Core 1A: Learning, teaching and thinking with ICT
Core 1B: ICT in schools
Core 2A: ICT and the roles of the educator
Core 2B: Assessing ICT integration

Elective 1: Designing and creating web sites
Elective 2: Choosing and evaluating software
Elective 3: ICT maths resources for educators
Elective 4: Developing classroom resources for maths
Elective 5: ICT science resources for educators
Elective 6: Developing classroom resources for science
Elective 7: ICT Planning for schools
Elective 8: ICT leadership in schools
Elective 9: Learning with projects
Elective 10: Working with information
Elective 11: Facilitating ICT integration for teachers

CORE MODULE 1A: LEARNING, TEACHING AND THINKING WITH ICT

Assignment 1: Approaches to learning

This assignment is to be completed once you have completed Activity 4. Base this assignment on your understanding of the reading and activities you have completed in Activities 1-4.

What to do:

In an essay of no fewer than 800 words:

• Compare different approaches to learning that you have tried in you classes. Which have been most successful?
• Explain how 4 of Whitaker's guidelines have value for you, giving examples from your own teaching. You could either explain how you will change your teaching as a result of these guidelines, or you could describe how you already use these guidelines in your teaching.
• What have been the most successful moments in your teaching and what are the factors that have caused this success? Identify at least 3 factors that you think are most responsible for successful teaching and learning, based on your experience. Give examples.
• Identify one strategy in your teaching that you will change in order to impact more effectively on student behaviour. Give reasons why you have chosen this strategy.

Use the word processor to write this essay.

Assignment 2: Cognitive Development and ICT

This assignment is to be completed once you have completed Activity 8. Base this assignment on your understanding of the reading and activities you have completed in Activities 5-8.

What to do:

In an essay of no fewer than 800 words:

Explain how your knowledge of cognitive development has influenced your teaching with ICT. Focus on:

• how the learner may experience your lessons differently;
• what your and the learners' roles should be;
• what the role of ICT in these lessons will be.

Use the word processor to write this essay.

Assignment 3: The role of ICT in supporting thinking skills

In this assignment you should take into consideration what you have read and experienced in activities 9-12.

What to do:

If you have not already done so during these activities, plan and implement at least one lesson in which:

• ICT is integrated
• you implement a questioning strategy
• learners are encouraged to think

After the lesson write detailed reflective notes of no fewer than 800 words in your e-diary , structuring them as follows:

• Describe your previous practice in presenting this lesson
• Describe how you have changed the lesson this time
• Explain the questioning strategy you intended to use in the lesson
• Describe how the use of ICT has supported the development of questioning and thinking skills in this lesson
• Comment how the lesson went; what went well and what did not go well
• Explain what you will do differently next time you teach this lesson and why you have decided on this action.

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CORE MODULE 1B: ICT IN SCHOOLS

Assignment 1: Perceptions of ICT in schools

This assignment is to be completed once you have completed Activity 2.

What to do:

Conduct a survey and analysis in two schools in which you test a conditional statement about teachers' attitudes towards and/or perceptions of ICT in education. To complete this assignment we suggest that you follow these steps:

1. Record two conclusions that you reached when reading Two generations of teachers: Differences in attitudes towards ICT.
2. State the conclusions as a causal relationship, for example:
   
   < something happens > because < the reason why it happens >
   e.g. teachers smoke because they find teaching stressful (except that your example should be about attitudes towards ICT, based on the reading)
   
   It may be advisable to check these statements with your tutor once you have formulated them.
   
3. Design a paper-based survey that will test the validity of these statements (whether they hold to be true or not).
   
   Use the link on the CD to read more about designing surveys, good survey questions and an example survey.
   
4. Administer this survey in two schools, at least one of which should have computers. You should have at least 20 responses. This means that you should hand out at least 40 survey forms.
5. Process your survey results and analyse the responses. How do the two schools compare? What are the reasons for this? How do the results support your conditional statement?
6. Write a report of 3-4 pages on you survey analysis. Create spreadsheet charts of the most illuminating survey data and include these in your report. Write conclusions that cite specific data and the data analysis. Declare whether the statement had been supported by your survey or not. Identify further work that could be done to clarify results.

This assignment is to be completed after Activity 6.

What to do:

Choose one of the competencies for ICT integration and design a unit of a teacher development programme for ICT integration which caters for this competency. Implement the session and reflect on the experience.

To complete this assignment we suggest that you follow these steps:

1. Use the link on the CD to see a list of teacher ICT development competencies
2. Consider the stage of development of your colleagues before selecting one or more competencies in that area.
3. Use the link on the CD to open the template for a teacher development plan to complete your planning (save the file and then open in Word before completing it).
4. Gather a few colleagues (at least 2) and implement the training session. Make notes as you notice significant things happening.
5. Reflect on the session and, in no less than 400 words, complete the reflection section of the template.

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

What to do:

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.

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CORE MODULE 2A: ICT AND THE ROLES OF THE EDUCATOR

This assignment is to be done once you have completed Activity 5. Base this assignment on your understanding of the reading and activities you have completed in Activities 1-5.

What to do:

Analyse the seven roles of the educator and evaluate the part that ICT can play in supporting these roles.

Provide sample documentation of how at least three applications are used to support at least 4 roles of the educator in practical school-related situations. In total, provide 6 documents of your choice.

Include this summary table in your e-diary. The following table is completed as an example:

In your e-diary, in no less than 200 words explain the challenges you face and how you plan to overcome these and change your practice in order to increase the impact of ICT on your roles as an educator.

Assignment 2: Information literacy

This assignment is to be done once you have completed Activity 10. Base this assignment on your understanding of the reading and activities you have completed in Activities 9 and 10.

What to do:

Use the hyperlink function in an application of your choice to compile a list of 10 web sites that support teaching and learning in a specific learning area and phase. Pin each resource to a curriculum learning outcome and/or assessment standard.

Using a list of evaluation criteria that you have drawn up yourself, evaluate the credibility of each site. The list should include at least 6 criteria.

Assignment 3: Teaching and Learning with ICT

This assignment is to be done once you have completed Activity 11. Base this assignment on your understanding of the reading and activities you have completed in Activities 1 and 11.

What to do:

Use the lesson analysis template that is linked from Activity 11 on the CD.

Design and implement a lesson that fully integrates the use of ICT by both the teacher and the learners.

Explain how each use of ICT supports your view on how ICT can support learning and teaching.

Analyse this lesson, explaining the reasons for the events in the classroom, and identifying areas for improvement.

Develop a plan or strategy for future action which reflects an integration of what you have learnt through your reflection on this lesson.

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CORE MODULE 2B: ASSESSMENT FOR ICT INTEGRATION

This assignment is to be completed once you have completed Activity 1.

What to do:

Use the self-assessment survey and the learner survey to evaluate your assessment practice and the learners' perceptions of your assessment practice.

In a document of no less than 600 words provide a summary of the survey results and reasons for the assessment methods and tools that you use.

• Analyse and give reasons for the difference/similarity in your own and your learners' view of your assessment practice.
• Review this in the light of the principles of OBE and outline the changes in assessment practice that you think are most important to implement.
• Alternatively, justify why you think that your assessment practice is completely appropriate.

Assignment 2: Evaluating the use of assessment tools for ICT integration

This assignment is to be completed once you have completed Activity 5.

What to do:

In this assignment you will focus on fine-tuning assessment tools that you can use in the classes where you integrate ICT. You will be required to create and submit 5 assessment tools.

1. Look for 5 assessment tools that you or your colleagues have used before, or use the Internet to find assessment tools that other teachers have used.
2. Use each tool to assess an aspect of your lessons in which you integrate ICT. Beneath each tool make reflective comments on the effectiveness of its use in your class.
3. Edit the assessment until it perfectly suits your needs.

Assignment 3: Implementing an assessment strategy

This assignment is to be completed once you have completed Activity 5. You will benefit if you have completed all the activities in this module before attempting this assignment.

What to do:

In this assignment you will develop a full unit of work that includes the integration of ICT. The portfolio of work that you will submit for the assignment should include:

• Unit plan outline that includes an indication of how ICT has been integrated (See the CD to access the unit plan template)
• A complete assessment strategy for the unit as a whole. The assessment plan is Section D of the unit plan template
• One sample of a learner's work during this unit
• Sample completed assessment tools for the learner sample work. All assessment tools must include reference to some aspects of ICT integration.
• A reflection, written at the end of the unit plan, of the success of the assessment strategy and what changes you will make next time.

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ELECTIVE MODULE 1: DESIGNING AND CREATING WEB PAGES

This assignment should be completed systematically throughout the module, which should last for no longer than 7 weeks. The best way to achieve this is to work systematically through the activities.

What to do:

Follow these instructions to complete this assignment.

• Work through the activities in the module. These will guide you to produce a basic web site with sound design principles.
• Publish the web site and test its functionality - fix errors
• Create and apply a simple evaluation of your site, focusing on sound functionality and design, but including the educational value and credibility of the content in your criteria.
• Poll members of your group and other colleagues and friends and ask them to give you feedback about the site. Summarise their feedback in your e-diary
• Consider the feedback and apply changes where necessary. Record this in your e-diary

ELECTIVE MODULE 2: CHOOSING AND EVALUATING EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE

Assignment 1: Develop an evaluation tool for educational software

This assignment should be completed once you have completed Activity 6.

What to do:

• Define a specific type of educational software and develop an evaluation tool for this software.
• Apply this tool to an example of this type of software that you plan to use in class and write a review on the software.
• Use your word processor to write this review. The review should contain no fewer than 500 words. The review should include:
  • a definition of the software that you are evaluating
  • an evaluation tool, completed

Assignment 2: Evaluate a learning experience with educational software

This assignment should be attempted after you have completed Activity 8.

What to do:

Plan and implement a lesson using the type of software for which you developed an evaluation tool in the previous assignment.

• Include additional criteria, if necessary, for evaluating the learning experience with educational software.

In a document of no less than 600 words, reflect on the lesson, giving reasons for the events that took place.

• Explain the role that the software should have played during the lesson.
• Develop a plan or strategy for future action for using educational software which reflects an integration of what you have learnt through reflection.

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ELECTIVE MODULE 3: ICT MATHS RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

Assignment 1:

This assignment should be attempted once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

Accumulate a resource pack of mathematics resources consisting of at least 4 different kinds of resources / tools and at least 10 separate resources / tools for supporting mathematics teaching and learning.

Note: Only one of the kinds of resource tools may be either informational (e.g. history of mathematics) or mathematics worksheets. The other three kinds of resource should be supporting OBE practice, especially learner-centered activities.

Link each resource with critical and learning outcomes.

Evaluate the resource in terms of how it can support

a) the roles of the educator

b) OBE teaching and learning approaches.

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Assignment 1:

You should attempt this assignment once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

Identify a unit of work in your maths curriculum that you would like to teach with the support of ICT integration.

Use the template that you will be able to link to in Activity 9.

• Describe how you teach/taught that unit without the integrated use of ICT resources.
• Plan and implement the unit with the integrated use of ICT. Explain what options you had for integrating ICT and why you chose the options that you did. What do you envisage the impact of ICT to be on the unit?
• Implement the unit and observe and reflect on the integrated use of ICT during the unit. Explain reasons for what you see happening.
• Reflect on the unit and identify areas for improvement. Develop a plan or strategy for future integration of ICT that reflects what you have learnt through this experience.

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ELECTIVE MODULE 5: ICT SCIENCE RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

Assignment 1:

This assignment should be attempted once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

Accumulate a resource pack of science resources consisting of at least 4 different kinds of resources / tools and at least 10 separate resources / tools for supporting science teaching and learning.

Note: None of the kinds of resource tools may be either informational or science worksheets. All four kinds of resource should be supporting OBE practice, especially learner-centered activities.

Link each resource with critical and learning outcomes.

Evaluate the resource in terms of how it can support

a) the roles of the educator

b) OBE teaching and learning approaches.

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ELECTIVE MODULE 6: DEVELOPING CLASSROOM RESOURCES FOR SCIENCE

Assignment 1:

You should attempt this assignment once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

Identify a unit of work in your science curriculum.

Use the template that you will be able to link to in Activity 9.

• Describe how you teach/taught that unit without the integrated use of ICT resources.
• Plan and implement the unit with the integrated use of ICT. Explain what options you had for integrating ICT and why you chose the options that you did. What do you envisage the impact of ICT to be on the unit?
• Implement the unit and observe and reflect on the integrated use of ICT during the unit. Explain reasons for what you see happening.
• Reflect on the unit and identify areas for improvement. Develop a plan or strategy for future integration of ICT that reflects what you have learnt through this experience.

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Assignment 1: SWOT Analysis of ICT in your school

You should attempt this assignment after completing Activity 3C.

What to do:

Make a detailed SWOT analysis of the state of ICT in your school.

From your findings, write an analysis of no fewer than 600 words (additional to the SWOT analysis) in which you devise a strategy for improvement by identifying at least 4 key areas for action and a plan of action for each.

Assignment 2: School ICT Policy

You should attempt this assignment after completing all the activities in this module.

What to do:

Write a comprehensive ICT Policy for your school. In the policy include clear guidelines for:

• ICT facilities
  • what ICT resources there will be and how they will be used
  • where ICT resources will be housed
  • how they will be secured
  • how they will be maintained
  • a 1–year budget for ICT hardware and software
• curriculum integration of ICT
  • the role of the teacher and learner in the classroom
  • the role of ICT in supporting teaching and learning
  • who is responsible for ICT integration and how are ICT skills developed
  • proposed scheduling of access to ICT resources
  • safety for learners
  • a 1-year budget for curriculum ICT resources, including Internet access
• administrative use of ICT
  • the role of ICT in administration
  • a 1-year budget for administrative use of ICT
• a staff development strategy in ICT integration
  • an outline of a staff development strategy, naming specific areas of focus and programmes / projects in which staff will participate
  • scheduling of staff development time
  • plans for staff access to ICT resources
  • a statement of school policy on the status of staff development
  • a 1-year budget for staff development
• ICT and the community
  • how the community will be involved
• Sustainability
  • how this policy and its implications will be sustained

In your preamble, describe the policy development process that you have followed in developing this policy. Your policy document should be no fewer than 2000 words.

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ELECTIVE MODULE 8: ICT LEADERSHIP IN SCHOOLS

 Assignment 1: Staff survey

This assignment should be attempted at the end of Activity 4.

What to do:

Design and conduct an ICT use and perception survey amongst staff and learners at your school. If your school does not have ICT facilities, concentrate on how staff and learners perceive the value of ICT.

Analyse the results and identify a basic strategy that recognizes and addresses your main challenges in developing a shared vision for ICT at your school.

This analysis document should be no fewer than 600 words long.

Assignment 2: Developing a shared vision for ICT

This assignment should be completed after the last activity of the module. Most of the activities in the module will assist you towards completing the assignment.

What to do:

Devise and implement a detailed strategy for developing a shared vision for ICT at your school. Include the following:

• A presentation outlining your strategy and an explanation of the options you have at each stage and why you have made the decisions that you have. Include content developed in Activities 7-9
  • Principles of leadership in ICT
  • Learning area visions
  • Motivation for change
  • What changes you would like to see
  • Schedule for development of this vision

Hold a series of meetings in which you share this vision with members of the school management and ICT committee.

• Record who you meet including:
  • The purpose of the meeting
  • The date and time of the meeting
  • The media/resources that you took to the meeting
  • The outcome of the meeting
  • A reflection on the meeting
    • how this meeting has helped you to achieve your strategy
    • how you need to change your strategy as a result of the meeting

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Assignment 1: Reflection on current practice

This assignment should be attempted once you have completed Activity 2

What to do:

Consider the key aspects of Project-based learning and reflect on your current practice in each of these areas. Describe the reasons for your current practice and what you consider the constraints to be that prevent you from implementing a project-based unit of work. Describe your plan to overcome these constraints.

Use a word processor to write this document. It should have no fewer than 500 words.

Assignment 2: Analysing an online inter-class collaborative project

This assignment should be attempted once you have completed Activity 5

What to do:

Find a teacher in your school or another school who has managed a classroom-based project. Interview that teacher and analyse the events of the project. Provide the interview script and, in a column alongside the teacher's responses, provide your analytical comment. These comments should identify the key success factors and constraints in the management of the project. Draw final conclusions and draw up a list of guidelines for planning and implementing online collaborative project-based learning.

Your interview script and comments should be no fewer than 1000 words.

Assignment 3: Implementing a Project-based unit

This assignment should be attempted while you are doing all the activities of the module. You should complete the assignment once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

During this module you have planned and implemented a short investigate unit of work that incorporates the principles of project-based learning and inter-class telecollaboration.

1. Describe your implementation plan, outlining the choices that you had and why you have chosen what you consider to be the most appropriate course of action.
2. Analyse and comment on the progress of the unit and reflect on what you observed. Explain the reason for the events that occur and elicit learner feedback on the process.
3. Reflect on the experience and identify areas for improvement.
4. Develop a plan for how you will tackle the implementation of a future telecollaboration project differently, based on your analysis and reflection.

Your reflection should consist of no fewer than 1000 words.

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Assignment 1: Identifying best practice in research-based learning

You should attempt this assignment after you have completed Activity 2.

What to do:

Identify at least 5 units of work that have been successfully implemented by other teachers and are modeled on research-based learning (learning that requires learners to respond to open questions by finding information from various sources). Analyse these units and identify the principles of best practice that emerges from this analysis. Compile a list of 10 points as guidelines for the design of research-based units

Use the examples of units that appear on the CD. Your analysis document should be no fewer than 800 words.

Assignment 2: Planning scaffolded learning experiences

This assignment should be attempted while you are doing all the activities of the module. You should complete the assignment once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

Identify a unit of work for which you would like to implement a research-based approach to learning within the next few months.

Using any of the template models suggested in this module, design the unit.

Use the template provided to draw up an implementation plan. Explain how you will integrate ICT and why you think the use of ICT is appropriate.

Use ICT resources to develop at least 6 learner support documents that should include examples from each of Dodge's scaffold types viz. reception, transformation and production scaffolds

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ELECTIVE MODULE 11: FACILITATING ICT INTEGRATION FOR TEACHERS

Assignment 1: Produce a complete unit portfolio

You should attempt this assignment during your Intel Teach to the Future Facilitator training and complete it soon after that training and before you start training your colleagues (Activity 1).

What to do:

Register for and attend the Intel® Teach to the Future Facilitator training course.

Produce a complete Intel Teach to the Future portfolio which consists of the following original documents (see pages 1.08 and 1.09 in the manual):

• Unit plan (which includes the implementation plan)
• Learner sample presentation
• Presentation assessment tool
• Learner sample publication
• Publication assessment tool
• Learner sample web site
• Web site assessment tool
• Management document
• Learner support document
• Teacher support document
• Bibliography

Assignment 2: Facilitate an Intel® Teach to the Future Course

This assignment should be attempted while you are doing all the activities of the module. You should complete the assignment once you have completed all the activities in the module.

What to do:

Facilitate an Intel Teach to the Future course for at least 5 teaching colleagues at your school or a neighbouring school. You will have to recruit these teachers and negotiate a schedule of training that concludes within 18 weeks of the start of the term.

As you facilitate the course, complete your reflections in the e-diary. Assess your colleague's work and provide formative feedback to them.

Provide the three best portfolios, together with your assessment of each. You assessment of each portfolio must be no fewer than 200 words in length.

Note: You will have to comply with the online reporting requirements associated with this course. You will be informed of this at the facilitator training course.

MAKE SURE THAT YOU BACKUP YOUR DATA. This phase of the module could last for up to 18 weeks and it is your responsibility to make sure that your own work and that of your participant teachers is constantly being backed up so that you do not lose

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