Rationales for teaching ICT Social constructivism and other constructivist views of learning Current issues Assignment briefing

1. Reflective Practice in the Primary Curriculum ICT Specialism Essay Seminar 1, 11th October 2011

2. To research more effectively; better communication skills; more efficient use of existing software skills @simonkellis #WhyTeachICT

3. Industry is screaming for ICT 'professionals' not ICT 'users' @teraknor #WhyTeachICT

4. It’s Interesting, Creative and Transformative! It's also relevant, bridges generation gaps and is future focused and driven! @clareire #WhyTeachICT

5. To connect us with the global community and enable children to be passionate about its potential to develop for the future @dawnhallybone #WhyTeachICT

6. It’s the only truly innovative subject - new resources produced every day @goodallict #WhyTeachICT

7. Because it is the most exciting, magic & possibly even life changing subject in the curriculum! @janewoods3 #WhyTeachICT

8. We all need to communicate, technology offers amazing ways to connect and be citizens @stevebunce #WhyTeachICT

9. It’s about speaking the language of your learners and meeting them where they are! @TESict #WhyTeachICT

10. It allows the teacher to be a life long learner @BobToms100 #WhyTeachICT

11. ‘cos at the mo it’s still a NC subject @billgibbon #WhyTeachICT

12. Why teach ICT?(in 140 characters or less)

14. Information and communication technology (ICT) prepares pupils to participate in a rapidly changing world in which work and other activities are increasingly transformed by access to varied and developing technology. Pupils use ICT tools to find, explore, analyse, exchange and present information responsibly, creatively and with discrimination. They learn how to employ ICT to enable rapid access to ideas and experiences from a wide range of people, communities and cultures. Increased capability in the use of ICT promotes initiative and independent learning, with pupils being able to make informed judgements about when and where to use ICT to best effect, and to consider its implications for home and work both now and in the future. DfES/QCA 1999 The Importance of ICT

15. With scientific method, we took things apart to see how they work. Now with computers we can put things back together to see how they work, by modelling complex, interrelated processes, even life itself. This is a new age of discovery, and ICT is the gateway. Douglas Adams, Author The Importance of ICT

16. To argue against the importance of ICT in the primary curriculum is to ignore the increasing digitisation of information worldwide. This will require digital literacy of all children for their full participation in society.... In all branches of knowledge, all professions and all vocations, the effective use of new technologies will be vital. Children not only need to learn to use specific devices and applications, they also need to understand the fundamental concepts of safe and critical use. Sir Jim Rose, 2009 The Importance of ICT

17. Young people have huge appetites for the computing devices they use outside of school. Yet ICT and Computer Science in school seem to turn these young people off. We need school curricula to engage them better if the next generation are to engineer technology and not just consume it Matthew Harrison, Royal Academy of Engineering, 2010 And yet…

18. SugataMitraThe Child Driven Education

20. Critique the following… Social constructivism in the classroom: “Knowledge and skills are constructed gradually through experience, interaction and adult support” Pollard, Reflective Teaching

22. Reflective Teaching A reflective teacher: 1. Examines, frames and attempts to solve the dilemmas of classroom practice; 2. Is aware of and questions the assumptions and values he or she brings to teaching; 3. Is attentive to institutional and cultural contexts in which he or she teaches; 4. Takes part in curriculum development and is involved in school change efforts; 5. Takes responsibility for his or her own professional development. Zeichner and Liston (1999)

23. Reflective Practice “emancipates us merely from impulsive and routine activity…..enables us to direct our actions with foresight and to plan according to ends in view of purposes of which we are aware. It enables us to know what we are about when we act.” (Dewey, 1933, p.17)

24. Learning to Learn “Learning to learn, or the development of learning power, is getting better at knowing when, how and what to do when you don't know what to do.” (Guy Claxton 1999: 18)

25. Connectivism The pipe is more important than the content within the pipe. Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today. A real challenge for any learning theory is to actuate known knowledge at the point of application. When knowledge, however, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill. As knowledge continues to grow and evolve, access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses. Siemens (2005)

26. Building your PLN While many companies promise that every employee will receive one or two weeks of training per year, learning should take place every day on the job. Learning doesn't take place just in training programs, but should be part of every employee's everyday activities. You learn every time you read a book or article, every time you observe how someone else is doing work similar to your own, every time you ask a question. An important part of learning is to build your own personal learning network -- a group of people who can guide your learning, point you to learning opportunities, answer your questions, and give you the benefit of their own knowledge and experience. Daniel Tobin, 1998

27. Some ICT Questions

28. Do computer games have any place in the school curriculum?

29. What can we do for the 14% without computers?

30. Why aren’t primary schools using their learning platforms?

31. How do we avoid teaching pupils something they already know?

32. Can one teach ICT capability through an entirely embedded ICT curriculum?

33. Should ICT be on the National Curriculum?If so, what should it look like?

34. What should be the place of computing in the primary curriculum?

35. How can ICT continue when ‘there is no money’?

36. The Directed Task ICT: What does a social constructivist view of learning imply for teaching approaches? Justify your argument with reference to reading 1000 words E-mail and via Turnitin by 1st November

37. Can I teach ICT using a social constructivist approach, with a focus on talk

38. The Essay Myself as a teacher Social constructivism with a focus on talk in ICT Evaluation of focus children’s learning and your teaching Implications for practice within national context Detailed planning for at least two lessons Detailed evaluations of lessons

39. Essay Section 2Social constructivism with a focus on talk in ICT 1250 words (recommended) Integrate the three dimensions of this into a coherent framework ICT A social constructivist view of learning (and teaching) A particular pedagogic approach - talk Conclude by summarizing the key aspects of your framework; you can use these to analyse your practice in §3

40. Criteria Evaluation of teaching Theories of learning Current research and developments Assessment of learning Reflection on practice Beliefs and values Wider professional context

41. M level Criteria Systematic understanding of related knowledge Critical awareness of current problems and insights Application of theory to analysis Independent learning for CPD

42. M level criteria ‘systematic understanding’ means eg demonstrating understanding of key concepts by discussing what is problematic about them, using definitions and referring to concepts with consistent meaning ‘independent learning ability’ means eg thinking things through for yourself, researching original sources (not relying on secondary sources)

43. Zotero

44. Google Scholar

45. Freemind