Organising ICT in the Primary Classroom

Resources

Different Contexts

Teaching ICT

Supporting Other Areas

Promoting Independence

Resources

The number of computers available directly affects the way in which they can be used with a class.

• single PC?

• pair of PCs?

• small cluster of PCs (4 - 8)?

• computer suite (10+)?

Resources

The availability of resources to support whole class teaching also affects the way in which ICT can be used and organised.

• digital projector?

• interactive whiteboard?

• large PC monitor?

• output to large TV screen?

Whole class / group / individual

The availability of resources is just part of the picture; a range of other factors will influence your approach.

• whole class teaching

• teacher guided group work

• independent group work

• independent paired or individual work

Two Different Contexts

• Teaching ICT as a National Curriculum subject

• Using ICT to support your teaching in other curriculum areas

Teaching ICT

• ICT forms the content. (It may also be the medium of instruction.)

• There are specific ICT skills and specific knowledge which every child must acquire.

• There are specific experiences which every child needs to have.

• Hands on experience for every child is vital; teachers must manage equality of access.

Supporting Other Areas

• ICT is the medium of instruction; the content is Literacy, Numeracy, Science or some other curriculum area.

• Some ICT skills may be necessary/desirable for children to access the planned activity, but teaching those skills is not the focus of the activity.

• It is not essential for every child to have the same experience.

The focus of the rest of this presentation is on teaching

ICT rather than on using ICT to support other subject areas.

Whole class introductions• Whole class teaching has an important role to

play in ICT:• a “scene-setting” introduction at the beginning of a new

project;• getting started with a new technical skill or a new piece

of software.

• A whole class introduction to a new project:• likely to require an entire lesson;• may not involve much (or even any) hands-on activity.

• Introducing a new skill:• Short sessions (around 15 minutes) with a tight focus on

the skill work best.

A whole class introduction to a new project

Example: Louise, a Yr. 4 teacher was introducing a unit of work on combining text and graphics. She started with a whole class lesson looking at greetings cards; the children worked in groups with a selection of cards, identifying elements such as pictures, captions, messages etc. Each group produced a poster identifying the key features of the cards they had looked at.

Whole class teaching

If the technology to work with large groups (digital projector, interactive, whiteboard, large screen monitor or TV) is available, then make use of it; however, the absence of such resources should not preclude the use of whole class teaching.

Low resource settings

“First, on a regular basis and always with new computer programs in the classroom, arrange a whole class session. In a low resource setting, that is a single computer to a class of thirty children, first bring the computer to the carpet area where everyone can see it. This immediately brings the computer out of its corner and into the world of the classroom. There may, of course, be physical reasons why you cannot do this. If there are, do what you can to overcome them or borrow areas big enough to do it somewhere else in the school.”

(Potter, 2000, p125)

Advantages of Whole Class Introductions

• Efficient use of teacher timeThe same input does not have to be repeated several times with different groups of children.

• Promoting inclusionUsing the whole class approach is less likely to result in the development of an elite group of confident computer users who are perceived by the other children as ‘experts’.

• Sharing children’s knowledgeFrequent whole class sessions allow children to share their own developing expertise (which may be enhanced by learning at home) with others in the class.

Group introductions

There may be situations in which working with the whole class is not feasible. For instance, where only one computer is available and the physical layout of the classroom prevents the class gathering round the screen. In this case it may be necessary to provide input to groups of children instead; the size of the group is likely to be dictated by the circumstances.

Group introductionsThree Management Strategies• Rolling Instruction

• Demonstration and Reinforcement

• Cascade Training

Three roles; the guide, the active learner and the observer.

Brief skill/ process/ activity demonstrated to a group/whole class with the activity quickly followed up.

Skill/ process/ activity is introduced and consolidated with a group. Each member of the group leads other individuals or other small groups.

Strategies for managing access

• Rota

• Roster

• Honey Pot

• Shared Tool

Rota• Probably the most

widely used system as it gives every child an equal(?) turn.

• Teacher controlled, but allows a wide range of flexibility and independence.

• Can be in timed slots or without time limits.

Managing Individual/small group access

Monitoring

Children tick off when they have had their turn.

Confirmation when work is eventually marked or assessed for content.

Roster• Children sign up on a

central or public list to book slots of time.

• The list is either time driven or when each child finishes they inform the next recipient.

MonitoringChildren need to tick off

when they have used their time slot.

The list becomes an important record with similar confirmation as for the Rota.

Success, failure or lack of adequate time, could be indicated by symbols.

Managing Individual/small group access

Honey Pot• Information resource with

access by a need to use basis.• Could be structured by

submitting requests that the teacher confirms.

• Or free access for short tasks with longer ones requiring special verbal permission, if justified.

• Or no restrictions, free access depending on the classroom ethos.

MonitoringRequires a level of

monitoring that is additional to the task.

This may be in the form of query slips or short reports.

Product is assessed as for other approaches.

Managing Individual/small group access

Shared Tool• Like any other useful

classroom resource such as the paper trimmer, scales or long measuring tape measure; where the tool helps contribute to productivity.

• Getting on with the job and getting off quickly to maximise output.

MonitoringTask slips similar to the

Honey Pot model could be used.

Workbook/Log kept to record the tasks for which the computer is used, and by whom, including signing on and off times.

Managing Individual/small group access

Peer Support • Liberating the teacher.

• Gives children the opportunity to teach their peers.

• Having to explain helps demonstrate understanding or misunderstanding.

Promoting independence

Yr2 Clearly visible rota.

Computer notice-board. (Children encouraged to display computer work

from home.)

Promoting independence

Yr 4 Annotated screen dump to support graphics

activity and file for record keeping.

Promoting independence

Yr4Organising children with hot seat and shadow, screen

prompts to support activity.

Promoting independence

Yr5Screen prompts for

Logo, rota, tick sheet and wall display.

Promoting independence

Child with special needs using a reading scheme

supported with computer reinforcement activities.

Promoting independence

Minimising Difficulties on the Computer

• Look out for a child dominating a group.• Look out for a child being left out of a group.• Look out for gender bias within a group.

Be prepared to….• ...intervene if there is unacceptable behaviour.• ...be flexible, and alter the groupings.

References / reading

• www.staff.ucsm.ac.uk/dmurray/picture/• Poole, P (Ed.) (1998) Talking about Information and

Communication Technology in subject teaching KS1 & 2, Canterbury Christ Church Uni. College pp 18 – 19, 28 - 29, 60 - 61

• Potter, J. (2000) `First Steps in Organising ICT in the Primary Classroom’, in Leask, M. and Meadows, J. (ed) (2000) Teaching and Learning with ICT in the Primary School, London, RoutledgeFalmer

• BECTa Whole class pedagogyIncludes sections on appropriate technologies and managementhttp://www.becta.org.uk/teaching/pedagogy/index.html