POKEMON!

How apt.

ICT professional development opportunities.

Today there was a presentation in our ICT tutorial (Emma, Erin and Meg) with regards to professional development programs for teachers in using technology. I found this especially interesting and relevant to us as graduate teachers.

The group initially discussed why we learn ICT at a university level as a part of our Masters of Teaching. They identified the reason to be that we are provided with a framework for teaching and learning with ICT in secondary education that is practical. Other topics the group discussed included:

Why is learning with/using ICT important?

• We live in an ever changing world, and it is important for us to keep up with new technologies.
• So many different types of media and texts are being produced, and students need to be taught how to "read"different styles.
• ICT can enhance learning.

What PD is available or considered for teachers?

• In 2009 the government announced a four year $27.2 million National Broadband Network Enabled Education and Skills Services program
• $16million is specifically designated for professional development for teachers in schools. e.g. leadership, infrastrucutre, learnign resources, teacher capability.
• Professional learning according to DEECD: external opportunities (organised through schools and PD coordinator - but can be costly), internal opportunities (e-learning coaches within the school, support from senior management, teacher/school preference for in house PD) and online opportunities (range of sources available through DEECD website).

The group also identified that despite significant investment and progress, there are still improvements that need to be made to see this vision come to fruition. I agree with them that it is our responsibility to continue our ICT education beyond this course, and to make the most of the opportunities available to us.

Thank you for your informative talk, Emma, Erin and Meg!

How does ICT relate to English and ESL?

As we are now in the closing days of our MTeach course work, it is time to reflect on what we have learned in relation to our teaching practice and style, and in this particular subject, on our use of ICT in our method areas.

Technology is easily integrated into the English & ESL curriculum, and can be used to enhance and encourage student learning. I have seen this in practice throughout the year in a multitude of ways. For example:

• In a Year 7 English class, when students were completing a simple comprehension task on a studied text, they were able to gain more insight into themes using their laptops. I witnessed one student who wanted to know more about the significance of the setting (in regards to time and location) of the novel, researching what world events were happening in the 1930s. After some basic research, he found information on The Great Depression and was able to understand themes, character motivations and societal influences of the novel. The depth with which ICT allowed him to extend himself to is invaluable. 
• In a Year 10 ESL class, one student in particular who has low skills with hand writing was better able to express his conceptual understanding of the work we had been doing when using his laptop. This meant his knowledge was not stunted by his hand writing skills, and he was able to display his knowledge confidently and efficiently.
• In a Year 9 accelerated English class, I witnessed students working collaboratively in creating their own zines. This was wonderfully impressive. They each worked on their own computers, but via Google Docs to allow them all to edit at once. Each student within a group was assigned a task, e.g. one worked in Photoshop to create images for their zine, another worked in Publisher, and another in Word. The excellent team work and ICT skills these students possess is inspiring.

ICT is a fun way to learn and teach -- I am constantly amazed at the work my students are able to produce using technology. I look forward to seeing the new developments in ICT in an educational context over the coming years.