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The Highland
Council 5-14 ICT programme has been drawn up by a number of colleagues
from various schools across the authority. The programme follows a common
format that will be used for the development of all 5-14 programmes.
There are 3 versions of the
programme: two for primary schools (Nelson Thornes and other schemes) and
one version for secondary schools based at levels E and F. Primary schools
who use schemes that are different to the schemes identified in the
programmes, will have to match these to the relevant strands.
For consistency of approach across
the authority it is expected that schools will use the new ICT programme
within their schools or have an equivalent programme that meets the 5-14
attainment targets.
Schools should decide on the best
way to use the programme and can customise it to suit their own
circumstances and resources.
The following is a quote from
Information and Communications Technology 5-14 National Guidelines
"Since ICT permeates the 5-14 curriculum it performs the dual role of
developing ICT skills in context, while at the same time using ICT
capability to contribute to learning within other 5-14 curriculum
areas."
To take account of the above, the
ICT programme differs in one respect from the other programmes that have
been developed in that there is a column of suggested contexts for
learning and teaching. The ICT programme is a programme that ensures
progression and continuity in skills but the philosophy of ICT in schools
is that these skills should be used in real contexts for learning and
teaching. This column is to highlight that teachers should be planning
these skills into their everyday teaching and to offer some suggestions
for contexts. The Nelson Thornes version identifies the contexts within
the scheme.
Primary Schools may wish to use
this column to change the contexts on a termly basis as part of their
forward planning. Some schools may have developed their own planning
system for linking ICT into other areas of the curriculum and may not
require this column. Opportunities for using ICT are indicated in the
other 5-14 programmes that are being developed.
Secondary schools may wish to use
this column for individual departments to identify the contexts for
learning and teaching that would be most suitable for them.
Schools are not necessarily
expected to cover all skills within the programme in order to use ICT
effectively, but the programme offers a variety of skills that teachers
can consider.
For primary schools the programme
has been developed so that it can be used as a medium term forward plan.
The 5-14 targets for each strand at the different levels have been broken
down into more specific targets for learning and teaching purposes. It is not
proposed that individual pupils will be assessed on each criterion. In
most cases there would no requirement for comments to be written about
average pupils who have attained the criteria.
The section for ‘evaluation/next
steps for learning and teaching’ could include:
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Comments on further work to be
undertaken
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Comments on pupils/groups who
have not met/overtaken the assessment criteria
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Comments on how teachers may
adapt teaching in the future
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Comments on areas to be
reviewed/reassessed
-
Comments on how successfully ICT
has been used to progress learning and teaching in other curricular
areas
-
Comments on pace of learning
It is suggested that teachers
highlight the assessment criteria, skills, assessment evidence and
resources to be taught either electronically or on paper. The contexts for
learning could be either written in or if previously identified,
highlighted.
It is anticipated that the
programme will provide support for Head Teachers and Class Teachers in the
delivery of the 5-14 ICT guidelines.
There is a commitment from Highland
Council to provide support and staff development for ICT in the session
2003-2004. Further details will be issued to schools in due course. |