E. The MIICE outcomes related to continuing professional development in ICT for educational professionals
11. Teacher use of computers as productivity tools
This relates to teachers' competence in the use of ICT to support their productivity as facilitators of learning
Here is a several illustrations from a varied collection of Scottish schools and education authorities of 2 of the 3 components. In each case there is one or more related capacities associated with A Curriculum for Excellence
11. Teacher use of computers as productivity tools: skills in the use of general purpose software for production/modification of learning and teaching materials
Margaret Bennie is a teacher at Deerpark Primary School in Sauchie (Clackmannanshire). Today's environmental studies lesson is part of an eight-week project about the school. Margaret has already introduced the pupils to the history of the building and she is now teaching them about the different rooms in the school. She begins with a class-based activity, followed by a session in the computer suite
Creating a drag and drop exercise with a digital camera
"The pupils have practised their sorting and classification skills as well as their ICT skills" (Margaret Bennie, Deerpark Primary)
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Confident individuals: be self-aware
Lorraine McDermott is teaching a group of P2/P3 pupils with special educational needs at Kersland School in Paisley. She uses a 'match and name' exercise about colours and shapes from the Reader Rabbit CD-ROM on the interactive whiteboard
"the pupils really enjoyed the activities and most of them managed to identify colours and shapes" (Lorraine McDermott of Kersland School)
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Confident individuals: live as independently as they can
At Baltasound Junior High School on the Shetland Islands, a brother and sister with Cohen's Syndrome use Clicker 4 programs to help achieve the targets in their individual educational plans (IEPs). Margaret Pennington, the school's additional needs support teacher, downloads free Clicker 4 programs from the internet and creates personalised programs for the pupils to use
"They cannot write but they can type, they cannot spell but they can point and click to make sentences using Clicker 4. And they can show what they've achieved to other pupils, which is very important for their self-esteem" (Margaret Pennington, Baltasound Junior High)
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Successful learners: use of technology for learning
Jim Husband is the ICT support manager at Balwearie High School in Kirkcaldy. He had the idea of producing e-lessons on CD to be used by: pupils who have been absent; pupils who want to revise a topic; pupils with learning difficulties; supply teachers. Together with chemistry teacher Dr Les Short he has produced the first CD, which covers a chemistry lesson about titration. In today's class, S3 pupils try out the CD for the first time
"they were able go back over parts of the presentation they might not have understood first time" (Jim Husband of Balwearie High
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Successful learners: link and apply different kinds of learning in new situations
Peter Gilhooly is a physical education (PE) teacher at Broxburn Academy. In today's lesson he is working with one of his final year pupils, Samantha, who is a competitive line dancer. Peter uses a digital camera to record Sam's performance. Then, together with Sam, they make use of iMovie editing software to analyse her dance show
"this exercise is very useful for her because it helps her to see her performance from the audience's point of view" (Sam, S6 Broxburn Academy)
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Effective contributors: apply critical thinking in new contexts
11. Teacher use of computers as productivity tools: skills in the use of computer tools for recording, reporting, registration, course planning and other aspects of the processes of management of learning
11. Teacher use of computers as productivity tools: skills in the use of communications tools such as electronic mail and the World Wide Web to communicate appropriate information and gather resources relevant to professional activities
Fiona Cruikshank revises the heart and circulatory system with her S3 biology class in the Gordon Schools in Huntly. After running through the main points on the interactive whiteboard, the pupils use an interactive voting system to test how much they know. At the end they immediately see their score
"the pupils come better prepared for tests, so the system is motivating them to revise more thoroughly" (Fiona Cruikshank of Gordon Schools)
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Successful learners: use technology for learning
Martin Mathieson is a technical teacher at Linwood High School. He has created a website (www.graphiccommunication.org.uk) that features tutorials, worksheets and online tests covering most of the Standard Grade, Higher and Advanced Higher Graphic Communication curriculum. In this class, his S3 pupils follow an online tutorial about pictorial views in order to produce a 3-D drawing of a monorail cabin
"having the resources online takes a lot of pressure off him - he doesn't have to keep going over the same point again" (Martin Mathieson of Linwood High)
A Curriculum for Excellence
- Successful learners: learn independently and as part of a group