Document 2A
11 things that can make a difference in using ICT to improve learning.
For schools, this means they really need to ensure
these teachers have support and backup to ease them
into this new world. This is where mailing lists and
online resources can be so great - they can offer
constant support and a place to turn. It's important
that schools set up internal structures to support
their staff.
2. A Shared Pedagogical Understanding
Edited from:
Chris Betcher
In-Touch Newsletter Dec 2002
While I was in Perth recently, I had the good fortune
to catch up with Bryn Jones, a colleague I'd only
ever known through the OzTeachers mailing list.
We chatted about a topic we both take a bit of an
interest in - getting teachers up to speed when it
comes to using technology in a classroom.
Bryn was speaking at a conference the next day and
had prepared a presentation called "Life in the
Slow Lane", which looked at some of the factors
which hold teachers back when it comes to
integrating technology in their work. One of the
things he's been working on and researching is a list
called "10 things that make a difference”. With
Bryn's permission, I'd like to share these 10 things
with you.
1. Emotional Support
If you look at how teachers are using technology in
schools, it ought to be pretty clear that some really
"click" with it and some don't. In fact, if you look at
statistics, about 75% are just doing it because they
feel they have to, and about 16% are downright
obstinate about not doing it. It's incredibly
threatening to these people if they feel they are
being forced to adopt technologies and work
practices they really don't understand. I found it
fascinating that the number one things that teachers
need in order to integrate ICT is emotional support.
Sometimes, they just need to know that other folk
understand how they're feeling and will "be there for
them".
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Having some understanding of pedagogy - the
science of teaching - is an incredibly important part
of being a good teacher, and really has nothing to do
with technology, not directly anyway. But when we
start talking about integrating technology it's crucial
to do it from a pedagogical perspective. You may
have heard the saying that technology in a
classroom can be used to do old things in new ways.
If that's all you use it for, you're missing the real
benefit. Technology lets you do entirely new things.
Things that could not be done previously. Bunging a
whole lot of computers into a school and using them
to do the same sorts of things you've always done is
a bit like strapping a jet engine onto a horse and
cart. At the end of the day, it's still a horse and cart.
Having a good understanding of pedagogy lets you
make informed decisions about where technology
works and where it doesn't. And when an entire
school staff has the same shared vision… that's
when magic happens!
3. A Constructivist Philosophy
Constructivism, in a nutshell, says that if you create
the right learning environment then students will
build (or construct) knowledge and learning for
themselves. Constructivism takes the focus off
"teaching" and places it on "learning". It sometimes
means teachers have to take their hands off the
controls, let go a little, and realise that the best kind
of learning happens when students work things out
for themselves and not always when they get
"taught". You may have heard the phrase, "I taught
them, but they just didn't learn!"
Computers and communication technologies are
amazing tools for moving the centre of power in a
classroom over to the students, and this is a really
hard thing for many teachers to get to grips with. As
teachers, we are used to "controlling the class",
having "good discipline", and calling the shots.
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bj@ictpd.net
Document 2A
In many ways, constructivism turns all of that on its
head. When you introduce technology into a
classroom, you suddenly invite your students to
learn at different rates, about different ideas,
catering to different interests and abilities. These are
good things, but it certainly changes the balance of
power in the classroom.
If you understand something about Constructivism,
you realise this can be a great thing, but if you don't,
it's pretty scary. That's why adding computers to
schools without developing teachers' ability to
change the things they do simply doesn't work.
4. At Least Four Computers per Classroom
(more generally – proximity of computers to
learning areas) Not two. Not three. According to
research, you need a minimum of 4 computers in a
classroom before you start to see a change in the
way technology affects learning. This is probably
more applicable to Primary classrooms than
Secondary, but I found it an interesting statistic.
The bottom line is that unless you can get access to
technology, it's obviously not going to have an
effect. It's all about ubiquity of technology within a
school - kids (and teachers) need to be able to get
their hands on it if it's going to have any impact.
5. Help to Access Appropriate Material
The keyword here is "help". Sure, teachers need to
be able to get their hands on the right resources. But
if they don't know how to do it for themselves,
they'll always need help. You can give them a fish,
or you can teach them to fish. I know what I'd
prefer.
time. Not most of the time; all of the time.
Everywhere, for everyone. Until you have that, it's
an awful hard slog to build excitement about the
joys of technology.
8. Access to Professional Development
(but not necessarily participating in it)
It's the last bit of that which intrigues me. Research
found that if you want teachers to get on the
technology bandwagon they had to have access to
PD, which makes sense. But they don't want to be
forced to participate in it. Sort of like a safety net. I
know when we run PD for teachers, they like to be
able to focus on the things they need, and not get
bogged down in the things they don't need. We're
actually fine tuning a lot of our courseware to make
sure we can do this too, breaking learning into a
smorgasbord of pick-and-choose modules, so people
can pick the bits they need, and feel empowered by
the bits they already know.
9. Links to School from Home
If you can think of a better way to do this other than
through the use of the Internet and ICT, let us know.
It's all part of the move to gain anyplace, anytime
learning. Why should the school day stop at 3:30?
(well, maybe for teachers that's a good thing, but
why for kids?) The school and the home, and in fact
the whole community, why shouldn't there be a
blurring of the boundaries between these. There
isn’t much point working with ICT on projects at
school if you can’t continue with them from home.
10. Leadership
Related to Point 1, this is not just about emotional
support but real, hands-on support. Having someone
to turn to when you need ideas and answers. Having
someone to actually come and give you a hand,
show you what to do, tell you what button you need
to press, whatever it takes to give you what you
need.
You must have known this one was coming
eventually. Putting ICT to work in a school requires
leadership and vision. It takes someone to stand out
the front and say "We're going this way! Follow
me!" Without that shared vision, it always comes
down to a couple of keen individuals who push the
technology barrow, but for a systematic change to
sweep through a school it takes leadership. Lots of
it.
7. Reliable Infrastructure
11. Flexible Learning Spaces
If you want to kill off whatever enthusiasm exists in
your school for using ICT, just rev up a teacher with
grand stories of what technology can do in their
lessons, about how it can enthuse the kids and lead
to whole new paradigms of education, and send
them into a classroom where the Internet connection
drops out at the crucial moment. Or floppy disks are
jammed. Or the mouse ball is missing. Guarantee
they won't back to try again in a hurry. Schools
really have to ensure that everything works, all the
I know it’s called 10 Things but since this article
was written, Flexible Learning Spaces has emerged
as another critical factor. Are there areas for large
groups, small groups, noisy groups, quiet groups?
Can students find somewhere to rehearse
presentations, make films? Can a large piece of
work such as a claymation or time lapse
photography project or science experiment be left
in place over several periods without disturbance.
6. Just-in-Time Technical and Skills Support
ICTPD Services
http://ictpd.net
bj@ictpd.net