Part 2:
Teaching With ICT

a. Structuring Lessons

In the case study we are dealing with, the teacher has a fairly regular pattern to his sessions. He tends to start with a teacher-led introduction to the session, outlining the area to be covered. In an hour-long lesson, he might restrict himself to just one specific aspect, for example using tabs, page alignment, or copying and pasting information. From the introduction, he will set each individual student tasks, using printed worksheets, a section of a CD-ROM or specific investigations on the World Wide Web. This work is structured, and he monitors progress around the class. Individual progress can be evaluated to feedback in the next session.

Again, you might not work in exactly this way, but you probably do have a pattern that you favour as a teacher. Characterise this pattern to yourself now, and consider how the use of ICT as a resource might fit into it.

Over something like a ten week period, spending three weeks on development of formatting and copying skills, the teacher in this case study has wanted to introduce the ICT based work at about the fourth week. The first two will be spent ensuring using other means that all pupils were reasonably familiar with the word processor. First let's recall the main learning objectives the teacher has for her pupils in this area:

• Search for and select information for two different purposes.
• Explore and develop information, and derive new information for two different purposes.
• Present combined information for two different purposes.

Below is a summary of how weeks four to seven are structured to use ICT to meet these objectives. Take a look at this summary and then produce your own account, and your own lesson plans, showing how you would use the ICT resources we have been discussing to do the same job on another aspect of IT, for example using spreadsheets. You might wish to extend or contract the time, and to fit the plans, duration and work around your own experience of working with this or a similar text.

Case Study Lesson Structure

Week 4 - Use a CD-ROM to introduce students to pre-existing text.

• Class introduction to following weeks - cumulative process in using ICT for research.
• Class introduction to CD-ROM - what it is and what it does.
• Introduction to searching for information - using a worksheet.
• Possibility of using a quiz to enhance student motivation - competition on first person to find reference to Caxton, Gutenberg, or printing presses. Prizes given for winners (if felt applicable).
• Copying text - either entire articles, or excerpts.
• Pasting text and saving it to disc.

Week 5 - Use word processor and CD-ROM clipart/images in assignments § Class introduction/explanation of skills to be evaluated.

• Launch word processor.
• Insert clip art image.
• Insert image from CD-ROM using copy and paste.
• Feedback to the whole group on success/failure.

Week 6 - Formatting the completed assignment.

• Loading previously saved documents/images.
• Using text boxes for text/image placement.
• Printouts of different stages of document development.
• Formatting images - text wrap, cropping and resizing.
• Formatting page of combined document - layout, margins, orientation.
• Formatting text - similar style, alignment, alteration of heading etc.
• Integration of completed document.

Week 7 - Consolidation of ICT-based work done and focus on coursework.

• Queries on student's thoughts on using CD-ROM. How easy did they find it to find information? Advantages compared to using a book or traditional research methods.
• Summarise previous four weeks.
• Feedback to whole group - model answers on using a CD-ROM - advantages and disadvantages.
• Completion and feedback of assessment process to students.
• Class summary/conclusion.

b. Managing Learning in the Classroom