Policy Development
My
school district believes that ICT has the power to make a significant
contribution to teaching and learning across the curriculum. The policy set the
aims and strategies for implementing and developing ICT at my school and it is
reviewed by the ICT co-coordinator annually. The aim is to become an
“e-confident” school and to integrate ICT effectively in the planning,
teaching, learning and assessment of all areas of the curriculum. As such we
intend on generating students who are independent, confident and responsible
users of ICT in order to prepare them for life in an increasing ICT rich world.
We further want to develop the potential of ICT upon teaching and learning,
thus making a significant impact on both our pupils and staff.
To undertake this we will enable all children to enjoy using ICT purposefully and to encourage them to use it independently, thus, fostering children awareness to the use of ICT in the wider world. Thereby we will build on and develop existing knowledge through skills taught and to maintain continuity and progression.
I will explore the policy using a SWOT analysis approach.
S - Strengths
(a) It exposes students to the use of ICT from foundation level (age five)
(b ) It caters to the special needs of students
(c) It caters to the teaching and learning styles as it makes learning more differentiated and customised to individual needs. as it delivers an engaging, exciting and enjoyable lerning process that encourages better learning outcomes.
(d) It caters to a variety of strategies depending on the need of the students. It facilitates whole class, group work, individual or paired work. It also supports and enhances the learning of SEN students.
(e) It encourages the use of the internet to support teaching and learning.
(f) It values equal opportunity for all students.
(g) ICT resources are accessible to all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
(h) Whole school approach to assessing all aspects of ICT .
(i) Students are assessed informally during lessons and all progress is recorded on an assessment sheet every term.
(j) Students are made aware of the hazards and risks to themselves and others when using ICT e.g. internet.
W- Weaknesses
(a) Finance implications in equipping and upgrading the school with ICT
(b) Researching software and lesson plans is very time consuming.
(c) Curriculum overload is an ever present problem
(d) Although the need for training of staff and to encourage professional development is recognized, yet the training is not regular and consistent when the need arises.
(e) Teaches need to continually update their ICT skills.
(f) Some teachers lack confidence using ICT.
(g) Although the school undertakes to replace and repair computer equipment in order to maintain the ratio of computers to students.
O - Opportunities
(a) Due to the high cost on maintenance and replacing the computers it is vital that the equipment is adequately insured.
(b) The school can host a website where newsletters and other news items will be regularly added. The school’s policies which are relevant to parents will be added to the website. Students will be given an opportunity to publish their projects or school work on the World Wide Web. This will be coordinated by a teacher.
(c) Photographs, audio and video clips which focuses on group activities will be published on the school website and maybe password protected.
(d) The school can provide support structures by providing parents and students with organizations that deal with illegal material or harmful use of the internet.
(e) The school can provide information relating to the internet to teachers, students and parents that should familiarize themselves with:
(a) Digital photographs, audio or video clips of individual students will not be published on the school website.
To undertake this we will enable all children to enjoy using ICT purposefully and to encourage them to use it independently, thus, fostering children awareness to the use of ICT in the wider world. Thereby we will build on and develop existing knowledge through skills taught and to maintain continuity and progression.
I will explore the policy using a SWOT analysis approach.
S - Strengths
(a) It exposes students to the use of ICT from foundation level (age five)
(b ) It caters to the special needs of students
(c) It caters to the teaching and learning styles as it makes learning more differentiated and customised to individual needs. as it delivers an engaging, exciting and enjoyable lerning process that encourages better learning outcomes.
(d) It caters to a variety of strategies depending on the need of the students. It facilitates whole class, group work, individual or paired work. It also supports and enhances the learning of SEN students.
(e) It encourages the use of the internet to support teaching and learning.
(f) It values equal opportunity for all students.
(g) ICT resources are accessible to all learners, including those with special educational needs and disabilities.
(h) Whole school approach to assessing all aspects of ICT .
(i) Students are assessed informally during lessons and all progress is recorded on an assessment sheet every term.
(j) Students are made aware of the hazards and risks to themselves and others when using ICT e.g. internet.
W- Weaknesses
(a) Finance implications in equipping and upgrading the school with ICT
(b) Researching software and lesson plans is very time consuming.
(c) Curriculum overload is an ever present problem
(d) Although the need for training of staff and to encourage professional development is recognized, yet the training is not regular and consistent when the need arises.
(e) Teaches need to continually update their ICT skills.
(f) Some teachers lack confidence using ICT.
(g) Although the school undertakes to replace and repair computer equipment in order to maintain the ratio of computers to students.
O - Opportunities
(a) Due to the high cost on maintenance and replacing the computers it is vital that the equipment is adequately insured.
(b) The school can host a website where newsletters and other news items will be regularly added. The school’s policies which are relevant to parents will be added to the website. Students will be given an opportunity to publish their projects or school work on the World Wide Web. This will be coordinated by a teacher.
(c) Photographs, audio and video clips which focuses on group activities will be published on the school website and maybe password protected.
(d) The school can provide support structures by providing parents and students with organizations that deal with illegal material or harmful use of the internet.
(e) The school can provide information relating to the internet to teachers, students and parents that should familiarize themselves with:
- Data
Protection (Amendment) Act 2003
- Child
Trafficking and Pornography Act 1998
- Interception
Act 1993
- Video
Recordings Act 1989
- The Data Protection Act 1988
(a) Digital photographs, audio or video clips of individual students will not be published on the school website.