Reflection: School Readiness Framework

It may be easy for some to find the STaR chart very complicated and difficult to understand at first glance. One possible reason for this lies in the fact that the information needed to complete such a chart may come from many different sources. Teachers may not be privy to information that the principal, accountant or head of departments have. I found the chart to be very comprehensive as it seeks to address: Educational Benefits, Hardware and Connectivity, Professional Development, Digital Content, Student Achievement and Assessment on four different levels. However, some of the options under the different levels were very specific and schools may find it difficult to fall into a particular level, perhaps more options at the different levels may prove to be more prudent. Overall, I found the chart to be quite useful in  long term planning, allocating funds for ICT and examining overall use and progress.

I found the Mankato Scale to be more specific to teachers in the classroom. It allowed teachers to assess their own use and knowledge of specific software in the classroom.  The information retrieved here can be useful in assisting teachers in their professional development. It enables teachers to identify the level at which they are using the software, reflect and aim for higher levels.

Reflection on Teaching Spaces

Classrooms of yesterday are limited in terms of the ease at which they can accommodate ICT. While it may take much needed restructuring to create the ideal classroom, the ideas and suggestions given in using the available spaces smartly was quite enlightening.

Currently we are in the process of rebuilding the IT lab at our school. Much consideration as it relates to the characteristics that would make the lab effective with ICT use has been noted. These include:

· access to on-line resources

· provision for the teacher to teach the whole class or part of the class, assisted by technology as appropriate

·students moving independently between learning areas as necessary, managed by technology

· flexible room layout and furnishing,

· large-screen video display

As such, movable tables would be built to facilitate an arrangement that can be modified to encourage group work. An intranet that allows access to online resources would also be set up. The room would most likely incorporate a conference room layout with a video display at the front.  Other ideas used in the reading would also be assessed in an attempt to integrate those that can maximize the new lab's effectiveness with ICT use for both teachers and students.

Reflection: Models of Technology Adoption

At school today, we were informed that all students would be given tablets by a date to be announced. We were further informed that teachers were to purchase their own tablets and were given a list of brands to choose from. Immediately the staff burst out with a number of concerns and questions.

I immediately remembered the exercise in this lesson where we were asked to investigate the current state of ICT at Boca Secondary School with regards to problems and reasons for current state and outline principles of ICT staff development and recommendations for proceeding with staff ICT development.

Based on all the readings in this course so far, it seems to me that the greatest harm was done today with that announcement.

Firstly, the teachers viewed the purchasing of the tablets for themselves to be a waste of time and money. Even teachers that were already in possession of their own tablets claimed that they would never use their personal resources to teach.

Secondly, teachers were told that they were to get familiar with the device as they would need to be able to use them when the students received them. Asking teachers to learn to use a device on their own, for the purpose of using them with students provides no motivation for teachers at all.

If teachers are not aware as to the benefits of integrating ICT in the curriculum then what results are expected in terms of both learning and teaching?

If teachers are left to fend for themselves in implementing ICT, some of which they are totally unacquainted with, what meaningful change is ICT supposed to bring about?

It is with great disdain I view the manner in which ICT is being introduced into secondary schools, it would have been excellent if the powers that be were perhaps exposed to the some of the same literature that we have been reading.