Module 10: Activity 3A: Planning for ICTs in your school

1  1.    A statement of your school vision

Sugar Mill Academy is committed to educate every student by providing the skills, knowledge and values necessary to be capable and concerned participants in a global community.

     2.  Your school ICT vision

Sugar Mill Academy aims to support each child to reach full potential by harnessing teaching and learning opportunities with the use of ICT.

   

3.   Explanation of the alignment between your school’s vision and ICT vision

The schools vision and ICT vision are committed to one common goal: to educate and aid students to be capable participants in a global community. The ICT vision aims to provide a connection with the wider community, while fostering skills applicable to real life. It encourages collaborative and social learning, and can also meet the needs of supporting each individual’s unique development. The alignment of both visions allows for each student to experience and explore the joy of lifelong learning.

Module 10: Activity 2b Reflection-A vision for school ICT policy

How do you see teaching and learning with ICT at your school in the next 10 years?

My vision for ICT at Sugar Mill Academy in ten years’ time is one where all classrooms will be equipped with ICT systems, giving students and educators access to the global community and a wider variety of resources to choose from. Educators and learners will be able to collaborate with neighboring and regional schools on joint projects. All curriculums including I.T will be made available and easily accessible online to parents, students and teachers. All teachers will be trained and proficient with integrating ICTs within the curriculum. I can foresee Sugar Mill Academy moving from the applying phase to the integrating phase, with a sound policy in place and adequate resources.

What will my schools ICT policy need to include in order achieving this vision?

The policy will need:

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To support the schools beliefs and ethos.

-      Details on how to develop ICT in the school and it’s use.

-      How the development of ICT will be beneficial.

-      Ways on how to improve students and teachers use of ICT to promote effective teaching and learning.

-      A CPD plan for teachers.

-      To be clear, transparent, fair and accessible to all involved.

-      To have a development plan along with a handbook describing a set of guiding principles, clear day to day procedures and organization.

-      The policy will need to be reviewed and updated regularly.

List some issues that you want to include on your own policy.

-Access to interactive software and resources.

-CDP for educators.

-Funding and maintenance.

-Managing the workload.

- Time for planning.

-Health and safety, e-safety.

Module 10: Activity 1a Reflection- My School

What I think about ICT planning in general:  I think that ICT planning for a school is time consuming. It would need to be done by a team of I.T professionals, who would work along with the schools management and board of directors.

What I would like to know about ICT planning: I would like to know the step by step process of ICT planning, and what has been the most successful model so far. It would also be interesting to read about some pitfalls or mistakes, which can be avoided.

How I feel about the module so far: I feel that that content so far is relevant and informative. I am now able to identify where my school is in terms of ICT's integration. I can see that there is a need to have continuous professional development focusing on the integration of ICT into curriculum areas.

Activity 7b: WebQuests as projects

I really enjoyed activity,7A- taking on different roles to evaluate the various webquest provided. I noticed that i got excited about some of the introductions. It helps to set the tone of the quest and motivates you to complete the tasks at hand.
This helped me to understand what a good webquest should consist of: A compelling scenario, roles for the students, and exciting tasks. I challenged myself to try to re-create an awesome webquest for my students. I thought about a topic they would enjoy and how I could make it engaging for them.  So far I've  had minimal challenges inserting graphics and pictures into my webquest but managed to overcome them.

Activity 9- Cellphones in the classroom

While there are problems with the use of a cell phone in school, many advantages to having one available exist. Schools need to weigh all factors involved in use of cell phones in order to make wise and appropriate decisions. Parents and students should decide together on the wisdom of taking the cell phone to school. This is a partial listing of advantages and disadvantages of cell phone use in high schools. A camera equipped phone can be used to take pictures and video related to school projects or develop photo essays. Camera phones can be used to record school events and field trips. They can prove quite useful for assignments involving photographs, particularly anything going to the web. Just snap a shot with your picture phone and use it for your web classes, which are becoming more and more important these days. This is especially useful given that cell phone cameras are getting better and better with time.

Cell phones can be a distraction in the classroom. Students whose minds wander during a lecture or discussion may find the temptation of texting instead of listening hard to resist. They are also potentially a distraction to the class if the student forgets to set their phone to vibrate rather than ring during calls. Even the vibration can be distracting, and it does not take much for a teacher to lose their momentum.

Pros:

1. Academic Help - The most significant advantage of having cell phones in the classroom is being effective and reliable academic tool. Cell phones have several features like cameras, calculators and internet connection that can certainly help students when doing research and home works. Students can also use several applications beneficial to learning.

2. Emergency Contact - Cell phones are undeniably useful in terms of contacting individuals instantly especially during emergency situations. Knowing that students have their own mobile phones make parents feel relieved and at ease because they can easily contact their children in events like change of schedule and plans, urgent messages and instructions and more. Cell phones also make it possible for parents and students to keep in touch with each other.

3. Security - Not only can students keep in touch with their parents but they can also contact emergency numbers, friends and relatives during urgent and complicated situations. This provides security to students and parents at the same time.

4. Versatility - Aside from school premises, cell phones can be functional in other places. Students can use their phones for all-around purposes such as communicating, researching, making connections and many more.

Cons:

1. Distraction - Texting and making calls during class hours can definitely be major distractions for students and this is one of the common disadvantages of having cell phones in the classroom. Distraction also interferes with the concentration of students and if these scenarios happen frequently, their academic performance might as well be affected.

2. Wrong or Illegal Usage - There are instances that students use cell phones for wrong or illegal activities and purposes like thefts, drug deals and the like. Instead of using these phones for academic purposes, students use these gadgets for taking pictures and uploading videos the wrong way. Cell phones are also being used for cheating.

3. Hostility - Only those students who can afford to have cell phones and this scenario creates social problems such as hierarchy jealously, ragging and thefts.

During my research, online discussion and reading of the course materials I believe the use of cellphones in the classroom pros far outweigh the cons.

Activity 8-Managing online communication and collaboration

Social media is here. It's just another resource and doesn't have to be a distraction from learning objectives. Social media is another tool that you can use to make your classroom more engaging, relevant and culturally diverse. Outside the classroom, many students already are using social media every day to communicate and gather information about various topics. By harnessing this interest, teachers can create an online environment that promotes the exchange of ideas and resources, and allows students to develop an understanding of the benefits of effective communication.

The current generation of K-12 students has been “completely normalized by digital technologies,” and is accustomed to using new media not only to gather information but also to create new things in new ways.

Some students will likely be more comfortable communicating online rather than in the classroom, where they may feel too intimidated to ask questions. Additionally, teachers may gain a clearer picture of their students’ progress through an online forum that is not constrained by classroom schedules and school hours. Through respectful and effective communication via a social media site, teachers can take the pulse of their classroom by identifying areas of instruction where students may be flourishing or struggling.

Incorporating the use of social media, particularly in middle and high school, also allows teachers to discuss the real-world implications of its use and the potential pitfalls, such as bullying, harassment and inappropriate content. Students may not realize that their digital footprint is difficult to erase and that the comments or photos they post online can have life-altering consequences. Creating a safe environment online for students is paramount, as is teaching them how to maintain such safe behaviors outside the realm of school-related posts. Enriched Learning Experience

Social networks and other digital technology can enrich the classroom experience by connecting students with peers and experts around the globe. Through Skype, for example, classes can use real-time video chats as part of collaborative projects with other schools regardless of their geographic location.

Meanwhile, video-sharing sites such as Vine and YouTube allow students to learn about topics from the viewpoint of professionals and other students, as well as providing a platform for students to create their own learning materials to share. Blogs also are a great way to encourage students to express themselves, share their knowledge and develop a following in their area of knowledge.

Pros of using social media in the classroom:

1. Social media sites can increase student collaboration

Social media sites provide an avenue for students to easily contact one another regarding school projects, group assignments or for help on homework assignments.

2. Using social media in the classroom can encourage more participation

Students who do not participate regularly in class may feel they can express their thoughts through social media.   Although this should not completely replace in class participation it can help build the students’ confidence and encourage them to find their voice and be able to participate in class.

3. Social media sites can be useful for homework help

When students have questions about a class assignment they can easily post a message asking if anyone can help.  They can also write a specific question to the teacher on a wall that other students can see.  This allows the whole class to have access to the feedback from the teacher.

4. Share resources quickly when using social media in the classroom

If the teacher needs to direct students to a particular online resource they can easily share the site through social media sites like twitter.  If the teacher wants the class to visit a particular site all they have to do is tweet the website and the entire class can view it with one click.

5. Social media helps keep parents, teachers and students all on the same page

It is very useful for teachers to be able to post on social media sites about class activities, homework assignments and even school events.  This helps the teachers, parents and students all stay on the same page about what is going on at school.  Sites like facebook also allow teachers to easily communicate through private messages to parents and students without having to leave phone messages and wait for a call back.

5 cons of having social media in the classroom:

1. Social media can be a distraction in class

The first concern that comes to mind when using social media in the classroom is how it will be a major distraction to the students during lessons.  Students could easily be sidetracked from an assignment and it could be difficult for teachers to tell who is paying attention or not.

2. Improper use of social media in the classroom

Students might take advantage of being able to access social media in the classroom and use it for personal interactions instead of for school related activities.  If students are not closely monitored it will be hard to know how if they are using social media properly during class time.

3. Using social media in the classroom can detract from human interaction

If students are encouraged to participate in class discussions through social media websites this could impact their ability to interact in face to face situations.  Students still need to learn how to have conversations with people even in this modern technology based world.

4. Cyber bullying on social media websites

Some students have experienced cyber bullying through social media websites.  If social media is allowed in schools this could increase cyber bullying where students write hurtful messages targeting other students.

5. Posting inappropriate content on social media websites

One of the reasons social media sites are not allowed in schools is because it is difficult to monitor how students use social media sites.  A student may post inappropriate content such as pornography or foul language which would be both distracting and damaging to students.

E-safety

What are the guidelines in regards to e-safety provision in schools? How can a school protect and educate staff and pupils in its use of technology?, and what measures the school has in place to intervene and support should a particular issue arise.

As the framework is concerned with safeguarding pupils, it has to be a top priority for schools. Many schools might already have effective policies and systems in place, but those who haven't will need to revise their priorities to make sure this features are in place. As a parent and teacher, I want to know that my child and students are safe in school, I want to know that they are empowered with the knowledge to be safe when they go online, and I want to know that staff have a good understanding of what safe means in any context to do with technology. Many people  get very wrapped up in blaming the technology as the facilitator of risk, but this really isn't the case. Risk and behaviour are the two fundamental principles of e-safety. In other words, if you don't know what an online risk is, your online behaviour can put you at risk.

Learning about e-safety is a vital life skill. Empowering children at an early age with the knowledge to safeguard themselves and their personal information is something that needs to be nurtured throughout school to see them into adult life. Equally it is important to empower adults, particularly parents and teachers, with the right information so that they can identify risky behaviour, or mitigate the possibility of risk.

Activity7 Tablet devices in the classroom

Tablets have created an Equal Learning Platform in Classrooms

Some students are quick learners while others are not. Tablets provide all types of students an equal learning opportunity. The not-so-quick learners can repeatedly access the virtual teacher, without apprehension of embarrassment.

Education is Convenient on a Tablet 

Numerous educational apps are available which make learning interesting and educators have to select the right app. Teachers can also use their tablet for selecting simulation games for skill training and gauging how well their students learned. These conveniences free them to concentrate more on teaching and less on testing and grading.  

It’s also possible for teachers to try out different methods to turn education appealing.  The use of social media platform by students to post their assignments, hold discussions about it, and encouraging each other with proper feedback encourages collaboration. Educators can oversee this digital behavior to make sure it is along acceptable lines.

Uses of tablets are many. As an educator it depends on how innovatively you use it to maximize these benefits. Over time schools will conclude that the gains far exceed the initial cost spent on giving students a 1:1 learning device.     

Tablets are Cost- effective 

It’s becoming an accepted fact from the various mobile learning projects around the country that by reading on a tablet instead of physical books, journals and newspapers alone, the initial cost of deploying a tablet can be recovered. Being lighter than a laptop, it gives access to an array of study materials, making knowledge available at the fingertips.