DISCUSSION TOPIC 4

Teacher CPD and the future direction of ICT

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s well as bringing lessons to life and engaging students in their learning, ICT is having a major impact on

teachers’ own CPD and changing the way they work in the classroom. From working through online training modules to attending after-school workshops, CPD is a key part of every teacher’s life these days. With technology constantly evolving and developing, schools are well aware that it is crucial for teachers to stay up-to-date. The fourth and final part of the ICT symposium focused on how schools can equip and train teachers so they keep up with advances in technology. The delegates also discussed the cost implications of this and what “good ICT CPD” looks like. Dave Ford, acting deputy headteacher at

Castle View School in Canvey Island, Essex, said that in his view one of the cheapest and most effective ways of delivering ICT CPD is for schools to use the expertise of their own staff.

“Using your peers is crucial,” he said. “We

have got some excellent ICT practitioners at our school and rather than pay someone else to come in we ask our staff to engage with each other in talking about the good practice they see in classes.” Kevin Bennett, assistant principal at

Belvoir High School in Leicestershire, agreed that “CPD doesn’t have to be a costly process”. His school makes a point of getting its team of IT technicians involved in teachers’ CPD. Not only that, staff meetings usually begin with five to 10 minutes of CPD, where “someone gives a quick demo and then people go away and try it out”. Mr Bennett also spoke about the

importance of getting technology providers to engage in and help with staff CPD and explain the way their kit can enhance teaching and learning. Arrow Vale High School in Worcestershire

takes a similar approach. “CPD needs to be embedded in department meetings,” said headteacher Mark Creasy. “We do an audit of what staff need and want in terms of CPD and go from there.” While Tony Wilson, principal consultant

for 4Thought Consulting, suggested using buddy systems to help deliver CPD, Allie Hack, who is responsible for ICT across the curriculum at The Mountbatten School in Hampshire, said the best ICT training she had been involved in was a staff up-skilling day. “We could decide which course we needed to go on and it is still talked about now,” she said. Ms Hack also emphasised the need for

“constant reinforcement and support” and said schools needed to allow time during and after the school day to hold training workshops.

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Meanwhile, Bristol’s John Cabot Academy

has taken a highly original approach to CPD, which clearly caught the interest of many of the symposium delegates. Chris Baker, John Cabot’s leader of e-

learning, told the symposium that the school had introduced a staff e-learning “star” of the week. “I keep my ears close to the ground and we announce the star of the week on Friday mornings,” he said. “We hand out chocolate coins and it has really caught on.” Another innovation has been to use the

school’s virtual learning environment to provide online CPD for staff. Certificates are attached to each module and “people are clawing to get these certificates”, said Mr Baker. Some of the delegates were keen to talk

about the way in which students themselves can play a vital role in teachers’ CPD. Youngsters often have a more sophisticated and expert knowledge of ICT than their teachers and this is something that can be harnessed by staff. Katie Leeper, a year 13 student at Sydenham High School in London, said teachers often rely on students for ICT help. “It happens a lot and the class happily gets involved,” she said. Homewood School

and Sixth Form Centre in Kent has taken this idea one step further and

is involving students in planning and “co-constructing” lessons. The school has appointed a team of

lead learners and lead ICT students in the classroom and students have been involved in CPD, lesson planning, observations, and interviewing staff. “The students have remodelled lessons

they have had and looked at how they might have been,” said Chris Foreman, vice principal, learning systems. “We have got this culture now where at lunchtimes staff are planning lessons with students. “Learning should be done with students,

rather than being something that is done to them. What is going on with students is mind-blowing. It’s like working with 2,000 colleagues rather than 2,000 students.” This clearly resonated with James Quarles,

Dell’s director of public sector marketing in Europe, Middle East and Africa. “CPD can’t be done in one day,” he said as he summed up the debate. “It has to be ongoing, and engaging students in that process has real value.” Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8