http://www.naht.org.uk/ictblog1.rss There is increasing concern about the Coalition government's commitment to ICT in schools. The case for the prosecution was presented succinctly by Mike Baker in a piece posted on the BBC Education website entitled, 'Technology in schools: Is the clock being turned back?' (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/10495726.stm) Points supporting this view include the absence of ministerial responsibility for ICT, the abolition of BECTA, diverting Harnessing Technology funding to areas deemed more important, not implementing the Rose primary curriculum and abandoning BSF. In an article posted on 'Merlinjohnonline' , Miles Berry, from 'Open Source Schools' , draws attention to this evidence and suggests that ICT in schools will be further hit by spending cuts to come. (http://www.agent4change.net/grapevine/platform/645-an-open-source-manifesto-to-help-cope-with-ict-cuts.html) Berry's article explores how schools can anticipate this by exploiting open source solutions. It offers ten money saving tips. It is probably fair to say that the jury is out over open source and the extent to which it is a panacea. However, Berry's piece is well worth exploring not only a part of a value-for-money review but also as part of a strategic ICT review in schools. http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=339 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:57:50 GMT 20100709125750 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:57:50 GMT 20100709125750 Fri, 09 Jul 2010 12:57:50 GMT 2010070912125750 One of the most crucial purchasing decisions faced by schools is that of buying or replacing a Learning Platform or 'Virtual Learning Environment'. This issue faces school leaders in all phases, whether in or out of a capital programme. 'Opensourceschools' recently published a posting originally located on Paul Haigh's blog Paul is Senior Assistant Headteacher at Notre Dame High School in Sheffield and an authority on procurement issues; his blog is strongly recommended: http://haighysblog.blogspot.com In this posting Paul discusses the options facing schools contemplating buying or replacing a VLE. The piece outlines the pros and cons of the commercial and open source solutions. In addition to a clear exposition of the issues the posting inspired several interesting and relvant responses. The post and responses can be accessed at http://opensourceschools.org.uk/choosing-vle.html#comment-937 http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=286 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:13:10 GMT 20100427141310 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:13:10 GMT 20100427141310 Tue, 27 Apr 2010 14:13:10 GMT 201004271421310 Previous posts addressed issues related to e-safety. E-safety is, of course, one of the components of 'digital literacy'. This is an emerging and developing concept. 'Futurelab' has produced an informative publication that summarises developments in this field to date. The executive summary is reproduced to give a flavour of why this is a useful planning resource. Executive summary This handbook is aimed at educational practitioners and school leaders in both primary and secondary schools who are interested in creative and critical uses of technology in the classroom. Although there is increasing policy and research attention paid to issues related to digital literacy, there is still relatively little information about how to put this into practice in the classroom. There is even less guidance on how teachers might combine a commitment to digital literacy with the needs of their own subject teaching. How can digital literacy be fostered, for example, in a maths or science lesson? This handbook aims to introduce educational practitioners to the concepts and contexts of digital literacy and to support them in developing their own practice aimed at fostering the components of digital literacy in classroom subject teaching and in real school settings. The handbook is not a comprehensive 'how to' guide; it provides instead a rationale, some possible strategies and some practical examples for schools to draw on. The first section details the reasons teachers should be interested in digital literacy and how it is relevant to their subject teaching. It looks at the increasing role of technology in young people's cultures, the support they may need to benefit from their engagement with technology and the way in which digital literacy can contribute to the development of subject knowledge. The second section discusses digital literacy in practice and moves through a number of components of digital literacy discussing how these might be fostered in the classroom. The handbook ends by looking at issues related to continuing professional development for teachers and the ways in which digital literacy can support whole-school initiatives. It is teachers that are expert in their own school context, in the needs of their students and in the pedagogical techniques required to support learning. This handbook has been informed by the work of fourteen teachers who are interested in how technology is used in classroom teaching and who took part in Futurelab's digital participation project. Rather than being prescriptive, it aims to provide information which will help teachers to make the best use of their own expertise to support students' emerging digital literacy. http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=279 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:03:28 GMT 20100409150328 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:03:28 GMT 20100409150328 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 15:03:28 GMT 201004091530328 E-Safety Policies NAHT's ICT committee has reviewed a number of policies produced by LAs. Most are similar and reflect generic advice issued by Becta and other organisations and the 'unique selling point' relates to reader friendliness. Documentation produced by Leeds and Kent met this criterion. Both are included in the material found at the following link: http://www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk/safeguarding-learners/Case-studies/Acceptable-use-policies/ This is a summary of good practice produced under the auspices of Next Generation Learning. Much of the content relates to Acceptable Usage Policies. . In a survey carried out in 2008 Becta found that only 55% of teachers could categorically state that their school had an AUP in place. Judicious utilisation of this resource should ensure that school are fully compliant with requirements in this area. Schools that have policies up and running may find the content to be of use was part of the policy review cycle. http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=278 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:31:14 GMT 20100409143114 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:31:14 GMT 20100409143114 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:31:29 GMT 201004091423129 Online Safety and Protection CEOPS has produced what appears to be a very useful resource for anyone involved with or concerned about online safety and protection for young people. It was highly recommended in a recent blog on 'Edugeek' and can be found at: http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/ The site has sections aimed at different age groups and also for parents and carers and teachers. This could be of particular use for primary schools as they prepare for the requirement to teach pupils about internet safety from 2011 onwards. (summary at http://www.ictforeducation.co.uk/English__Primary_net_safety.html) http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=277 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:14:11 GMT 20100409141411 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:14:11 GMT 20100409141411 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:14:23 GMT 201004091421423 In the wake of the 2010 Budget there was a Gadarenian rush of government departments announcing the extent of proposed efficiency savings, or, in Treasury parlance, 'operation costs'. The overall scale of savings is £11.1bn with the DCFS weighing in with £1.1bn. Around half of this amount will accrue from: 'a greater use of collaborative procurement in schools'. The DCSF has instigated measures to improve the capacity of school leaders in this area, a point that picks up on the theme of the previous blog. However, what would a straw poll carried amongst school leaders reveal about awareness of initiatives such as 'Open', 'BuyWays' or the 'Educational Procurement Centre'? This is not intended as a cynical point but rather to highlight three key problems. The first is that there is an awareness gap. The hurly-burly and ever-changing priorities facing schools serve often to conceal wood from trees. As with some of Becta's work, school leaders are simply not aware of what is out there. The second point is that school leaders, if they wish to become proficient in this aspect of management, are obliged to engage in a process of self-improvement. This is an indication of deficiencies in leadership training. Maybe the answer lies in the very phrase 'leadership training'. It can be argued that leadership has been emphasised at the expense of management and the balance needs to be readdressed. Lastly, even if school leaders assiduously take advantage of what is in place, the parameters have shifted, the key word being 'collaborative'. Becta's equivalent term is 'aggregation'. How will structures emerge to enable schools to act in this way? It appears that they can either wait, Godot like, for the LA to come galloping over the horizon or, back to Samuel Smiles, seize the initiative themselves. Perhaps there is a role for an organisation such as NAHT to help its members organise in this way. For all the current rhetoric about 'protecting front line services' the reduction in 'operation costs' begs the question of where the cutback will actually manifest itself. The implication is surely that as a consequence of a reduction in funding schools will be obliged to collaborate. Is this what 'making more from less' really means? LINKS: http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/management/epc/ http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=276 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:11:01 GMT 20100409141101 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:11:01 GMT 20100409141101 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:13:07 GMT 201004091421307 ICT procurement is often regarded as being a thorny and contentious issue in schools. Without wishing to trivialise or explain this away it is interesting to locate this in a wider context, one provided in the thoughts of Edward Leigh, the outgoing chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. In an open letter written to his successor Leigh reflects on poor procurement practice across the public sector. It is a case of not learning from history as the same mistakes are constantly repeated: 'Time after time Departments have wasted millions on IT systems that fail to live up to promise, come in late and cost hugely more than forecast.' Are that lessons that schools can learn from Leigh's gloomy analysis? He suggests that procurement ought to be a straightforward process resting on three common principles: Ø Senior level engagement; Ø Acting as an 'intelligent client' Ø Ensuring that the means (and will?) exists to realise the benefits from the project. Maybe Leigh's words can be the building blocks for a framework for the effective training of school leaders in what will become an increasingly important area come the post election age of austerity. The case for this is strengthened when the notion of being an 'intelligent client' is examined. Leigh offers a definition of what it is not: 'poorly defined requirements and a lack of capacity to engage effectively with suppliers'. Sounds familiar? http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=275 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:09:40 GMT 20100409140940 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:09:40 GMT 20100409140940 Fri, 09 Apr 2010 14:10:09 GMT 201004091421009 Do any members know of any good provision in this field? A member who is Head of a PRU is losing his only Maths specialist due to sickness and has a major problem in meeting the needs of a student studying GCSE Maths. Any ideas for an online solution or part solution? http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=207 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:51:36 GMT 20091105165136 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:51:36 GMT 20091105165136 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:51:36 GMT 200911051645136 http://www.agent4change.net/ is strongly recommended. It is a lively and accessible site that appears to cover all major current issues. There is some interesting stuff on learning platforms in the wake of Becta's recently published annual review of the Harnessing Technology initiative. A summary of its main findings will be posted on this blog in the near future. We are very interested in gathering members' views on learning platforms. Becta's review confirms Ofsted's description of their implementation as being akin to a 'cottage industry' (January 2009) The ICT Committee has Learning Platforms on its agenda for its meeting on November 19th and your contributions to help inform this discussion are warmly invited. http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=206 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:47:46 GMT 20091105164746 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:47:46 GMT 20091105164746 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:28:30 GMT 200911061642830 Welcome to the NAHT's latest blog. It is hoped that this will become a lively forum in which members share their concerns, thoughts and experiences of all aspects of ICT in schools including funding, procurement, resources, curriculum and pedagogy. It will also provide an opportunity to find out how the ICT Committee is working on your behalf and for you to suggest areas that your committee ought to be addressing. I am the serving officer for the committee and represent NAHT on a number of Becta bodies and also the Partnership for Schools 'Leading Learning' group. Please do not hesitate to contact me by e-mail (sionh@naht.org.uk) telephone (01444 472437) or mobile (07595657805) http://www.naht.org.uk/welcome/comment/blogs/ict-blog/?blogpost=205 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:16 GMT 20091105163616 Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:36:16 GMT 20091105163616 Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:28:51 GMT 200911061642851