Return to teaching fact-sheets: information and communication technology (ICT) in teaching and learning
ICT in teaching and learning
ICT is the learning and teaching tool of the 21st century. By teaching pupils using ICT, you’re not only helping them to learn better, you’re preparing them for a workplace already dominated by the computer. As a returning teacher you will need to adapt your teaching skills to incorporate the use of technology in your lessons. This includes using television, video and audio equipment, computers and the interactive whiteboard. This may be daunting at first but the use of ICT in schools has been positively responded to by teachers. According to the 2003 ICT in Schools survey, most Government-funded schools report that ICT ‘helps to reduce teacher workload in terms of lesson preparation, planning and assessment’.
ICT in the classroom
Using ICT can help you create exciting visual lessons for children and may even help you adapt old lesson plans into new creations for the 21st century. To find out more visit: www.becta.org.uk – the government agency that promotes information and communication technology in schools www.learn.co.uk – free multimedia resources for teachers, as well as premium content which you can subscribe to www.schoolzone.co.uk – a site to help teachers evaluate software and other computer resources www.ict-tutors.co.uk – support and resources for teachers trained in ICT www.ttrb.ac.uk – the Teacher Training Resource Bank (TTRB) is a one-stop portal providing access to research and evidence-based resources for the teacher education community. The site holds a number of resources on ICT which can easily be accessed. Recommended articles on the TTRB include: The motivational effects of ICT on pupils http://www.ttrb.ac.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?anchorId=11877&selectedId=0&contentId=13131
The impact of ICT in schools – a landscape review
http://www.ttrb.ac.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?anchorId=11877&selectedId=0&contentId=13481
For further information and advice on making a return to teaching please call the Return to teaching helpline on 0845 6000 993 or e-mail info@return2teach.tda.gov.uk
The interactive whiteboard
The blackboard has been reinvented as a giant, touch-sensitive computer screen – a whiteboard. A computer is connected to a digital projector which displays the images on the whiteboard. You can change and adapt what is on the whiteboard using your finger or an electronic ‘pen’. At a Return to teaching course, one teacher noted: “I finally threw away my overhead projector transparencies after 20 years because the interactive whiteboard has revolutionised the classroom.” Interactive whiteboards must be connected to a ‘host’ computer that is running appropriate software. Systems you may come across include Promethean ActivBoard, SMARTBoard and Mimio. The school’s technical support team will be able to explain why they have chosen a particular system for a school. For more information and useful tips on how to brush up on using interactive whiteboards, visit the following links: http://www.e-learningcentre.co.uk/eclipse/Resources/whiteboards.htm – resources on interactive whiteboards and how to use them http://www.nwnet.org.uk/pages/ – access to software for interactive whiteboards and guidance on how to use this across the key stages http://smarttech.com/trainingcenter/index.asp – includes free training materials and online tutorials.
Return to teaching courses
Schools will help to bring you up to speed with the developments of ICT in teaching and learning once you are back in teaching. However, to prepare yourself for a return to teaching you may decide to apply for a Return to teaching (RTT) course. The courses will offer support for ICT in teaching and learning, and will provide you with a safe and supportive environment to develop your skills. RTT courses are fully funded by the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA). This includes a bursary of up to £1,500 and funding to cover childcare/carer costs. To find your nearest course provider visit www.tda.gov.uk/returners/courses or call the Return to teaching helpline on 0845 6000 993.
Resources to develop your ICT skills
To update or develop your own basic ICT skills the following links may be useful: http://www.ict-register.net/ – a unique database which captures ICT and eLearning expertise in cuttingedge schools and learning centres across the world. http://www.learndirect.co.uk – this site offers a range of courses to help you update your basic ICT skills.
For further information and advice on making a return to teaching please call the Return to teaching helpline on 0845 6000 993 or e-mail info@return2teach.tda.gov.uk