Naace Strategic Conference 2007

Roger Broadie, Broadie Associates Ltd and Member of the Naace Executive Committee

Assessment of ‘Quality of use’ of ICT in schools is currently geared to doing the best we can with what we have – in the way the school currently operates.

This is optimisation.

To aspire to transformation will require a systemic rethink of the way that learning is organized so that schools can achieve significantly greater impact upon pupil achievement – for all.

Some schools are now doing this, stretching the gap between schools in educational offering and achievement.

The Transformed Education project has created practical tools for schools to assess and develop the best approach to fit their culture and community.

Ben Walsh, History Teacher, Author and Trainer, Historical Association

History is extremely well supported in terms of electronic resources but embedding ICT into the teaching and learning of this (as with most subjects) has proved problematic. In this session we explore how using ICT in History has brought to light a surprising amount of common ground between the two subjects.

From technical skills to deeply philosophical questions about the nature of information through history. The use of ICT in History has created opportunities for learning which is exciting, powerful and even inspirational.

Notes of session:

Aim of session to achieve the impossible. Finding time to find out what other people do. ICT is one of the great literacy, with English.

Changing pedagogies

The past is not what it used to be either taking from the last session. It changed a long time ago. One of the great myths is that it is about dates. If you ask

One of the great changes is that ICT has opened up history. Professors often email back, maybe because he has a television series to plug. Not that difficult to get hold of the expert anymore.

HA running email conferences.

Also seeing an explosion of ‘people’s history. Eg. http://bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/

Getting at the history through the way it actually was  and the more subtle analysis – so much of our history is seen through a prism eg. a Victorian perspective on history. This is something that British Pathe has really opened up – http://www.britishpathe.com

There are others doing great work – The National Archive – http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk

Also see history in new forms – 3D VR environments eg. tudor Hackney – http://www.learningcurve.gov.uk/tudorhackney/vrworld.asp

ICT and pedagogy in History
You can’t separate this –

The trouble with History in the curriculum is that you can still do well in history without technology. However history teachers have embraced technology

http://www.schoolhistory.co.uk – some awful stuff, but a vibrant community

VLE – often imposed, without consultation is the message. It is being used well – wikis and discussion forums for keeping kids in revision mode. Online polls are used, for getting the discussion going. Forwarding new stories / web sites to student accounts.

History is …

Undoubtedly missing opportunities

Remarkable amount of common ground between History and ICT
- as subjects (what you need to know)
- as disciplines (effectively communicating what you think)

History: Methodology
Ongoing debate but basically scientific / empirical
Example of that is getting kids to look at a popular perception – not interested in whether it was right or wrong, but how right of wrong and the effects of these perceptions.

History: Pedagogy
Highly rated by OfSTED
HA/Becta events have explored much common ground between History and ICT
- NC levels – lost of synergies and common ground
- ICT Framework

History: Content

History content is Drama – it’s the human drama that sucks them in. But it also has it with an analytic bite and edge.

Interesting web 2.0 related questions
What’s the point of using podcasting if the content this boring?
Is the content equally valid?
Is wikipedia ‘the truth’?
Why is so important that kids that students ‘read’ the web.
History is a special case

Education is about the human not in the technology

Rachel Ager, County Adviser for ICT, Northamptonshire CC

This session will explore how we can and should value and build on the e-confidence children develop at home. This is set within the context of the Knowledge Society in which we now live. It will define the model of good practice that Northamptonshire has established which truly embeds ICT in the Foundation Stage Curriculum.

It will explore the challenges this model presents to schools as e-confident children move from the Foundation Stage through Key Stages 1, 2 and beyond