With the school I am on placment on, ICT is very much a tool for teachers. I ve have found that it helps them with their planning, all of which is done on computer and emailed to the head teacher and any LSA's on a weekly basis. I also provides a wealth of resources for teachers in the form of internet sites, online games/programmes, software that the school owns and additionally that found on the IWB's. I have also found that the majority of staff at my school keep online records using a traffic lighting system with assessment for learning in mind. This I have found very useful and is something I will certainly be using in my future teaching.
Nevertheless, I have also discovered that using the ICT at my school can be quite time consuming and have its constraints. In terms of preparation, the length of time it takes to organise a resource very much depends on the experience of the user - in my case, it took me three times as long to sort something than my CTM simply because I am unfamiliar with the software and resources available. Additionally, I observed that when using a class of PC's with the children, you had to shave off a good 15 minutes of the lesson just to set them up and log them off because the children took so long to get organised - this left a 50 minute lesson a bit short in some cases! I also became aware that the ICT could also become a distraction for teachers too. In an entirely wireless school, it is possibe for members of staff to log on to the internet anywhere, and this means teachers need to be really disciplined during PPA time, before and after school, to get productive planning done... it is so easy to search for something relevant to a lesson and get completely sidetracked on the internet!!!!
One further point that I feel necessary to mention is regarding the benefits of having a filtered internet/intranet system in school. Yes, it is superb for the children when they have free internet access, but sometimes it can be so frustrating when researching/planning lessons. I taught a series of lessons on adverts in english and had soooo much trouble accessinf them online in school due to the filter, that eventually I gave up and downloaded them at home.
Sunday, 27 January 2008
Sharing Best Practice
Every few week in my SBT school the teachers have an after school meeting following their staff meeting to ‘share best practice’ amongst the staff. (Bear in mind that it is a really big school, with so many teachers, I still don’t know all of their names 4 weeks on!)
This weeks meeting was ICT centred and really useful for me as a Trainee Teacher, but also for the other staff in the school. The staff were shown how to set up and use promethean whiteboard interactive handsets and a demonstration was given on how they could be used in lessons and also to assist with assessment (in particular AFL.)
I was very impressed with the handsets themselves. They connect up to the whiteboard so that the children can provide answers to questions posed, quizzes set, or exams even. (In a similar vein to the ‘fastest finger first’ set up on ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire.’) The key thing about the handsets is that they can be assigned to a specific child in the lesson – provided the children’s names get programmed into the software first. This allows the teacher to keep a record of who gets which questions right and wrong, ultimately allowing a marking system to be generated as the tests are done. I think this is a fantastic device. From the experience I have gained, I think I will keep computerised mark records once teaching fulltime and I think this would be really good way to do so.
In addition, the children love it! I am really keen to use this with my future classes and can see much scope for its use – mental maths tests, pop quizzes, end of subject assessments; the list is pretty much endless.
I have considered a number of flaws that may well be present with them. These handsets are expensive, so not all schools with be in a position to have them. There is a set of thirty in this school, and I only know of the one teacher that does use them, so in order to make them cost effective, I think they need to be more widely used. In addition, the set this school has, only allows for multiple choice answers, so there is always the possibility that a ‘good guess’ or even a ‘bad guess’ can result in the right answer!! Furthermore, although the software seems to cut out marking and some elements of record keeping, I think the planning and preparation that goes into their use beforehand will probably counteract this time!
Nevertheless, my personal viewpoint is that these are great, mostly because of the innovation that can be brought into lessons with their use and the fun that can be brought into children’s learning!
This weeks meeting was ICT centred and really useful for me as a Trainee Teacher, but also for the other staff in the school. The staff were shown how to set up and use promethean whiteboard interactive handsets and a demonstration was given on how they could be used in lessons and also to assist with assessment (in particular AFL.)
I was very impressed with the handsets themselves. They connect up to the whiteboard so that the children can provide answers to questions posed, quizzes set, or exams even. (In a similar vein to the ‘fastest finger first’ set up on ‘Who wants to be a Millionaire.’) The key thing about the handsets is that they can be assigned to a specific child in the lesson – provided the children’s names get programmed into the software first. This allows the teacher to keep a record of who gets which questions right and wrong, ultimately allowing a marking system to be generated as the tests are done. I think this is a fantastic device. From the experience I have gained, I think I will keep computerised mark records once teaching fulltime and I think this would be really good way to do so.
In addition, the children love it! I am really keen to use this with my future classes and can see much scope for its use – mental maths tests, pop quizzes, end of subject assessments; the list is pretty much endless.
I have considered a number of flaws that may well be present with them. These handsets are expensive, so not all schools with be in a position to have them. There is a set of thirty in this school, and I only know of the one teacher that does use them, so in order to make them cost effective, I think they need to be more widely used. In addition, the set this school has, only allows for multiple choice answers, so there is always the possibility that a ‘good guess’ or even a ‘bad guess’ can result in the right answer!! Furthermore, although the software seems to cut out marking and some elements of record keeping, I think the planning and preparation that goes into their use beforehand will probably counteract this time!
Nevertheless, my personal viewpoint is that these are great, mostly because of the innovation that can be brought into lessons with their use and the fun that can be brought into children’s learning!
Interactive Whiteboards... A godsend or the devil incarnate?
I am yet to decide on this one.
I have used the one in my classroom with some success. I have also had a number of traumatic failures and cannot decide whether it has added benefit to the lessons I have taught.
To explain... I shall start at the beginning...
The IWB in my classroom is a first generation one and is not as 'interactive' as the new ones... My classroom is also downstairs in an old building. The whiteboard has been fixed to a windowed wall in the classroom - by this I mean a large plank of wood has been bracketed over the windows and the whiteboard is hung from the plank of wood. The positioning of the board is not hugely convenient for the children to see... they all have to be gathered on the carpet and this cannot be done for long periods of time as it is a somewhat uncomfortable place for a large class of 10 year olds. Everytime the class upstairs change (every 50 minutes) the movement of 30 children exiting a classroom vibrates down this wall, making the IWB move considerable and knocking it out of allignment... It has to be alligned everytime you want to use it, and even then, there's no guarantee that the pen will write where you press on the board!!
So, the equipment is there, but logistical factors like these have an impact on how often it is used....
I began a maths lesson with my class with Maths Karate... I carefully set up the IWB to show the powerpoint that accompanied this 'brain gym' style activity... I set the timer on the powerpoint to steadily increase to test the children... I then set them off and the first Karate move flashed up on screen asking them to display the sign for addition... They all did... I then waited expectantly for the next one.... which did not come... A click on the mouse did nothing... a couple of clicks... still nothing... The screen has frozen... great... I start getting frustrated, the children get distracted and noisy!! Then by rapid fire 6 or so Karate moves flash past the children... they cant keep up... they think it's hilarious... I give up and simply resort back to good old speech... "Right class, show me subtraction!!" I quickly learnt that ICT can be used to enhance lessons, but it has to work in order to do do... and if it doesn't work for whatever reason... you need to have a back up!!! In a classroom of 30 children the last thing you want to here is "we've got a bit of a technical hitch..."
However, motivation wise - the children really do love to use the IWB when it works. Times tables have been a real target for some of my children... Back in October when I went initially, there were lots of children that really didn't know them... and showed no interest in learning them until a simple times table 'game' was introduced in the lesson... so much so that it was repeatedly requested as an activity for wet break time!! In addition, I made a mental note to my self about how many more hands went up when I asked for a volunteer to show the rest of the class the answer on the IWB...
I really try to make the most out of the IWB.. but so far, it has caused problems as well as being an aid to my teaching, so the jury's still out on this one as far as I'm concern... I think I need a little bit more practise with it!
I have used the one in my classroom with some success. I have also had a number of traumatic failures and cannot decide whether it has added benefit to the lessons I have taught.
To explain... I shall start at the beginning...
The IWB in my classroom is a first generation one and is not as 'interactive' as the new ones... My classroom is also downstairs in an old building. The whiteboard has been fixed to a windowed wall in the classroom - by this I mean a large plank of wood has been bracketed over the windows and the whiteboard is hung from the plank of wood. The positioning of the board is not hugely convenient for the children to see... they all have to be gathered on the carpet and this cannot be done for long periods of time as it is a somewhat uncomfortable place for a large class of 10 year olds. Everytime the class upstairs change (every 50 minutes) the movement of 30 children exiting a classroom vibrates down this wall, making the IWB move considerable and knocking it out of allignment... It has to be alligned everytime you want to use it, and even then, there's no guarantee that the pen will write where you press on the board!!
So, the equipment is there, but logistical factors like these have an impact on how often it is used....
I began a maths lesson with my class with Maths Karate... I carefully set up the IWB to show the powerpoint that accompanied this 'brain gym' style activity... I set the timer on the powerpoint to steadily increase to test the children... I then set them off and the first Karate move flashed up on screen asking them to display the sign for addition... They all did... I then waited expectantly for the next one.... which did not come... A click on the mouse did nothing... a couple of clicks... still nothing... The screen has frozen... great... I start getting frustrated, the children get distracted and noisy!! Then by rapid fire 6 or so Karate moves flash past the children... they cant keep up... they think it's hilarious... I give up and simply resort back to good old speech... "Right class, show me subtraction!!" I quickly learnt that ICT can be used to enhance lessons, but it has to work in order to do do... and if it doesn't work for whatever reason... you need to have a back up!!! In a classroom of 30 children the last thing you want to here is "we've got a bit of a technical hitch..."
However, motivation wise - the children really do love to use the IWB when it works. Times tables have been a real target for some of my children... Back in October when I went initially, there were lots of children that really didn't know them... and showed no interest in learning them until a simple times table 'game' was introduced in the lesson... so much so that it was repeatedly requested as an activity for wet break time!! In addition, I made a mental note to my self about how many more hands went up when I asked for a volunteer to show the rest of the class the answer on the IWB...
I really try to make the most out of the IWB.. but so far, it has caused problems as well as being an aid to my teaching, so the jury's still out on this one as far as I'm concern... I think I need a little bit more practise with it!
SBT 1
I am pleased to see that the children in my SBT school do have a wonderful ICT system set up. I am in a really big school which has numerous ICT suites, PC stations in corridors, IWB's in all classrooms and a number of other ICT facilities. How much use the children get of ICT in this school really does depend on how their teacher regards it as a learning tool. My class have 50 minutes of ICT timetabled into their week and during this time they are taught ICT skills, i.e: how to use a spreadsheet, database, word, paint programme... I have observed a couple of these sessions and find them quite prescriptive, however. There are many opportunities for the children to use ICT at this school - although, some of it is up to them to instigate, for example by joining the ICT club or commenting on the school blog. They also have an intranet facility, whereby parents can access information about the school regarding trips, upcoming events and even review the homework tasks that their children have been set.
Children get taught 'subjects' in this school. There are over 600 pupils on the roll and in my year (yr 5) group there are 6 classes divided up into 8 sets based on attainment level. As a result of this, the children get a 50 minute subject on maths, english, geography, history... and the list goes on. There are occasional double lessons for art, science and PE. In addition, each subject is taught by a different teacher and as a result of this, I have found that the focus of the lesson is more often than not, the subject itself, rather than ICT. So, whether ICT is used during the subject depends very much on what resources the teacher has with them and how confident they are using them with the children.
In this style school, ICT seems to take a back seat during some lessons and I have not seen it incorporated into lessons in the cross curricula way that I expected to if teaching were topic based, rather than subject based. But, then I can understand why... moving the children around the school to ICT suites is time consuming and then giving them the instruction and setting them on task takes up most of the lesson. It is also a big school, which means there is always competition for the ICT suites!
Children get taught 'subjects' in this school. There are over 600 pupils on the roll and in my year (yr 5) group there are 6 classes divided up into 8 sets based on attainment level. As a result of this, the children get a 50 minute subject on maths, english, geography, history... and the list goes on. There are occasional double lessons for art, science and PE. In addition, each subject is taught by a different teacher and as a result of this, I have found that the focus of the lesson is more often than not, the subject itself, rather than ICT. So, whether ICT is used during the subject depends very much on what resources the teacher has with them and how confident they are using them with the children.
In this style school, ICT seems to take a back seat during some lessons and I have not seen it incorporated into lessons in the cross curricula way that I expected to if teaching were topic based, rather than subject based. But, then I can understand why... moving the children around the school to ICT suites is time consuming and then giving them the instruction and setting them on task takes up most of the lesson. It is also a big school, which means there is always competition for the ICT suites!
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