships;
iii.considering cause and effect;
iv.predicting patterns and rules, recognising
patterns, and hypothesising;
v. knowing how to give instructions;
vi.sequencing actions;
vii.defining conditions e.g. "if this happens,
do that..";
viii.understanding how feedback works and the
difference between things that do and do not rely on feedback;
c. know how to use ICT to communicate and exchange ideas as appropriate to the
subject(s) and the age of pupils taught:
i. presenting ideas, including identification of audience and
purpose, and deciding the best means with which to communicate;
ii.exchanging ideas, including identifying the most
appropriate medium, and information.
13. Teachers should know those features of
ICT which can be used, separately or together, to support teaching and learning in the
relevant subject(s) and phase, including:
a. speed and automatic functions - the function of ICT which enables routine tasks
to be completed and repeated quickly, allowing the user to concentrate on thinking and on
tasks such as analysing and looking for patterns within data, asking questions and looking
for answers, and explaining and presenting results, as appropriate to the subject(s)
and age pupils taught, including how ICT can be used to:
i. measure events at long or short time intervals in order to compress or expand
events which would normally take very short or long periods of time, and illustrate them
to pupils at speeds appropriate to their pace of learning;
ii.measure and record events which might otherwise
be impossible to gather within a classroom environment;
iii.explore sequences of actions and link the
sensing of events with the control of actions;
b. capacity and range - the function of ICT, as appropriate to the
subject(s) and age of pupils to be taught, to access and to handle large amounts of
information, to change timescales, or to remove barriers of distance, and to give teachers
and pupils access to and control over situations which would normally be outside their
everyday experience, including:
i. the range of forms in which ICT can present information;
ii.the range of possible appropriate ICT sources,
including local sources such as CD-ROM, and remote databases such as the Internet and the
National Grid for Learning;
iii.how to judge the accuracy of the information
and the credibility of its source;
iv.how ICT can be used to gain access to expertise
outside the classroom, the school and the local community through communications with
experts;
c. provisionality, - the function of ICT which allows changes to be
made easily and enables alternatives to be explored readily and as appropriate to the
subject(s) and age qf pupils taught:
i. how to make best use of the ability to make rapid changes, including how to
create text, designs and models which may be explored and improved in the light of
evaluation;
ii.how to judge when and when not to encourage
exploration and change using ICT;
iii.how saving work at different stages enables a
record to be kept of the development of ideas,
d. interactivity - the function of ICT which enables rapid and dynamic feedback and
response, as appropriate to the subject(s) and age of pupils taught, including how
to determine the most appropriate media to use.
14. Teachers should understand the
potential of ICT to make the preparation and presentation of their teaching more
effective, taking account of:
a. the intended audience, including matching and adapting work to subject matter
and objectives, pupils' prior attainment, reading ability or special educational needs,
recognising the efficiency with which such adaptations can be made using ICT:
b. the most appropriate forms of presentation to meet teaching objectives, e.g.
illustrating or explaining using text, sound, still or moving pictures; live
video link; illustrations, graphics or animation, numbers, graphs or charts, separately or
in combination.
15. Teachers should:
a. in relation to the phase(s) and subject(s) to be taught, understand the IT
requirements of the statutory curriculum for pupils and the application of IT as a key
skill;
b. be familiar with expectations of pupils' IT capability, relevant to the age
range of the pupils they teach, and know the level of IT capability they should expect
of pupils when applying ICT in the subject(s).
16. Teachers should know how each of
the following is relevant to the age range of the pupils they teach and their specialist
subject(s):
a. generic procedures and tools, including:
i. understanding the key features and functions used within the subject;
ii. using ICT to prepare material for pupil
use,
b. reference resources, including:
i.how to search reference resources;
ii. how to incorporate the use of reference
resources into teaching;
c. the information and communications technology specific to the teaching of the
subject(s);
d. the contribution made by ICT to the professional, commercial and
industrial applications of their subject(s);
e. the major teaching programs or "courseware" to ensure that
material is matched to the pupils'
capabilities:
i.where content and activities are presented in sequence to teach specific
topics;
ii.where teaching activities are combined with
assessment tasks and tests.
17. Teachers should be aware of.
a. the current health and safety legislation relating to the use of computers, and
be able to identify potential hazards and minimise risks;
b. legal considerations, including those related to:
i. keeping personal information on computers, as set out in the Data
Protection Act;
ii.copyright legislation relating to text, images
and sounds and that relating to copying software,
iii.material which is illegal in this country;
c. ethical issues including:
i. access to illegal and/or unsuitable material through the Internet;
ii.acknowledging sources;
iii.confidentiality of personal data;
iv.the ways in which users of information sources
can be (and are) monitored;
v. material which may be socially or morally
unacceptable.
18. Teachers should know how to use
ICT to improve their own professional efficiency and to reduce administrative and
bureaucratic burdens, including:
a. using ICT to aid administration, record-keeping, analysis,
reporting and transfer of information;
b. knowing about current classroom-focused research and inspection evidence about
the application of ICT to teaching their specialist subject(s), and where it can be found,
c. knowing how to use ICT to join in professional discussions and to locate
and access teaching plans, material and other sources of help and support, including
through the National Grid for Learning;
d. knowing how ICT can support them in their continuing professional development.
|
|
|
