Module 9 Activity 5: Learning communities: Exploring ICT integration lessons from other schools

Rosa Street Primary School is located at Rosa Street Spennymoor County Durham, DL16 7NA. The use of ICT is an integral part of the National Curriculum. The school has an ICT Policy that incorporates the use of computers, hardware and software to acquire, organise, store, manipulate, interpret, communicate and present information.

Access and Deployment – At Rosa Street Primary School, ICT network infrastructure and equipment have been sited so that

Ø  each class has its own points of access where individual work can be closely monitored

Ø  larger groups can work in the ICT suite

Ø  a cabinet of portable laptops can be used both in the ICT suite and in the classrooms

Ø  class teachers are equipped with their own personal laptop for professional use

Ø  currently, class 9 pupils have their own Q1, within school and to take home

Ø  children have access to their own email accounts, which can be monitored by staff.

Resources – The school acknowledges the need to continually maintain, update and develop its ICT resources and make progress towards a consistent, compatible PC system by

       maintaining a minimum of 16 computers on the network in the ICT suite

       ensuring all classrooms have at least one working PC

       investing in software that will support the use of ICT across the curriculum

       investing in software that will effectively deliver the strands of the ICT curriculum

Coordination/Management – The school is equipped with an ICT coordinator with responsibility to produce an ICT development plan and the implementation of the ICT policy across the school. The Head Teacher is responsible to monitor the plan while individual teachers are responsible for ensuring that all pupils in their classes have the opportunities for learning ICT skills and using ICT across the curriculum.

Staff Training – The ICT coordinator assesses and addresses staff training needs as part of the annual development plan process or in response to individual needs and requests throughout the year. Individual teachers should attempt to continually develop their own skills and knowledge, identify their own needs and notify the coordinator. Teachers will be encouraged to use ICT for planning, assessment, reports, communications and class labelling.

Additionally, Rosa Street Primary School has several rules and policies that governs the responsible use of ICTs.

Module 9 Activity 4: Part Three

This was a very useful exercise that allowed me to think critically about where my schools are positioned presently in terms of ICTs use. Additionally, think of creative ways to motivate staff and other stakeholders in buying into the vision of ICT integration and to seek ways of creating a realistic vision that is inclusive of all.

Module 9 Activity 4 Part One: Whole school conditions for ICT integration

Leadership is a key component in guiding the teaching/learning process. Leaders have a major responsibility to initiate and implement change in school through the use of ICT and must be able to facilitate complex decision to integrate it into learning, teaching and administration. Having a vision is the single most essential ingredient of a good leader both personally and for the organisation. In a school where ICTs are integrated, it is imperative that the vision focuses on high levels of competence for stakeholders to achieve the full potential of its learners and educators where the principles of experimentation, flexibility, collaboration and communication form part of the conditions that enables improved school practices.

My attitudes and behaviours, as a leader, shape what happens at the school, since I am integrally involved in sharing, encouraging and developing the skills attained with the members of staff as we work towards a technology-driven institution. I would consider myself to exemplify a participative leadership style that encourages contributions from all members of the team while sharing, collaborating and communicating best practices.

Module 9 Activity 3: Thinking about the whole school

Presently, my school is at a stage of development where a small percentage of the staff is actually engaged in integrating ICTs in their teaching and this can be credited to a professional development exercise that was executed at the commencement of the first term. Many of the staff members are still reluctant in utilizing the skills learnt and this may be attributed to lack of confidence as a result of lack of follow up consistent training. In recent times, due to partnerships between the school and some good corporate citizens in collaboration with the PTA, the school was outfitted with full Wi-Fi internet connections and a mobile projector. So, although the staff members are sceptical about integration, the use of internet for research and accessing learning resources is evidently prevalent. Some staff members are also being observed using social media during working hours in a non-productive beneficial manner to enhance the learning process.

There are general fundraising activities carried out at various intervals but these are not specific to any particular project. Physical and infrastructural resources are grossly inadequate to accommodate ICT tools and equipment in a modern day classroom. There is limited communication between principal and staff via email and other technological media, while some staff members communicate with their parents via this mode. The curriculum is at a stage of revision to integrate technology as a way of enhancing the teaching/learning process and there is evidence of teamwork amongst staff members as they share and support each other in accomplishing several tasks. However, the administrative duties of the school are mostly done using the traditional methods with minimal use of technology. The students are engaged in journal writing every day, reflecting on the learning that takes place.

My area of focus is staff development and my vision is to have a staff that is adequately trained and developed with the requisite skills and competencies to efficiently and effectively integrate technology in all aspects of their duties, in an effort to maximize the potential of the learners and the institution. In this way ICT will change the way things are done in the following ways:

·         Improving communication and collaboration between principal, staff, students and parents by fully utilizing technology (emails, windows live messenger, video-conferencing)

·         Utilizing technological tools to execute administrative duties (reports, registers, record keeping, etc)

·         Utilizing the technology to enhance the overall teaching and learning process, and curriculum integration (PowerPoint, blogs, emails, discussion forum, etc)

·         Promoting teamwork across boundaries using technological tools and resources (Skype, forum, blogs, etc)

·         Providing avenues for critical reflection (blogs)

Module 9: Activity 2: Schools Scenarios

This was a worthwhile activity that clearly revealed that individual leaders may set out to solve a problem in different ways. Undoubtedly, this may be influenced by the culture of the institution and how the problem is perceived through the eyes of the leader in question.

Module 9 Activity 1: Leadership in the Digital Age

Generally speaking, leadership is about solving problems and it is imperative that school leaders play a critical role in ensuring that the investment in technology leads to direct improvements in learning. As school leaders, we must capitalize on any available opportunities to develop leadership skills around managing increasingly complex educational technologies  in this ever increasing digital age.

According to an article adapted from LEADER, Fall 2004:

Being an effective leader does not always require moving heaven and earth. A leader's role can vary and be effective in small, yet extremely powerful ways.

Being an effective leader does not always require moving heaven and earth. A leader's role can vary and be effective in small, yet extremely powerful ways.

·         A clarifier listens, summarizes, and makes things clearer

·         A coach encourages others to develop their skills.

·         A facilitator helps the group set goals, make decisions, choose directions, and evaluate progress.

·         A delegator helps each group member apply her talents and interests to the group's goals.

·         An initiator gets things moving.

·         A manager helps coordinate the parts of a project and keeps an eye on progress.

·         A mediator helps resolve differences.

·         A networker connects people with people and people with ideas to move the project forward.

·         A problem-solver suggests solutions and ways to get things done.

·         A visionary sees creative solutions, new directions, and possibilities.