Maybe the question isn't so much how are ICTs relevant, but why. We know that the technological world we live in is changing and expanding at an unimaginable rate, and we recognise that we need to prepare our children in order for them to be successful in this world - but why now? Why do children have to learn about ICT in school when they should be learning maths, science and English? Why do Prep students even need a computer or any form of ICT anyway? Can't children learn at home, or even once they hit high school?
To answer these questions, it is important to realise that, while we want to encourage children to be children - to play, explore, and get dirty - we also want our children to have the best opportunities possible. We want our children to succeed in whatever they do, and in order to do this, we believe that learning needs to start as early as the opportunity presents itself.
To answer these questions, it is important to realise that, while we want to encourage children to be children - to play, explore, and get dirty - we also want our children to have the best opportunities possible. We want our children to succeed in whatever they do, and in order to do this, we believe that learning needs to start as early as the opportunity presents itself.
So, how are ICTs relevant to your child? When used appropriately and meaningfully, the incorporation of ICT into the classroom experience is beneficial to students, their engagement, and their academic progress (check out Oakey State School's ICT progress, the Department of Education and Training's Smart Classroom goals, and Terry Freedman's 13 reasons to use educational technology in lessons for more information). ICTs also provide students with additional opportunities for learning - students can learn in a mixture of physical and virtual environments, and have access to a large range of resources that would otherwise be difficult to access from the school or local library.
Authentic and relevant learning
In order to give our students the best start on the ICT learning journey, it is important for their learning to be authentic and relevant. In other words, students need to be exposed to real-life experiences that actually mean something to them and their learning so they can learn to the best of their abilities. Gulikers, Bastiaens & Kirschner discuss authenticity (in regards to assessment, but still relevant - check page 69 in particular) in this article.
So, how can ICT use be authentic and relevant for Prep children? To start with, any ICTs used in the classroom need to have an educational value - websites like DragonBox are in, Neopets and Moshi Monsters maybe not so much. Computers are not the only ICT that can be used in the classroom - Interactive White Boards, iPads, and digital cameras may all have educational value; and there are a vast number of other ICTs that have not been listed above.
Linking ICT use to student interests includes more than just assuming that students are interested in the novelty of ICT use - Howard Gardner talks about multiple intelligences here. Understanding how each student learns best is possibly the most important past of ensuring that ICT use is authentic and relevant - a sports-strength student may benefit less from a maths-type ICT than a maths-strength student would.
The point of using ICT in the classroom isn't to pass the buck and entertain students - such a use misses the point. If students can be connected with ICTs in a meaningful way, they can then learn how to use ICTs effectively and enter a whole new world of learning.
Additional opportunities for learning
The ICT world is growing daily - countless numbers of new website are created, social media profiles are created, and hours upon hours worth of data is uploaded. Internet growth statistics are easy to find and give a fair idea of how large the internet really is (look here and here for some statistics), and the YouTube run website One Hour Per Second gives a visual tour of the world of video uploading (hint - the name of the website gives you a clue about how much video data is uploaded every second). The internet is known as a global village - and for good reason.
Although the internet is only part of the ICT world, it plays a very important role. Without internet, a lot of ICTs become useless - the internet connection is vital (although this can be a hindrance when technology goes wrong). Due to ICTs such as Skype, Facebook, and Twitter, connecting with like-minded users around the world is easier than ever. ICTs offer teachers a greater range of resources for teaching - resources that are often more interesting and valuable than the 'old' textbook. Integrating ICT into the classroom allows students to learn at their own level rather than become a victim of a "standardised" curriculum; encourages children to be creative and masters of their own learning; and gives us as teachers the ability to extend on the planned learning - allowing us to advance the students who need advancing, and to assist those who need assistance (read this article for more information on this topic; further reading can be found in this article).
Increases engagement
One of the biggest struggles as a teacher is to plan lessons that keep students involved and interested. Even the best lessons sometimes fall short - but how can ICT help?
According to Plowman, "ICT can help to develop children’s dispositions to learn by increasing self-esteem and confidence, or by supporting independence and persistence in the face of initial difficulties. It also has potential for promoting pleasure in learning by enhancing engagement, motivation and the desire to learn". When students are engaged and interested in their learning, they are more likely to 'teach themselves' and take their learning outside of the classroom - definitely a positive result for us both as parents and teachers! Whether a student is in the classroom or out, their ability to access ICTs gives them the opportunity to learn in a world suited to their interests and abilities.
As we've already seen, ICT can tap into the student's interests, and it allows students to connect and learn in a variety of virtual environments. Although we've been discussing the positives of ICTs, it is important to recognise that not all ICTs are created equal. From a teaching point of view, the connection between engagement and ICT use requires a lot of thought and creativity - choosing the wrong medium of ICT can have the same negative result as a boring lesson, and some ICTs have little or no educational value as well. This is why we investigate ICTs before we use them in our classroom, and make every effort to use ICT to their full potential.
Authentic and relevant learning
In order to give our students the best start on the ICT learning journey, it is important for their learning to be authentic and relevant. In other words, students need to be exposed to real-life experiences that actually mean something to them and their learning so they can learn to the best of their abilities. Gulikers, Bastiaens & Kirschner discuss authenticity (in regards to assessment, but still relevant - check page 69 in particular) in this article.
So, how can ICT use be authentic and relevant for Prep children? To start with, any ICTs used in the classroom need to have an educational value - websites like DragonBox are in, Neopets and Moshi Monsters maybe not so much. Computers are not the only ICT that can be used in the classroom - Interactive White Boards, iPads, and digital cameras may all have educational value; and there are a vast number of other ICTs that have not been listed above.
Linking ICT use to student interests includes more than just assuming that students are interested in the novelty of ICT use - Howard Gardner talks about multiple intelligences here. Understanding how each student learns best is possibly the most important past of ensuring that ICT use is authentic and relevant - a sports-strength student may benefit less from a maths-type ICT than a maths-strength student would.
The point of using ICT in the classroom isn't to pass the buck and entertain students - such a use misses the point. If students can be connected with ICTs in a meaningful way, they can then learn how to use ICTs effectively and enter a whole new world of learning.
Additional opportunities for learning
The ICT world is growing daily - countless numbers of new website are created, social media profiles are created, and hours upon hours worth of data is uploaded. Internet growth statistics are easy to find and give a fair idea of how large the internet really is (look here and here for some statistics), and the YouTube run website One Hour Per Second gives a visual tour of the world of video uploading (hint - the name of the website gives you a clue about how much video data is uploaded every second). The internet is known as a global village - and for good reason.
Although the internet is only part of the ICT world, it plays a very important role. Without internet, a lot of ICTs become useless - the internet connection is vital (although this can be a hindrance when technology goes wrong). Due to ICTs such as Skype, Facebook, and Twitter, connecting with like-minded users around the world is easier than ever. ICTs offer teachers a greater range of resources for teaching - resources that are often more interesting and valuable than the 'old' textbook. Integrating ICT into the classroom allows students to learn at their own level rather than become a victim of a "standardised" curriculum; encourages children to be creative and masters of their own learning; and gives us as teachers the ability to extend on the planned learning - allowing us to advance the students who need advancing, and to assist those who need assistance (read this article for more information on this topic; further reading can be found in this article).
Increases engagement
One of the biggest struggles as a teacher is to plan lessons that keep students involved and interested. Even the best lessons sometimes fall short - but how can ICT help?
According to Plowman, "ICT can help to develop children’s dispositions to learn by increasing self-esteem and confidence, or by supporting independence and persistence in the face of initial difficulties. It also has potential for promoting pleasure in learning by enhancing engagement, motivation and the desire to learn". When students are engaged and interested in their learning, they are more likely to 'teach themselves' and take their learning outside of the classroom - definitely a positive result for us both as parents and teachers! Whether a student is in the classroom or out, their ability to access ICTs gives them the opportunity to learn in a world suited to their interests and abilities.
As we've already seen, ICT can tap into the student's interests, and it allows students to connect and learn in a variety of virtual environments. Although we've been discussing the positives of ICTs, it is important to recognise that not all ICTs are created equal. From a teaching point of view, the connection between engagement and ICT use requires a lot of thought and creativity - choosing the wrong medium of ICT can have the same negative result as a boring lesson, and some ICTs have little or no educational value as well. This is why we investigate ICTs before we use them in our classroom, and make every effort to use ICT to their full potential.