2 Part 2: Consolidating ICT Implementation
in Primary Schools through the
Use of Specialist ICT Teachers
The second part of this memorandum presents the reasons for and a strategic approach towards the
consolidation of ICT implementation in primary schools by tapping into the existing pool of trained and experienced
specialist ICT teachers.
2.1
Positioning the School Reform within the Global Context
No country can address the
challenges of the 21st century if it ignores the importance of
Information Technology. (…) It would be suicidal for any country to
underestimate the information and communication revolution that is taking place
in all spheres of activity.
(‘Curriculum Renewal in the
Primary Sector’, March 2001)
Since the advent of the knowledge economy led by globalisation and the democratisation of information via the internet, the world has indeed been revolutionised in all realms of activity and business. Whilst the developed countries
of the world are
already benefiting from this revolution in terms of the convergence of digital
technologies and have joined the race to apply the science and business of Nanotechnology,
developing nations like
These global trends, triggered by the Information Age, have
witnessed the outsourcing of manufacturing and now, R & D and IT-enabled
services, to
2.2
Rethinking the Place of ICT within the Primary School Education
Model
ICT has to-date been an add-on subject aesthetically attached to the national curriculum, and devoid of an examinable status or a network of advice, support and resources for the ICT teacher to develop an e-teaching/e-learning environment. This has been extensively debated and illustrated in the first part of the memorandum. At this stage, ICT is re-assessed as a curricular subject of its own with achievable goals and targets.
The modern world requires new skills.
Understanding ICT and, more importantly, being able to apply it to the problems
we face is one of the most important. Increasingly ICT will be vital for our
individual prospects and for our economy’s future.
(Lord Dennis Stevenson, The
National Curriculum for England-ICT, 1999)
Following the quote above, this memorandum argues that the basic principle behind the introduction of ICT as a subject lies in the word ‘skills’ and ‘application’. The pupil has to acquire specific knowledge, skills and understanding pertaining to ICT before being able to manipulate hardware and software in the application of ICT as a tool in any other subject at school. In the same line of thought, this memorandum argues that ICT should be implemented as a subject in its own right within the primary school curriculum, before using it as a tool to enhance learning opportunities in other subjects. This rationale also underpins MOESR’s latest research and paper on the “Reform Project: School Leaving Assessment at Age 16 – ICT”. The paper is critically assessed below to explain the statutory nature of ICT as a curricular subject.
2.2.a ICT: A Curricular Subject
with Statutory Requirements
This paper, like Lord Stevenson’s quote above, also identifies ICT as a subject with its own statutory requirements: ‘literacy and numeracy principles’ which the pupil has to grasp by the age of sixteen for him to be able to attain his computer driving license. According to this report, the five strands that constitute the ‘literacy and numeracy principles’ of ICT are delineated below:
1. Computer Operations and Fundamentals
2. Word Processing & Spreadsheet
3. Presentation, computer-mediated Communication and Multimedia
4. Use of Computers in Everyday life
5. Ethics, Security, Health and Safety
Each strand has its own breadth of study within the different levels of the programme, and by the end of each programme, the ICT teacher’s duty is to ensure that each pupil has attained the benchmark levels set by the prescribed ICT syllabus. These benchmarks set for each level have been described as a: “set of descriptors in terms of skills and competencies (…) which represent the minimum acceptable performance standards expected at that level.”
The advantages proffered by these benchmarks are:
§ The assurance that each pupil has achieved the minimum ICT capability
through the acquisition of the basic ‘literacy and numeracy skills’ at
each level.
§ A continuum from primary to secondary (for the 11 years of compulsory schooling).
In the following section, this memorandum would like to further this argument by assessing the benefits that the pupil and the national economy would derive from the implementation of ICT as a subject at the micro-level of primary education.
2.2.b
Assessing
the Key Benefits of ICT as a Subject for the Pupil, and the National Economy
As explained above, five strands are perceived to be the pillars of the skills, knowledge and understanding pertaining to ICT as a subject. These strands, learnt with differing breadth and programme of study at each level, would allow the pupils to achieve the following tasks which will determine their ICT capability:
1. The exploration of hardware and software, i.e. finding things out
2. The development of ideas and their materialisation though the
use of knowledge, skills and tools pertaining to the subject
3. The use of a network of information by efficiently and creatively sharing, utilising and presenting information
4. Critical analysis of the work under progress and auto-corrections enabled by the use of proper software
These strands support a progressive pedagogy for the teaching and learning of ICT: the pupil gradually develops from exploring, utilising, interpreting and exchanging to designing, evaluating and implementing.
The pupil, and the national economy, could both profit from the implementation of ICT as a subject as explained below:
§ The pupil is equipped with a computer driving license by the age of sixteen.
§
The foundation is laid for the
pupil to later specialise in this subject. As an analogy, as studies in science
lay the grounds for engineering studies, primary and secondary education in ICT
may also lead to software development studies.
§
ICT may turn out to be the
pupil’s passion, hobby or career. It is well-known that IT graduates have been
at the forefront of pioneering developments in the world (in the likes of Google, Microsoft). In this light, the education ingrained
at the very roots of the pupil’s education could foster a culture of developers
and pioneers. Only then will
It can be concluded at this stage that ICT is a subject on its own and that pupils should be encouraged to develop their ICT capabilities. It is only after these targets are realised and the benchmarks of the pupils’ performances are attained that the educational model will be able to support the use of ICT across the curriculum, and the nation will be able to ascertain its stepping into the global digital era.
2.3
Adopting a Strategic Approach towards integrating ICT within Primary
Schools by Trained and Experienced
ICT Teachers
Setting a programme of study for ICT learning is a first step into the initiation of digital literacy. Being able to translate this programme into practical, manageable and examinable teaching plans is the next most important phase. This memorandum supports the adoption of an integrated strategy, which efficiently utilises the existing pool of trained ICT teachers, by changing their status to that of permanent specialist ICT teachers.
The ICTTN has recently learned that General Purpose (GP) teachers will be trained to utilise ICT as a tool for teaching the current subjects of the primary school curriculum, and that ICT as a subject will be removed from the latter. Whilst the paragraphs above have enunciated the importance of implementing ICT as a subject, the next sections of the document will spell out the added value that ICT teachers could bring into the whole process.
2.3.a Defining
the Reasons for Maintaining ICT Teachers as the Agents of ICT Introduction in Primary Schools
In accordance with the ‘Reform Project’ which presents ICT as a statutory subject, ICT teaching is a profession of its own. The ICT teacher, recruited by the Ministry of Education and Scientific Research in 2002, can be defined as the individual who possesses the following characteristics:
§ Knowledge, skills, expertise and qualifications in ICT
§ Training in the pedagogical principles underlying ICT teaching
§ Experience in the pioneering introduction of ICT in schools
Teaching ICT requires a matrix of technology, methodology and pedagogy of its own in order to optimise learning opportunities for the pupil. As a comparison, it can be argued that if the General Teacher is trained to implement ICT within the school, this would bring up multiple issues:
§
The danger of GP teachers
sidelining ICT as a ‘nice-to-do’ subject because of lack of time and resources.
. It has been universally recognised that the latters’
workload has been over-crammed, and that the
MOESR has been trying to reduce this load (‘Curriculum
Renewal in the Primary Sector’, March 2001). Furthermore, it has to be
conceded that in most schools today, the computer to pupils’ ratio per
classroom is approximately
§ Inefficiency caused by wasted time due to technical problems, as a majority of GP teachers would be ICT learners themselves and thus, unable to solve basic hardware or software problems. This could paralyse the whole programme of study.
Hence, in order to effect a real transformation of education, this
memorandum argues that existing ICT teachers should be made permanent specialist ICT teachers. The
added values that they can bring into play are described below.
2.3.b The Current and Potential
Roles of existing ICT Teachers
In conjunction with their role as the principal agent in implementing ICT as a curricular subject, the existing cluster of ICT teachers is composed of proactive young individuals conducive to further training and the application of their skills. As a result, this memorandum proposes a collaborative approach between ICT and General Purpose Teachers in order to enable e-learning within the school.
In this case, the role of the ICT teacher can be perceived as being a coordinator supervising the implementation of ICT as a subject and ICT as a tool for other subjects. The latter are perceived to be complementary; however, it is believed that schools must teach the stepping stones and early learning goals for ICT before effectively using it as a tool.
The list below proposes the potential roles that ICT teachers could play in this context:
§ As per the initial contract, ICT teachers would be provided with an ICT lab,
and they would be responsible for security with controlled access to the ICT
lab and the internet as well as for health and safety (lighting and ventilation).
§ The ICT teacher manage the following aspects of ICT introduction in schools:
(a) infrastructure in relation to the purchase of hardware and peripherals (such as projectors and whiteboards)
(b) communications (setting up of connection to internet and email addresses for intra and inter school purposes)
(c) professional support to address basic technical problems and reduce wasted teaching time
(d) software (installation, removal and maintenance)
(e) on-line resources to support learning for all subjects
(f) administration (access for teachers to secure networked computers)
§ The ICT teachers’ experience and expertise could also serve in the planning of an ICT Development Plan within the school. The areas whereby their contribution would be vital are:
(a) Planning of the Development Plan
(b) Strategic deployment of resources
(c) Monitoring and review to ensure that benchmarks are being achieved
(d) External liaison with partner schools or relevant authorities to discuss ICT curriculum matters.
Thus, it can be argued that the potential of ICT teachers is yet to be tapped. Once this is unleashed, both the implementation of ICT as a subject in schools and ICT as a tool for teaching could be achieved. Moreover, the dynamics of this project would trigger an ICT pedagogy within the school environment itself, which could bleed into society by making the school a lead learning and information hub. By implementing this recommendation, the pupils, and by association, their parents/family members would be able to access the ICT tools and content, thus bridging the digital divide.
2.3.c ICT
Infrastructure, Connectivity and Professional Development
In order to achieve the above transformation, basic requirements need to be fulfilled, as delineated below:
§ Equipping the teacher with an ICT lab (at least one networked computer
connected to the internet)
§ Higher computer to pupil ratios per classroom
§ Access to media-rich resources, including CD-ROM as well as educational
publications and interactive websites
§ Enhancing the professional development of teachers through the setting up
of a virtual network including caching servers and hosting digital teaching
resources prepared and supervised by the MIE and MOESR.
Being embedded in an education model with open access to advice, support and infrastructure would ensure that ICT learners, ICT teachers and GP teachers adopt a collaborative approach in the making of an e-confident school.