b. Managing Learning in the Classroom

When pupils are using ICT, and particularly a generic package like a word processing or drawing programme, there are many features for them to explore and many ways of making mistakes. It is a real challenge to keep them focused on the task without doing too much for them. There are a number of strategies that the teacher uses to help ensure success with slow learners:

  • Very clear instructions on what he expects them to achieve. He keeps the process as open as possible, in order to give them chance to find things out for themselves, but specifies the outcome clearly.
  • Uses simple language except when introducing a specialist term which he wants them to use, in which case he repeats it frequently and asks them to say it when appropriate.
  • Starts with something which they will have experience of, if possible, and draws out the mathematical ideas from this context.
  • If the task is a long one, he breaks it down into stages which each have a clear outcome, so that they have short-term targets.
  • Minimal written instructions, particularly when they are trying to work with the computer, as they find it hard to retain information if they have to switch their attention from one thing to another.
  • Careful monitoring of their work and the attention they are giving to it, so that he can intervene to keep them on track if the are "stuck" or distracted.

So, he first asked them if they had ever laid tiles on the floor or a wall. What did they think was special about a tiling pattern? ( Examples - check web, CDs). By using focused questions, and giving them as much opportunity to come up with ideas as he could, he drew out of them the ideas that:

  • The same shape was used over and over again (repeated).
  • There was no space left in between.

He told them they were going to come round the big computer screen, and explained how they should sit so that everyone could see, before he let them move. He had the computer already at the Windows desktop stage, and asked them how to load Word. He then got a volunteer to do this. He asked if they had ever drawn with Word before - two thought they had, but weren't sure, so he showed them where to look for the drawing toolbar, and how to display it if it wasn't there already.

He asked them to look for some shapes they could use, and asked one of them to try drawing a square. With a bit of help from the others and him, she managed a squarish rectangle. He decided not to show them how to do an exact square at this stage, and asked them whether they thought they could use lots of this shape to fill the screen. They though we could, so he took them through how to select, copy and paste the shape, then move it around to fit up to the original one. (He had made sure that the 'Snap to grid' option was ticked first!).

They did two more of these, and agreed it was easy. They were still attending keenly, so he asked them if the circle would work. Three of them thought it might do, so they tried it quickly, with one of those who thought it would fill space, doing the work. He soon decided to give up!

This had gone on rather longer than the teacher had intended, but it had generated good discussion. Although the arguments had been rather loud and lacked any justification, he felt that there was a reasonable atmosphere of co-operation when investigating hypotheses. He decided not to show them reflections and rotations at this stage - this could be done better with individuals when they were ready. He quickly showed them how to get the more interesting shapes.

He gave them each a minimalist worksheet and explained where they had to write on it, where there were instructions they could look at if they needed them, and where there were questions which they had to answer on the computer. He pointed out that they were to tell him when they had done question 1 in the last box and that he expected that this should take 15 or 20 minutes. He allocated them carefully to individual computers and asked them to move quietly to their workstation and stay there unless he told them to do something else. He then circulated to help the less capable ones get started and the poor readers work out what they had to do on the worksheet.

While they were working, he systematically monitored their use of:

  • Drawing tools
  • AutoShapes
  • Select/copy/paste
  • Mouse skills when aligning

When they had completed an easy pattern, he gave praise and showed them how to do turning. He then checked progress on turning patterns and explained that some could be upside down and some the right way up - as long as they used the same shape and didn't change its size.

When they were trying to do an impossible shape, he checked whether they could identify circle, octagon, TV shape, pentagon. He discussed what to write to explain why they don't fit, prompting them to look at angles/curves.

Question for Consideration

  • What sort of explanation would you expect?

When they started slowing, he encouraged them by pointing out that they could print and display their work when they got near the end.

c. Helping Learners Develop their own IT Capabilities