Teach Speak: ICT in the News

News Headlines: ICT in education

image reference: http://www.steds.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/361U2151-ict.jpg

1. Open submission to the National Curriculum Consultation by Senator Kate Lundy

http://www.katelundy.com.au/2010/04/22/open-submission-to-the-national-curriculum-consultation/
Senator Kate Lundy discusses important ICT skills that all students must learn at school to adequately equip them in life. There is currently a gap between core technology skills and elective industry...

2. Online game teaches children about Triple Zero

http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2010/039
A new online computer game will teach children how to use Triple Zero in an emergency. The Triple Zero Kid's Challenge is aimed at 5-10 year-olds and uses colourful, animated characters in nine intera...

Welcome......

Welcome to Teach Speak whereby weekly reflections of my observational school practical experience gives you an insight into the world of education and the classroom through the eyes a novice student teacher.

I would also like to welcome you to the changing face of technology and its crucial involvement in our Australian education system and around the world. ICT (Information and Communication Technology) is used widely today to support pedagogic practices that facilitate learning in various key learning areas of the school curriculum. ICT in the Australian schooling system is crucial as it prepares students for its use in the workforce, to drive the economy and connect people from all over the globe. For its implementation to be successful, the school environment must be supportive of both teachers and students. There should also be a community-based vision that enables students to learn, work and live successfully in a knowledge-based, global society.

The implications for educators however, is that without the necessary updates in ICT training, we risk widening the gap between our student digital natives and ourselves, the digital immigrants. this gap can lead to poor pedagogy and ineffective learning. The advantages of ICT are that it can provide the scaffolding to support higher level thinking, it may increase student productivity, better engage the interest of students through motivational experiences and challenges, promote active learning and increase learner independence (Newhouse, C. P. 2002). Most importantly however, it supports a constructivist learning environment. That is, knowledge is actively received; knowledge is built through reflection of physical and mental actions; and is a social process requiring communication to create meaning (Booker et al 2010).

Some of my reflections over the next five weeks will touch on the uses of ICT and other instructional resources in an early stage 1 classroom.

Happy reading!

references:

Booker, G., Bond, D., Sparrow, L. & Swan, P. (2010) Teaching Primary Mathematics (Fourth Edition). Frenchs Forest, Pearson Education Australia.

Newhouse, C. P., (2002). A framework to articulate the impact of ICT on learning in schools. Perth: Specialist Educational Services.

image reference: http://training.olchs.lancs.sch.uk/ICT/file.php/1/ict01general.gif