ICT in Schools - Activity 9 - School Readiness Framework

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Activity 9 - School Readiness Framework

Reading and Reflection: 3 hrs
Group activity: 1 hr

4 hrs

"[The reliance on] standardized tests is ludicrous... Technology works in a school not because test scores increase, but because technology empowers new solutions."

In this module we have contemplated the many roles of ICT in teaching and learning and the inevitable aspect of change. In Activity 7 we looked at change from an individual perspective - how teachers changed as they became more famliar and confident about ICT integration. In this activity we introduce you to a framework for school ICT effectiveness. It is quite likely that your school already has ICT, and may have had ICT for some years. You will use the NCREL Learning and Technology Framework to help you analyse your school's level of technology effectiveness. This should help you understand the nature of development at your school and to identify the areas of weakness in your school's ICT strategy for teaching and learning.

CEO Forum is well-known for its analytical reports on ICT in schools and its school readiness charts. The latest and most advanced of these reports,CEO Forum Year 4 Report: Key Building Blocks for Student Achievement in the 21st Century (Report avaliable online at http://www.ceoforum.org/downloads/report4.pdf), focused on the roles of learners. The Year 4 STaR Chart represents the most complete school readiness framework yet produced by CEO Forum, but how relevant is it really to South African schools? In your first activity you will be required to provide critical comments about the STaR chart, amongst others. When viewing this STaR chart try to identify the weaknesses that it may have as a technology readiness measurement in your situation.

Click here to open the School Technology and Readiness framework (STaR Chart)

Many organisations have produced tools for measuring technology readiness. One of the well known tools is the Mankato Scale, originally developed by the Mankato School District in Minnesota to measure the staff levels of ICT skills. How relevant is this tool?

Clik here to open the Mankato Scale

Group Activity 9 - School readiness

Refer to your assessment of the STaR Chart and the Mankato Scale and highlight the shortcomings that such models may have for you in measuring your school's technology readiness. Base this on the understanding that you have developed throughout this module.
Write e-mail to your group and give them your view on your assessment of these tools. Discuss the views of your group as you receive the e-mail from them. What conclusion do you reach as an individual and as a group?
Make summative comments in your e-diary.

The overarching outcome of ICT integration must be measured by what the learners are able to achieve as learners, with or without ICT. The Learning and Technology Framework developed by NCREL focuses the attention of the school effectiveness analysis on the extent to which enagaged learning takes place in the classroom.

To help you use the following framework, we recommend that you print out the following extract from New Times Demand New Ways of Learning, a document produced by North Central Regional Educational Laboratory.

Click here to open the extract from New Times Demand New Ways of Learning and print it.

Click here to open and use the Instructions to use the Learning and Technology Framework (also avaliable online in htm format at http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/edtalk/insert2.htm)

Self-activity - analysis of school technology effectiveness

This self-activity will prepare you for an analysis and report on your insight and understanding of your schools technology readiness and effectiveness.

Complete the Learning and Technology Framework for your school.
If you have difficulty understanding how to complete the framework, consult your group by writing e-mail to your group.

A framework such as this should not be taken too much at face value. Every school and every nation have different circumstances and priorities. However, when using it critically and analytically we are able to identify areas of essential school effectiveness in ICT integration. Showing no development in a number of areas may not necessarily mean failure. The model makes allowance for your input regarding the level of priority of each factor and you are therefore able to customise it according to your needs. It should help you to identify priority areas of action. If used repeatedly on an annual basis it may also serve as a useful measurement of growth as you implement changes in your school ICT implementation.

ASSIGNMENT 3 - ICT in your school - do you have a dream?

Write an evaluation report of no less than 800 words on the effectiveness of your school's use of ICT in which you

analyse the current state of ICT integration,
identify key principles for ICT integration and
make recommendations on what the priorities for development should be.

In order to complete this assignment we recommend that you consider the following steps:

1. Current state: First provide a description of the school's ICT resources and facilities. Include a summary if the staff ICT development levels. Use the framework as the basis for analysing the current state of learning.

2. Key principles: Based on your understanding of this module, identify between 5 and 10 key principles that should influence all activity regarding the use of ICT for learning in the school, including staff development. Provide a clear explanation for each principle that you include.

3. Recommendations: Use the above-mentioned principles and your analysis of the framework as a foundation for identifying the most important activities that should take place regarding ICT Integration. State these as specific outcomes. Place each outcome in order of priority and enter them on a timeline in which you set target dates for achieving each outcome.

What to submit:

Save your report as <your_student_number>-Core1B-report
e.g. 205654321-Core1B-report

Save your e-diary as <your_student_number>-Core1B-ediary .
e.g. 205654321-Core1B-ediary

Save your e-mail log as <your_student_number>-Core1B-email .
e.g. 205654321-Core1B-email

Send all three documents as attachments in e-mail to your tutor.

Click here to complete the self-assessment form.

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