Digital and technology

Incorporating ICT

Incorporating ICT

Learning restrictions can be removed by using ICT, according to two principals who spoke to Meadhbh Monahan about the effects that embedding technology in their schools has had on their pupils’ performance.

Jon Barker and Johnny Graham have a number of things in common. They are principals at non-selective post-primary schools; they incorporate ICT into most of their subjects; their schools have recently undergone a complete re-build through PFI initiatives; they send text messages, rather than letters, to parents and they have received BECTA awards for their use of technology in education.

Barker heads Hugh Christie Technology College in Toonbridge, Kent. It has 1,200 pupils of which 60 per cent are boys, and 200 are post-16 pupils. Attainment on entry is often below average.

Graham is head of the all-girls Belfast Model School, situated in a deprived area of north Belfast. It has 960 pupils, 40 per cent of which are entitled to free school meals. A number of pupils with an IQ of below 50 and have chosen the school instead of a special school. Three pupils are classified as ‘school-age mothers’ and are currently completing their A-levels.

Despite the wide range of abilities for which both schools cater, the principals insist that by incorporating ICT into the curriculum from an early age performance will improve and pupils will be equipped with essential skills that are needed for future employment.

Hugh Christie

“Our vision for IT is learning that will not be restricted by time or space. Pupils should have access to technology when they need it. I don’t want teachers booking into an IT suite weeks in advance,” Barker says. It’s about “ubiquitous technology and supporting collaboration and partnership.”

Hugh Christie has a ratio of one computer per pupil. In addition, Barker explains that “ICT goes across all subjects” with laptops, PCs and digital video cameras being used whenever possible.

Other initiatives in the school include an ICT academy which operates as a training hub for staff; partnerships with private sector companies; a virtual learning environment (VLE) for pupils and parents; and first year students being taught by the same teacher for more than 60 per cent of that year. In addition, the school is working with staff and pupils at local primary schools in Toonbridge to ensure that pupils will have a good ICT grounding before they attend as secondary students.

Barker says his ICT plans are “very ambitious” but are resulting in “educational improvement.”

Future plans include updating their VLE to include a notice board and widgets, strengthening their links with the primary schools and connecting to cloud computing for centralised file and email solutions.

Barker’s advice for Northern Ireland’s education policy makers is: “If you want schools to develop you have to invest in the infrastructure to make it work. High quality broadband is part of that.”

He suggests schools investigate the possibility of change management. Barker did this in 2008 when he went into partnership with a private managed services company who took over the maintenance and back up of the school’s ICT infrastructure, allowing its technicians and teachers to increase their training and concentrate on other issues.

Belfast Model

As principal of a school in “one of the most deprived areas in the UK,” Graham is pleased that 66 per cent of his pupils achieved five or more A*-C grades in GCSE last year. The profile of the Model School has been changing over recent years with more C2, D and opt-out 11–plus pupils being accepted. Yet, according to Graham, 30 to 40 girls achieve “very good” A-levels each year and results for Key Stage 4 are “improving.” In addition, because the school works with 20 local primary schools to ensure that prospective students have a good ICT grounding, upon reaching the end of third year, 90 per cent of pupils will have already achieved a GCSE in ICT.

“That means when they choose their core subjects for GCSE, teachers know that they can use ICT,” Graham says. He also clarifies that “ICT is used where appropriate, not just for the sake of it.”

The school officially opened its new build in January and now boasts an electronic ‘village hall’ with 60 desktops, which is used by the local community in the evenings. In addition, there are 285 desktops, 187 laptops, seven plasma screens, 30 MacBooks, printers, digital cameras and camcorders throughout the school.

On-going initiatives include: a Moodle VLE with 111 courses and 1,394 users; video conferencing with linked schools in Sri Lanka and the University of Pittsburg; working with Shankill Women’s Centre; and an e-magazine called ‘Click@gms’. Online subjects at the school include moving image art, music technology, media studies and web design.

Graham explained that the VLE caters for pupils, staff and parents. It also provides the school-aged mothers with the opportunity to complete their A-levels from home with their work being uploaded and teachers on-hand to help them. In light of that fact staff are currently being hired for a new crèche which will open this month.

Going forward, Graham says he will investigate new opportunities for extracurricular learning in ICT using the enhanced facilities in new school. He plans to expand the curricular offer with more Mac technologies in creative subjects like movie making. Graham also aims to have all post-16 pupils achieving at least one additional industry-related qualification apart from ECDL.

“They love it,” Graham states. “It increases their confidence and if I had more teachers I would put on more courses.”

He concludes: “If we can make sure that technology is used effectively to support teaching and learning, it is an extremely effective vehicle to improve the performance of young pupils.”

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