would anybody mind answering these questions?

[dizzyhoneybee]

I need to write an essay about ICT for university, obviously with it being the easter holidays I can't ask my teacher colleagues to help out.
Would any teacher mind answering these for me please?
1.How have teachers? uses of ICT changed in the past three to five years?
2.How far does the school follow the general or national requirements?
3.Are there some subjects where ICT is used more than others?
4.What are the expectations today in the school for how teaching assistants should use ICT?

[juniper9]

1.How have teachers? uses of ICT changed in the past three to five years?

I'm in my fourth year of teaching, so I can't compare to 'before' but I know that we use the laptops a lot for digital art work as well as the standard Googling. I use my Smart board for most lessons and try to make it interactive as much as I can, but then I am an ICT fan.

2.How far does the school follow the general or national requirements?

The requirements are fairly limited. We took on the IPC curriculum last year, and found that the ICT in it was poor. It's all just research, and they advise you to give the children the websites to read. Personally, I think children need to learn which websites are trustworthy and which aren't. I get my class to put 'for kids' at the end of their search, and they don't use answers.com or ask.com etc.

3.Are there some subjects where ICT is used more than others?

We use it for topic work more than anything, although I think there are some amazing maths games online so I tend to let my class have a session every 2 or 3 weeks in which they can explore the games I've found. We do very little word processing, to be honest.

4.What are the expectations today in the school for how teaching assistants should use ICT?

My TA barely knows how to turn a laptop on, so she's not much use. She can solve arguments about whose turns it is, but that's it.

[dizzyhoneybee]

Thank you Juniper. I am glad to say that I know a bit more about ICT than that, but then I worked in IT for 20 years.

[dizzyhoneybee]

Juniper, what would you like your TA to be able to do with regard to ICT?
Thanks.

[MrsBazinga]

1. For me, the biggest change in ICT use in the past few years as a class teacher has been data analysis. Every few weeks I have to enter levels for my class into an online tracker, then use the programme to produce a pack of progress and attainment grids

(points progress, attainment against national expectations and predicted levels, gap closure, statistics for different groups - SA+, FSM, pupil premium etc) and then use the data to identify individuals and groups that need intervention programmes, which all has to be presented and justified at 6 weekly pupil progress meetings with the SMT. I didn't have to do that 5 years ago!

1. We use a scheme for discrete ICT coverage which matches national requirements, but don't always have appropriate hardware and software to cover it all successfully.

1. I'd say ICT was used in most subjects. The children video themselves a lot (big focus on talk for writing) and use laptops in lots of ways to research and present learning.

1. The TAs in my class can boot up class laptop and open IWB flips, use the IWB to teach from, take photos and videos and transfer them not the correct place for evidence, set up and troubleshoot laptop use, take screen shots of children's work and copy to word docs to print, produce reports and phonics planning, use iPads etc. The TAs supporting statemented children often have specific ICT activities that they research and use for particular targets.

[dizzyhoneybee]

Thank you MrsBazinga, much appreciated.

[ATruthUniversallyAcknowledged]

1.How have teachers? uses of ICT changed in the past three to five years?
For me, not much. I came into teaching six years ago and have used ICT in the same/similar ways throughout. I am just learning how to use a SMART board though, and suspect other teachers may be miles ahead of me there! For older teachers, I suspect the changes are more obvious. For example, all data is now computerised, registers done on computers, messages sent via email rather than by memo, etc. I'd argue that those are changes that have taken place over the last 10 years rather than 5.

2.How far does the school follow the general or national requirements?
Um, what do you mean exactly? We teach ICT as a core subject at KS3 if you mean that.

3.Are there some subjects where ICT is used more than others?
I suspect pupils use ICT more in BTEC ICT than in GCSE Art
In our (secondary) school, apart from the obvious (see above), I think ICT use depends on the teacher rather than the subject. So some teachers use ICT in every lesson, others use it very rarely, others not at all iyswim.

4.What are the expectations today in the school for how teaching assistants should use ICT?
Personally, I would expect all TAs to be able to help pupils work on a computer (basics like logging in, saving work, etc) and to do their own planning/reporting (if appropriate) on computers, but I wouldn't expect to specifically direct them to do anything remotely fancy on a computer.

HTH

[dizzyhoneybee]

Thank you ATruth, your answers (like the others) will be a great help.