DISCUSSION TOPIC 1

Best practice in classroom technology application

T

he ICT symposium got off to a lively start with a debate about how technology can be used to inspire and

engage today’s secondary students. The delegates who took part were in broad

agreement that ICT has the power to transform learning. But when it came to the questions of how to ensure that the right ICT skills are being taught and how teachers can best embed new technologies into their pedagogy, there was a wide range of views. Chris Baker, leader of e-learning at Bristol’s

John Cabot Academy and winner of the 2009 Becta Next Generation Learning Teaching Award for the South West of England told the forum that his school has an open policy on technology. From getting PE students waiting their turn

to perform the high jump to watch videos of the exercise on their own PSPs, to asking year 8 pupils in a cover lesson to find an interesting website and simply “create something”, he firmly believes that technology has huge potential in teaching and learning. “Some pupils took photos, some made a website and others collaborated on a mindmap,” he explained. “Their teacher couldn’t believe the results. Since then he has come back and said ‘I want to take more risks like that’.” Similarly, Kevin Bennett, assistant principal

at Belvoir High School in Leicestershire, said his school now has more ICT devices than pupils, and teachers positively encourage students to choose “when and where” it is appropriate to use technology. Tony Wilson, principal consultant for

4Thought Consulting and a former secondary teacher himself, said schools are moving away from “the teacher as a mediator of ICT resources”, to a world where the students are able to make their own decisions about the

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most appropriate technology to use for a given task. But other teachers urged a more cautious

approach. Kester Brewin, deputy head of mathematics at Sydenham High School in London, reckoned that technology amounts to “no more than tools” and it is how schools use these tools that counts. “Rather than saying more technology is better, we should be saying that more thoughtful use of technology is better,” he said. Allie Hack, who as well as being head of

humanities at The Mountbatten School in Hampshire, is also responsible for ICT across the curriculum, took a similar stance. “Technology excites and enthuses,” she

said, “but we need to harness it to higher-order thinking. ICT for ICT’s sake isn’t that great.” Meanwhile Chris Foreman, vice principal,

learning systems at Homewood School and Sixth Form Centre, a foundation school in Kent, agreed that it is the quality of teaching and learning in schools that matters, not the technology itself or the number of devices students happen to carry. “All of this technology is irrelevant if you

can’t raise standards of achievement,” he said, before going on to stress the importance of retaining subject rigour alongside excellent use of technology and learning environments. The role of student voice was not forgotten

in the discussion either. “A lot of children have their own ideas about how they want to use ICT in their learning,” said Dave Ford, acting deputy headteacher at Castle View School in Canvey Island and ICT change champion for Wave 4 of Building Schools for the Future in Essex. “Sometimes we as adults stymie that. But pupils have great ideas and as teachers we must release a bit of control.” Representing the voice of young people was

Katie Leeper, 18, a year 13 pupil at Sydenham High who is taking A levels in mathematics, chemistry and philosophy this summer. She was keen to add her views on the subject of assessment and testing in 21st century schools. Mark Creasy, headteacher of Arrow Vale

High School in Worcestershire, had mentioned a pilot scheme in Denmark which is allowing children to use the internet in exams. Listening intently, Katie said: “I strongly

believe that we should be testing in a way that will develop my skills. Learning the periodic table isn’t going to help me in later life. Teachers are trying to broaden our horizons in the way we think – but the way they mark doesn’t do that.” The debate also touched on the contentious

subject of social networking. Traditionally banned and blocked by schools, it is increasingly being seen as a useful educational tool. Many of the participants around the table were interested in its potential, but a few were more sceptical. Mr Brewin quoted a warning sounded by

eminent scientist Susan Greenfield in 2009. “Children’s experiences in social networking sites are devoid of cohesive, narrative and long-term significance,” Baroness Greenfield had told the House of Lords. “As a consequence, the mid-21st century mind might almost be infantalised, characterised by short attention spans, sensationalism, inability to empathise, and a shaky sense of identity.” But Ms Hack insisted that it was a matter

of balance: “In many ways social networking can bring forward the views of students who would hate to speak out in the classroom,” she said. “We are preparing students for the 21st century workforce and it’s important that we interact with each other on an individual basis too.”

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