An article I wrote for Saptips magazine If someone had labeled me as someone who encouraged collaboration back in the 1940s it would have been an enormous insult. At that time the only use of the term would have been to suggest assistance with the enemy during the last war. How things have changed! Within the Technology community this is one of the current buzzwords. On a recent Google in Education conference this was a big theme. I have lost track of the amount of articles I have read where new ways to collaborate within education are explained. If we take a moment to think about our teaching, I am sure we would realize that collaboration has become important. Perhaps we encourage it though group work, paired work or by setting a homework where pupils are working together on a presentation for the rest of the class. A new way in which collaboration is becoming more possible is through our use of ICT.
Technology within education is an emerging market that even traditional private schools are starting to embrace. At my school we have iPads, laptops and two ICT rooms. We have not gone along the 1:1 route, preferring instead to educate staff in what they could be using in their classrooms believing they are able to make the decision about what is relevant and useful for them. I am involved in this training providing one to one sessions focused on the particular needs a teacher has. I have begun regularly attending lessons with a few staff assisting them as they try to integrate ICT in their lessons as well as running INSET sessions for staff. For me this has been a fascinating journey that began only in September when 20 iPads appeared in my building. I picked one up, did some research, found some good apps and began using them. I teach Religious Studies, not a traditional subject to be linked with Tech. I found that as my understanding and knowledge of what was available grew, I was able to bring in easier ways to do things, and started having some wow lessons where pupils were engaged, excited and interested in what we were learning.
My experiences this year have lead to some reflections on the role that Technology can have in a Prep School. I am not a teacher who believes that the lesson changes to fit the technology; instead my lessons are enhanced by what I am able to do. Dare I say it; sometimes I am able to save time too!
What I like most is the fact that my pupils are able to learn from one another. In my view the time where the only way to teach was to stand up at the front and recite information is gone. While didactic teaching can have its place; this is not the only way to learn. For myself, lessons are a time when we come together to discuss a topic. Everyone can learn from everyone and often I find myself leaning on the table and saying ‘gosh, I had not thought of that!’ We do research together on iPads as we begin a topic and then pull our ideas together. Or I might set them a competition and they have to quickly find the answer to a question from the Internet. I am fortunate to Apple TV in my classroom, which is invaluable for this. With older children if we are trying to work out how to answer a particular Common Entrance question I might set up a Padlet wall and they log onto it and offer a response. After everyone has contributed we can look through and together decide which are the strongest. Being able to learn from one another encourages a positive working environment and setting Internet challenges teaches research skills. Those who might not have the confidence to put their hand up during a question and answer session might gain the confidence they need to speak from the knowledge their answer comes from the Internet.
The second reason I think the use of Technology is important is because it engages the pupils. Everyone in our school loves a lesson when they are using iPads. My year 7s have just completed a piece of coursework using Google Drive where they have shared their work with me and I have been able to make live comments on it; highlighting different sections that I was not happy with and making suggestions for improvements. They’ve been able to research easily, import pictures easily and even cite their sources easily. Another class enjoyed making presentations after visiting different places of cultural significance from around the world using the Google Cultural Institute. Our year 3s have even made Popplet mind maps about what they think Jesus is like after choosing and importing a picture they liked from the Internet. For these children technology is normal. Many of those I teach are fortunate enough to own a tablet and they will sit at home doing all kinds of cool things on them. What I want to do is bring that sense of wow into the lessons. I try to teach how the children want to learn; For a tech savvy generation that means bringing in use of ICT.
My final benefit for the use of ICT is the time saving it can offer staff. This I had not fully anticipated, but have very much been reaping the benefits of. The coursework already mentioned usually fills the entire Summer term, with some pupils catching up during the holidays. This has not happened this year. All of them are finished and the reason for this is the swift responses I have been able to make to their work through our use of Google Apps. Other time saving comes through simple apps which we use to make posters for our display boards. Or a member of staff might set up a quiz online which self marks and then the results are emailed to the teacher for them to input in their mark book.
Something I have recently been trying out has been personalized work for lower ability pupils. Using iPads I am able to set them a worksheet that has been changed to suite their learning needs. If they struggle to write sometimes completing this on an iPad is extremely profitable as their typing speed might be quicker than their writing speed. On the whole they enjoy this, and it boosts their confidence to not always be the last to finish a task. The proficiency they might have with ICT means that for once they might be able to help a peer with something. I had a lovely lesson recently when we took some year 8s down to a year 3 class and they helped one another to use Padlet.
Making the effort to use technology in the classroom is only worthwhile if there are benefits.
