Course: EDTK Information and Communication Technology in Education.

Course Coordinator: Rehana Seepersad

Tutor: Sayyid Cato

Online Research Assignment

Student: Andre Lewis ID# 807003299

Memorandum
Re: Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Mediated Instructions
Dear Teachers, Globally ICTs are changing the face of education. In classrooms around the world students of all ages are getting exposure to these new technologies and getting an early start on their future. At the Holy Saviour Curepe Anglican Primary School we will also give our students this opportunity by providing them with ICT mediated instruction.

Why ICT Mediated instruction?

Exposing students and teachers at our primary school to ICT will have many benefits. These include: Sensitizing students to technology -This will ensure that students will become more confident in the use of various technology so that skill acquired will benefit them in the future. Technology can be used to enhance learning- Students are more interested when they are allowed to utilize various technologies rather than traditional approaches. This enthusiasm can be used to promote learning by using various programmes to make learning fun such as videos, interactive programmes and learning games. Cross Curriculum Development- ICT can also be used to teach other subjects. Both teacher and student can benefit from this since it will both expose the student to ICT as well as other subject areas. Internet safety- Teachers will also be able to guide young students in the proper use of the internet and how to safely navigate and protect themselves from predators and sites not suitable or potentially dangerous to them.

Policies to be put in place

Our school has now adopted some policies that will be implemented to make certain that ICT is a part of our curriculum. ICT class- ICT will now be a subject on the schools time table with a body of work to be covered by all teachers at various levels. Resources- A designated classroom as well as resources i.e. (computers, projector, stereo, television, etc) will be purchased as well as software and other related items to keep the school up to date with ever changing technologies. Access- Students as well as teachers will be allowed access both during and after school in order to do research and finish projects. This will allow students without computers and or internet access to have equal ground as those who do.

Blocking of sites and protection- Protection of users and software is also a priority. Certain harmful sites as well as user information will be blocked so to ensure the safety of the user as well as the computer.

Preparation of staff for ICT mediated integration

Teachers and staff are the cornerstones for ICT instruction. Teachers that are not familiar would need to have enough contact time with various equipments. Teacher training- Teacher training is integral to the success of ICT at the school. Teachers need to be able to comfortable use technologies in order to bestow knowledge and skills the students require. They should also be able to source information and resources that can be used to introduce, strengthen and enrich other subject areas. Ongoing workshops- Teachers should also be kept up to date on any new resources or software that are available to them. Workshops during the term to introduce or update them so that this new knowledge can be used to impart knowledge to the students. Teacher assistance- Teachers in need of assistance will be able to get it from an on the job trainee (OJT) that will be appointed to the school. This trainee will be assigned to the ICT room to provide help to classes that are scheduled for a particular period as well as any teachers or students that may need support.

Provisions for students with disabilities

Students suffering with any disabilities whether physical or mental will need to extra assistance in order to eliminate any barriers that may stand in their way. Hardware- Assistive equipment such as adapted keyboards, Brail embossers etc were purchased to help disabled students to cope with ICT learning. Software- Network assistive software such as text help, screen reading and magnification and voice recognition software were all installed in the various systems. Aid- The teachers, OJT and even students to some degree, will all be able assist our disabled charges in any area required.

ICT monitoring and Evaluation

In order to measure the success of this venture some form of assessment must be utilized. Student evaluation- Formative and summative evaluations of content covered by pupils is one sure way of assessing the programmes success. Teacher feedback- Finding out the progress of each class from the teacher and OJT as well as things that can be done to improve the programme

Student questionnaires- This can be used to find out what students think about ICT and what impact it is making in their learning. Comments on ways ICT mediated learning can be improved is also welcomed.

Referrences: Centre for Educational Research and Innovation. (2010). Inspired by Technology Driven by Pedagogy: A Systematic Approach to Technology Based School Innovations. Retrieved from: http://books.google.tt/books?id=Ay426TDjbmIC&pg=PA74&dq=how+do+you+monitoring+and+ evaluation+ict+education&hl=en&sa=X&ei=OmqbUqiIEIHwoASNkYL4Dg&ved=0CE8Q6AEwAw#v =onepage&q=how%20do%20you%20monitoring%20and%20evaluation%20ict%20education&f= false

Access Technology Higher Education Network (ATHEN). (2012). Supporting Disabled Learners through the Institutional Provision of Assessive Technologies. Retrieved from: http://athenpro.org/

Tomar,S.,Tomar, R. (2004). Impact of Curriculum Reform in Education. Retrieved from: http://books.google.tt/books?id=BCVXgQ4qw64C&pg=PA157&dq=provisions+for+student+with +physical+disabilities+in+ict&hl=en&sa=X&ei=gWebUvurKZfnoATa4YCQAQ&ved=0CDMQ6AEwA A#v=onepage&q=provisions%20for%20student%20with%20physical%20disabilities%20in%20ict &f=false

Ministry of Education, Human Resource Development, Youth and Sports Government of St. Lucia. (2013). Draft Policy for the Integration of Information and CommunicationTechnology in the Education System. Retrieved from: http://unpan1.un.org/intradoc/groups/public/documents/tasf/unpan024792.pdf

THE UNIVERSITY OF THE WEST INDIES

Undergraduate Coursework Accountability Statement (To be completed by student)

ACADEMIC YEAR: 2013/2014

SEMESTER: 1

COURSE CODE: EDTK 2030 TITLE: Information and Communication Technology in Education. NAME: ANDRE LEWIS ID: 807003299

1. I hereby certify that I am the author of the attached item of coursework and that all materials from reference sources have been properly acknowledged. 2. I understand what plagiarism is and what penalties may be imposed on students found guilty of plagiarism. 3. I certify that this paper contains no plagiarised material. 4. I certify that this is my own work and that I did not receive any unfair assistance from others (including unauthorized collaboration) in its preparation. 5. I certify that this paper has not previously been submitted either in its entirety or in part within the UWI system or to any other educational institution. 6. In the case of group work: a. I certify that the individual work of each member of the group has been clearly indicated; b. that where no such indication has been given, I take the responsibility for the work as if it were the section of the paper for which I am solely responsible; and c. that I have not collaborated with any members of the group to breach the Universitys regulations.

Signature: Andre Lewis Date: 01/12/13