Part 2:
Teaching With ICT

a. Structuring Lessons

The teacher's lessons usually start with a whole-class introduction or review, then an activity where pupils work individually or in pairs. At an appropriate stage, he would intervene to discuss with the class what results they had obtained, and any problems which had arisen, and to give an explanation of any new points needed to continue with the activity. After further work, the lesson would normally conclude with a review and evaluation of learning, prior to the setting of homework if appropriate.

He wanted to keep this structure as far as possible when they were using ICT. Although ICT has much potential for greater pupil autonomy, in this particular topic some vitally important concepts are being developed and he wanted to keep the class together in order to discuss the key points and ensure all pupils were focused on them.

Questions for Consideration

  • Do you usually use this approach? If not, summarise your usual classroom approach.
  • What are the normal advantages of keeping the class together?
  • Do these change when ICT is used?
  • What are the normal advantages of letting pupils work individually?
  • Do these change when ICT is used?

Case Study Lesson Structure

The teacher planned to start the unit by explaining the purpose of the topic and why we were going to use computers.

Question for Consideration

  • What would you say to pupils about the reasons for using computers?

The lessons were then structured as follows:

Lesson 1

  • Explain the rules of the function game and set up the first mystery function for the class to identify. Early functions would be one operation (+, -, *, or /). The input values would not be in sequence so that pupils could not spot the pattern in output values at this stage.
  • When this one is completed, check whether all pupils understand by asking for more outputs. Set up the next, and continue with a few more simple functions. Discuss how many values are needed to identify the function.
  • Set up a two-operation function. This will create a problem and the possibility of two operations will need to be suggested. Proceed as before, checking that all pupils are following.
  • After two of these, start using input values in sequence 1, 2 etc. Discuss the strategy for identifying two operations, and continue with similar questions.
  • Five minutes before the end, stop and tell them to write the strategy down in their books. Tell them they will need to remember this for next lesson.

Lesson 2

  • Place a help sheet by each computer before the lesson. As pupils arrive, seat them at computers and tell them to log on and then face the board. Technician to help any that have problems while teacher monitors progress in logging in. When most are ready, gain attention of whole class, and ask them about what they did last lesson and the strategies they used. Explain that they will do the same sort of thing, only using a spreadsheet program.

Questions for Consideration

    • How would you handle this stage if you did not have any help in the classroom?
    • What are the advantages of seating pupils in particular positions?
    • What are the disadvantages?

  • Tell them step-by-step how to load up Fireworkz. (These instructions also on help sheet. Technician and quicker pupils will also help). Monitor progress of class and give next instruction when most are ready.

Questions for Consideration

    • What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving step-by-step instructions orally to the whole class?
    • What alternative technique might you use?

  • When all have blank spreadsheet, ask them about rows, columns, cells and cell references. Note the terminology on the board. Point out to them that this is also on the Help Sheet for reference.
  • Tell them step-by-step how to load in a prepared spreadsheet.
  • When all have loaded in MACHINE1, give them the first output value to type in - the "No" should turn to "Yes". Ask them then to work out the rest of the output values so that all the lines have "Yes" by them. Put hand up when finished. When most have finished, tell them to face the board and ask them what the function is. Write it up, and then tell them that they must now get the same results using a formula instead of numbers. Tell them that this is the most important thing that they are going to learn this lesson. Explain how to enter the formula =B3+2 in cell C3. Ask what the formula in the next row will be, and then tell them to carry on with the rest of the rows, and then write down their first formula in the space provided on the worksheet exactly as it is on the screen.
  • Circulate quickly, giving out worksheets and checking that they are putting in formulas. Explain individually that when they have put a formula in, they can change the input value and the computer will work out what the output will be. When most have finished MACHINE1, stop the class and discuss how to do subtract, multiply, and divide. Tell them to move on to MACHINE 2 and continue with the sheet. (First output value for each machine is on the sheet.) While they are working, circulate and stop pupils in groups in turn around the room to show them how they can copy formulas down a column to avoid typing them over and over again.

Questions for Consideration

    • What are the advantages of this approach, rather than stopping the whole class?
    • What are the disadvantages?

  • Five minutes before the end, tell them to log off and face the board. Collect the worksheets while they do this. Review the technique for entering and copying formulas, and ask them to remember this for next time they come in. Give feedback on their achievements for the lesson.

Lesson 3

  • Entry and log on routine as before. Whole class faces the board and ask them about loading spreadsheets, identifying formulas, entering formulas and copying. Tell them to load up Fireworkz and continue from where they left off. Give out their answer sheets while loading.
  • Circulate, solving problems and checking progress. When several are reaching the two-operation formulas, stop the class and review the strategy for identifying the operations. Discuss how to enter two operation formulas (don't discuss brackets at this stage - deal with this as/if the situation arises). Tell them to continue with the rest of the sheet.
  • When pupils finish this sheet, ask them to work in pairs to play the function game themselves, using spreadsheet MACHINE0 (which is just a table with no function check).
  • Five minutes before the end, tell them to log off and face the board. Collect the answer sheets while they do this. Give them feedback about their achievements.

Questions for Consideration

How would you deal with pupils who:

    • Were not using the Copy feature of the spreadsheet?
    • Could not identify a function if there were negative values in the Output column?
    • Said that their spreadsheet had disappeared?
    • Were enjoying putting bigger and bigger numbers into MACHINE4 rather than moving onto MACHINE5?
    • Had finished and moved across the room to find out where their friends were up to?
    • Were expertly placing images of their favourite cartoon characters into their spreadsheet?

Lesson 4

  • Entry and log on routine as before. Tell the whole class to face the board, set up a table and ask them to give the output values for "add 3 and multiply by 2" for input values from 1 to 5. Tell them to load MACHINE0 and try to put in a formula to give this table.

Question for Consideration

    • What do you expect pupils to put for this formula?

  • Circulate, checking that they remember how to put in formulas. When they have all met the expected problem, ask them what their formula has done (should do add 6). Explain that the spreadsheet follows the rule: do * and / before + and -. If you want it to do + or - first, you need brackets. Write up the formula and ask them to put it and copy it in to check.
  • Now ask them to find a formula without brackets which does the same thing, using the usual strategy for finding a function from a table of values. Circulate to remind them about this, and then stop them when most have succeeded. Ask them what the formula is, and write it on the board by the side of the one with brackets.
  • Tell them they will now do several more of these, and give out the new worksheet. Tell them they can use the spreadsheet MACHINE0 to create tables and check formulas. When they think they have found a rule for finding equivalent formulas, they can just use the spreadsheet to check.
  • Circulate and monitor progress. Stop the class to discuss strategy at a suitable point, asking pupils what they think might be a rule for finding equivalent formulas. Tell them to continue, using the spreadsheet to check.
  • At the end of the lesson, formalise the rules for order of operations and removing brackets on the board. Give feedback on achievements this lesson, and explain that they will need to remember this to use in the usual classroom next lesson.

Lesson 5

  • Explain that when we are not using spreadsheets, it is still useful to write down what a function does using a formula. This is called algebra, and the symbols and rules are a bit different in algebra compared with spreadsheets.
  • Ask how to do +3 as a spreadsheet formula, and then write down the algebra formula y=x+3. Repeat for *3, emphasising that it is best to put the number first, and that we miss the sign out when it is a 'times'.
  • Ask the class to complete their worksheets by filling in the algebra formulas for all the machines.
  • When some are reaching the two operation functions, discuss how to write an algebra formula for one of these.
  • Review with the whole class what was "discovered" last lesson about brackets, and lead them through an example of expansion and factorisation of two-operation expressions using algebraic variables. Show them how to check in their heads without the spreadsheet. Tell them to start the practice exercise containing further expressions to expand/factorise. They should check their answers using made up values.
  • Ten minutes before the end of the lesson, stop the class, ask pupils for answers and write them up. Discuss any problems/issues, which have arisen, and tell them to make any corrections needed. Summarise what they have learned and give feedback on achievements over the unit. Tell them about the test next week!

Questions for Consideration

    • Do you think it would have been better to introduce algebraic syntax earlier, and have pupils write in their algebra formulas as they went along?
    • Would you extend the unit of work to include some questions where pupils have to generate tables of data from situations described in words/diagrams, such as in worksheet n?
    • Would you have allowed some time for revision before the test?
    • Would you allow pupils to use the spreadsheet program during the test?

b. Managing Learning in the Classroom