Group Activity 3- Reflections on the online collaborative exercise and the Learners' Charter.

ICT is multifaceted. Many contributors indicated ICT as a tool that affords:
1. Access to information
2. It caters to all learning styles
3. It has a wide scope for interaction between persons
4. Quick access to assessment of one's progress is a possibility
5. The scope for it to be used to create ideas to solve a problem or to cater to a need
6. Above all it is fast and quick and its use is not restricted by geography

I do not believe that this tool's capacity has been fully explored as to the way it can really help people learn.  However, this course I believe is just one of the many efforts across the world to bring awareness to educators that ICT has a wide capacity to cater for and answer many of the educational questions regarding the teaching learning process.   We as educators have a great responsibility to get onboard and stop being traditionalists but rather open minded to change.  ICT is fast becoming the official language for learning.

Module 2A: Activity 1: ICT and the Roles of the Educator.- Reflective Comments

The Educator’s role is diverse.  Diversity calls for flexibility and versatility. A tool that adequately fits these descriptives is ICT.  ICT can play a vital role in assisting an educator to fulfil all the roles outlined below. 

1-      Mediator- The educator deals with many mediating influences.  These include school climate, the need for professional development, policies, resources, personalities of teachers, pedagogy.  The educator has to be a resourceful person who can tap into information that can assist teachers in executing their tasks effectively , without them feeling overwhelmed over  the factors that influence their ability to work. Rather the educator uses his or her understanding of these influences to be creative and bridges any divide that can impede progress.

2- Designer – Teachers can use ICT to be creative:

-Construct Tests

-Create worksheets

-Design lesson plans whether through the use of powerpoint presentations

-Design of software to meeting a particular educational need

3- Administrator- A key area as an administrator is record keeping and organization.  This tool can be used to store valid data such as registration of students, statistics, students’ scores, monitoring and evaluation records for teachers and schedules
4- Scholar- As a research tool, the educator can use this medium to access information that is relevant to his or her context.  Since knowledge is progressive an educator has to be constantly informed.
5- Pastoral-  Communication is vital in relationship.  A school is seen as a community and can also be dubbed as a family. Hence, the need to keep in touch becomes necessary.  The emails and social networks help to bridge the gap where the telephone is not feasible.  Teachers can communicate with parents regarding issues challenging students and instead of being confined to coming to the school, a simple chat online may be more accommodating.  A teacher can send a quick email to find out what is happening in the life of a student.  It can also serve as an informal way of creating a paper trail for key issues.

6- Assessor- Monitoring and Evaluation is crucial to progression.  The educator can device instruments through the use of ICT that appraise particular objectives such as classroom management,  teaching of lessons and general observations.  These instruments will highlight weaknesses and strengths so that proper planning can be made.
7- Specialist-  ICT affords specialist to explore and peruse varied learning strategies and methods across the educational continuum.  This allows the educator to be versatile and competent at a particular task when it is demanded.  An educator needs to be a jack of all trades, as it were.  The great wealth of information available can make the educator proficient at any task.

Module 1B-3- Group Activity 1 -Reflections- Conclusions from the discussion on ICT integration in developing countries

The ICT Rationale
In understanding the underpinning philosophy of ICT in schools one must first accept the fact that the school is microcosm of society.  Hence the notion of relevance comes into play.  We must prepare a generation that is ready to face a world that speaks in the language of technology. As a result there must be a willingness to accept the fact that educationals stratgies, curriculum and focus must change with the times.  The whole aim of education is to further advance the economic development and sustainability of a nation.  It is highly important that policy makers take into consideration the trends around them and device and implement those strategies that sings the same tune as the times in which they are created. 

ICT in schools: supporting curriculum reform

In times past education was restricted to methods of rote and lower order thinking. Today we live in a society which requires a breed of employees who are critical thinkers, with creative abilities.  Hence the idea of increase in information, and the becoming of a knowledge based society and the allowance of one to make discoveries has changed the pattern in which teachers teach.  Instead of being the 'sage on the stage' the teacher becomes the guide and the facilitator who draws on what students know and ushers them into paths of the unknown.  As a support, ICT has the ability to fulfill much of this desire.  It is adaptive to all learning styles and intelligences. Its versatility makes it possible for all learning ability to explore learning at their own rhythm.  Through computers for example and the introduction of social networks, students can easily communicate with classmates on classroom matters they struggle with and receive much needed assistance.  There is a greater level of engagement and interaction as ideas are pooled or exchanged.  Information can be formatted to suit one's context quite easily, bridging cultural divides.    Additonally, some of my favourite words are "lifelong learning".  Knowledge is always progressive. Educators and policy makers must structure curriculum that will encourage students to be on the cutting edge in a dynamic world. 

Uses of ICT in schools and Being a Developing Nation

ICT offers much towards the advancement of education.  In understanding its uses I am more aware of all the possible ways it can be implemented.  In our context, as a developing nation, there are few educators who have attained the abilities of creating software for teachers to use in our context.  It is encouraging to note that smallness does not necessarily mean inadequate.  As educators, it is possible that one day the idea of becoming software engineers/technicians in education can become a reality. Not only that but governments should seek to find creative ways to get ICT tools into the hands of educators and inch themselves along until they have achieved a standard that is compatible with those of the developed nations.

Module 1B-3-Activity 1: Audit

Self-activity- IB-3

In weighing in on the use of ICT used in my school, I have documented the following:-

Using the Internet to gather information

Teachers employ the use of the internet to gather information for lesson plans, worksheets and other support tools that enhance the teaching- learning process. Our students utilise the IT Lab at our school or have internet access at home to do assignments or to do follow up studies on new concepts.

Research and projects

This is the most common usage of acquiring information amongst teachers and students. However as the readings indicated, highlighted plagiarism amongst students becomes an issue.  Strategies that encourages students to engage in critical thinking skills to know how to use the information researched is of vital importance 

Educators develop activities using online resources

This aspect of ICT has not been tapped into yet and we hope that in the not too distant future this will become a reality.

Using Educational Software

Just recently our school was transformed into a Secondary School. As such we were introduced to a learning portal which encourages teachers to share their work and lesson plans with teachers of other Secondary Schools nationally and regionally. It covers a number of disciplines and can serve as a guide for teachers in that particular subject area.  Teachers can peruse the objectives outlined and plan accordingly.   I personally conducted a professional development session introducing our teachers to the Educational Social learning Portal known as NOTESMASATER.  At other times we have been introduced to movie making software, in Ministry of Education workshops where we can make educational movies for class purposes.

Computer Literacy

The Ministry of Educaton( MOE) has embarked on a drive to begin the process of engaging educators in sessions to develop computer literacy.  Summer sessions have been conducted within the past six years in basic skills such as Microsoft Word and Excel which lend themselves to direct use in the teaching learning context.  For example, Microsoft for teachers to prepare examinations and assignments and Excel to document students’ grades and other statistics which are sent to the Ministry of Education.  The Ministry of Information and Technology has also been instrumental in conducting free sessions in basic computer literacy skills in communities where they have placed Computer Access Centres. Our Community is a recipient of one of these facilities.  Teachers and students have opportunities of increasing their ICT capacity.

Facilitating communication

At present, teachers communicate through the use of emails and just recently, I have been introducing skype to the administrative staff as a means of contacting one another on sight since we do not have a a switch board. Eventually, now that the MOE through LIME has been instrumental in giving teachers laptops, we are hoping that instead of using the telephone which is costly, skyping a teacher may become a quicker and efficient way of communicating with staff on and off the compound

Information Technology as a subject

Information Technology is being offered as a discipline under the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC) course and so all students are getting firsthand experience in the theory and practice of basic skills and applications from first form through to fifth form.

Friday 18th November, 2011

Well today had a much better flow. We got more things accomplished and I can tell that we are ready to take the two year journey.  The course is interesting and I am sure we are looking forward to perusing the informative literature and getting hands on experience in the use of ICT in the creation of a positive teaching and learning environment. Have a wonderful weekend.  See you on the community and on the blog.

CCTI today Thursday 17th November, 2011

Patience is a virtue.  It was surely tested today.  Alot of energy was exerted on trying to deal with the very thing that is supposed to help us. You know how many times I had to log in and log out because the internet dropped????  I have lost count.  (lol)  Life is so strange. But you know what, I believe everything will fall into place because in the long run this medium and the tools acquired from this experience  as we interact with the new knowledge will far outweigh the woes we had today.  Happy Studying guys.  All the best.