1. What policies govern your uses of ICT in your school setting?
Our district has put together an online resource that addresses digital citizenship for students, teachers and parents. All students are required to have a Student Internet Form (completed by their parents) that acknowledges ‘appropriate internet usage’ at school. Some schools have adopted a no electronics policy, but I found that it in some cases, it’s under the discretion of the teacher to enforce it in their classrooms. Instances where a student brings his/her own technology are situations where the student requires that specific technology or need the support that the technology gives them for his/her learning. As for the use of the school’s own technology, the policies are set by the school’s technologist: computer teacher or school librarian.
2. What digital technological resources do you have available for teaching and learning in your school setting?
There are a wide range of technological resources within the school district. As a TOC I have been in schools where there is a smart board in every classroom, schools with several computer labs and several mobile labs, and schools with a single computer lab. In addition, there are some individual classrooms where each student has a laptop. There is a spectrum of accessibility to technology throughout the district. The school district provides digital access to World Book Online, EBSCO, Gale, NFB and CBC.
3. Please provide an example of an exemplary use of digital technologies for teaching and learning that you have observed or experienced personally.
In one classroom that I was TOCing in used the Khan Academy for their Math lessons. The teachers would post the videos that were related to the lesson that was taught that day; therefore the students would be able to go back and review the concepts at home. They would post related videos for the next few lessons, so students can preview future concepts. Also included on their website were more resources links, math games, and other tutorials.
4. Please provide an example of a problematic use of digital technologies for teaching and learning that you have observed or experienced personally.
The most prevalent problem when using digital technology or any technology is having it malfunction. Technology works wonderfully when it’s working properly, but when it doesn’t, it becomes a mad scramble. I was TOCing for a Grade 6/7 Science class and the teacher had planned for the students to watch a DVD. For some reason the DVD refused to play (it was working during lunch was I was setting it up). The lesson came to a standstill while I and some students were frantically tried to troubleshoot the issue. We ended up not watching the DVD and I had to plan something on the fly.
5. Please provide a brief history of how you learned to use digital technologies (personally and professionally).
My first experience with a computer was in elementary school where our school had a single computer lab with large beige machines with a green screens, keyboards and track balls. In our computer classes we were taught to use basic computer commands to move the “turtle” (triangle figure) on the screen. I remember we were always partnered up and our assignments were to ‘draw’ shapes on the screen using the turtle. From there, we moved into Macs and I watched the progression of the Mac computer through my school years, as the older models were replaced by the newer one in the school computer lab. Our family didn’t get our first computer until I was well into high school (at this time most of my friends had computers at home for the past 5 years). Growing up, the school provided me access to technology that I wouldn’t normally have.
The school provided the basic skills and tools, but the deeper learning was done through peer learning and experimenting through trial and error. My friends and I would share tips or hints, provide each other with quick tutorials and suggest troubleshooting ideas. This type of learning has followed me into my learning in a professional setting. Having attending workshops and conferences for academically related technology, in most cases they are usually an introduction to the technology. I usually continue the learning by ‘play around’ with technology and speaking with colleagues that have used it in the past. If I encounter a major difficulty I search for an online tutorial or forum.
6. How would you rate your digital technological proficiency? 0 = low level of proficiency -> 10 = high level of proficiency? Why did you give yourself this rating?
I would rate my digital technological proficiency as a 7. I think of myself as a relative average technology user. I use technology constantly in my daily life. I know how to use the most common functions and feel comfortable doing the basic troubleshooting when technologies malfunction. I’m not afraid to experiment with trial and error trying to figure out how something works. Although I’m confident in my skill, I don’t think I’m an expert in technology. There’s so much more I can learn about technology.
7. What do you hope to accomplish in this course?
I hope to learn teaching strategies that integrate ICT meaningfully into the classroom and school library. I would like to learn more about Web 2.0 tools.
How are decisions made about downloading software onto the computers? What about online collaborative environments and other forms of ‘cloud-based’ social media? Are there any policies in effect that support teachers’ learning to use ICT? What about policies specifically addressing ICT curriculum and ICT supported pedagogy? It sounds like your school district is well supplied with technological resources. Khan Academy is useful for extending the idea of knowledge transmissive learning. There are critiques of this method, in that they do not actually change the roles of teacher and student, and do not foster the kinds of citizenship and communicative skills necessary to shape knowledge-era society. On the other hand, and I don’t think this gets talked about, they do foster a self-efficacious approach to learning, which is extremely important in the new age of knowledge and digital technology. Having a backup plan in case of technological glitzches should be an integral part of integrating ICT into learning in school settings. I think equitable access to ICT for learning for all students in British Columbia should be mandatory.