Continuing with my excavations into my archives, via my newsletter, I’ve unearthed my summary of a report by Ofsted into the state of ICT at the time. The following is Issue #2 of Computers in Classrooms, as was then called. Part of it includes that summary I just referred to.

Apart from the name change, are things any different now? It’s actually hard to say because of the lack of like-for-like data. Nevertheless, I think it’s an interesting exercise to see how far we’ve come over the last two decades — and how far we haven’t.

I’ve replaced the names of people and their employers with letters. So when you see someone called x y being quoted over and over again, it’s not the same person every time! Although I did have their permission to quote them in the original newsletter, that was 20 years ago.

I’ve retained the formatting of the original, which is to say plain text and no graphics.

Computers in Classrooms

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ISSN 1470-5524

Edited by Terry Freedman

Home Page: http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman (or, if you are manually entering the address, http://fastlink.to/ict)

Email: compic@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk

Volume 1 Issue 2 *** 02 May 2000

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In this issue:

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* About this newsletter

* Jargon buster

* Email tip

* Classroom Tip

* Admin Tip

* Why do it?

* Book review

* Scenario: Using the internet properly, plus responses to last month's Scenario

* Feature: Could do better -- the state of ICT in UK schools (note that this includes a table showing how USA and UK school years relate to each other and to pupils' ages)

* Next issue's Feature

* About the editor

* Subscription details

* Advertising rates

* Disclaimer

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About this newsletter

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Whether we like it or not, computers in the curriculum are here to stay. This newsletter looks at, amongst other things, what works and what doesn't. It includes hints and tips for teachers new to using computers, and items that I hope will be of interest to ICT co-ordinators.

You can help by completing the survey at http://fastlink.to/cics, and encouraging others to do the same. The survey takes just a couple of minutes to complete, and can be submitted on-line, so that it arrives by email, or faxed to me, or even sent by post. Full details are on the survey form on the web site.

The feedback I received to the first newsletter was quite positive, which was encouraging because I hadn't fully appreciated how much work is involved in this sort of undertaking! If you wish to comment on anything in the newsletter, or about the newsletter, email me at compic@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk.

Finally, many thanks to all who have responded to my surveys and questions, and especially those gave permission to be quoted in this newsletter.

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Jargon buster

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Some of the terms used in this newsletter may seem a bit arcane to anyone living outside the UK, so here is a quick guide:

DfEE..........Department for Education and Employment

GCE...........General Certificate of Education

GCSE..........General Certificate of Secondary Education

GNVQ..........General National Vocational Qualification

ICT...........Information and Communication Technology

IT............Information Technology

NGfL..........National Grid for Learning

Ofsted........Office for standards in education

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Email tip

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The term "multiple personalities" may conjure up images of schizophrenia, but in the context of email they can be a good thing. If, like many people, you use your home computer for work, then you may like to differentiate between the name you use for personal correspondence, and the one you use for work.

Also, if you have several email addresses based on the same server, such as when each member of the household has an email address, the idea of personalities is quite useful. To illustrate what this actually means, I will use the example of my own email address. This is actually etfreedman@easynet.co.uk. My account is called etfreedman, and is kept on a computer (server) owned by a company called Easynet. However, I can have any number of email addresses, as long as they all lead to the account called etfreedman on Easynet's server. For example, I could have terry@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk, mum@ etfreedman.easynet.co.uk, dad@ etfreedman.easynet.co.uk, and so on.

Another use for personalities is filtering email (see last month's Computers in Classrooms). For example, I may want to ensure that any email sent to terry@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk is automatically moved to a folder called "personal", whereas email sent to compic@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk is automatically moved to a folder called "compic".

Although I've been using the term "personalities", this is specific to Eudora. In Outlook and Outlook Express, the term "accounts" is used.

Creating new personalities or accounts is fairly straightforward. First, the instructions for Eudora:

1. Select Tools-Personalities.

2. Press the right mouse button.

3. Select New.

4. Select Create Brand new email account.

5. Follow the wizard through.

In Outlook and Outlook Express:

1. Select Tools-Accounts.

2. Select Add-Mail.

3. Follow the wizard through.

Once you have set up your personalities or accounts, you can choose who to send email from, because this will determine what appears in the From: header in the emails that people receive from you. It may also determining other things, if you have set up the filters or rules accordingly. For example, sending an email as Terry automatically causes my personal phone number to appear after my name, whereas sending an email from compic causes a fax and voice mail number to appear.

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Classroom Tip

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Marking every pupil's work from an ICT lesson can be quite difficult because a print-out is not usually good enough in itself. After all, if pupils are sharing computers, you need to know who did which bit of the work. Even if they are each working alone, you still need to know whether they used "wizards" to achieve their objectives, whether they have simply copied and pasted text or evaluated and amended it in some way, and so on. (Also, you need to know what the objectives of the lessons were: in some circumstances, using a "wizard" ought to earn the pupil *more* marks than not using one.)

An approach I found useful approach is to use lessons in which pupils are working on projects as an opportunity to question pupils about their work while they are doing it. Using this approach, you may only be able to see a third or a quarter of the class, but over the period of three or four weeks you should be able to "interview" everyone in this way.

Another point to remember -- because teachers often forget it -- is that marks you make in your markbook can be an invaluable aid to marking work quickly, and accurately, outside the lesson. For example, "???" could be used to indicate that the pupil needed a lot of help, while "good ??s" could be used to remind you that the pupil asked some very good questions.

In fact, the markbook, if used wisely and creatively, is one item of low-level technology that really comes into its own!

The answers to last month's scenario (see below) also provide a few classroom tips.

If you have a tip that you'd like to share with others, please email it to classtips@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk, remembering to include your name and job title. If you would rather these details weren't published, please say so, otherwise they may be.

You'll find more information and articles about managing ICT on my website, http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman or http://fastlink.to/ict.

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Admin Tip

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In the last edition of Computers in Classrooms I quoted the DfEE's phrase, "Right first time", which means not entering data into a computer system that has already been entered. One of the problems which many teachers (and others) face, I think, is being asked to provide information which they have either already provided, or which involves giving the same information more than once.

For example, take the library permission slip. This is the slip of paper that you have to fill in to give to a pupil when they want to leave the lesson in order to visit the school library. The permission slip has to be given to the pupil to be seen by the school librarian, and to be shown to any member of staff who wants to know why the pupil is out of lessons. Not only will you want a copy for your own records, but other people in the school may want copies too, such as the school librarian.

In my experience schools do not seem to have heard of self-carbonating stationery, and so every time you have to complete a library permission slip it becomes a major issue. You either have to write two or three for each one or photocopy them. This in itself is usually a hassle because the slips are always the wrong size for putting through the photocopier's document feeder. Of course, all this assumes that you can lay your hands on copies of the permission slip in the first place....

Whether you are a teacher or an administrator, try to think of a way you can streamline all this, especially through the use of computers. Here are a few suggestions that you may like to consider:

* Link an electronic copy of the permission slip to the school's pupil admin database, so that you can complete name and group details through the use of drop-down lists, for example.

* Create an electronic copy of the slip that automatically generates copies for the people who need them.

* If a paper-based solution is still the preferred one, can the slips be made available on the school's computer network and/or intranet, so that teachers can access them quickly when they need to?

* If even that suggestion sounds too futuristic, how about making plenty of copies always available in the staffroom?

Although I have used the example of library permission slips, the principles discussed apply to any situation where two or more copies of the data need to be made. It is a waste of time and human resources for anyone to have to write or type any set of data more than once.

If you have a tip that you'd like to share with others, please email it to admintips@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk, remembering to include your name and job title. If you would rather these details weren't published, please say so, otherwise they may be.

You'll find more information and articles about using ICT to reduce your admin burden, on my website, http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman or http://fastlink.to/ict. This contains time-saving ideas covering more or less the whole range of tasks that have to be undertaken by teachers. Also, look at the DfEE's admin-related website, http://www.dfee.gov.uk/cuttingburdens/. This contains case studies of schools where time-saving ideas have been implemented as a result of pilot studies that the DfEE undertook in Kent and Derby.

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Why do it?

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In this section of the newsletter we look at why teachers use computers in their schemes of work and lessons -- and what puts them off. This section is, in effect, written by you. If you have any views on what makes teachers reluctant or willing to incorporate computers in their curriculum work, please complete the survey form at http://fastlink.to/cics. I won't use your name or position unless you authorise me to do so.

x y, of abc, identifies lack of training as one of the factors that make teachers reluctant to use ICT. In fact, the problem of insufficient or inadequate training has been picked up by Ofsted, as reported in this newsletter (see below). A similar point is made by x y, of abcd Primary School, who points out there is too little time to sit down with the hardware and get to know it.

This problem is not confined to the UK. A teacher who identifies herself as “z”, in the USA, says that there is not enough time for learning, practising and networking with other teachers or other professionals, and a lack of effective training.

Time to learn and experiment, or rather the lack of it, crops up time and again as a reason for not using computers in the classroom. But if we go a bit deeper we find that it's also to do with fear -- not only of the equipment but also of things going wrong, looking stupid in front of a class, or simply of the unknown.

However, there are a variety of factors that teachers have found encouraging or inspiring about computers in the curriculum. Two in particular that have been cited several times in response to this newsletter are the possibilities afforded by:

* new software

* email and the internet.

Regarding the latter, for example, teachers mentioned the helpful attitude of other computer users on the internet in sorting out problems and giving helpful advice. On the software front, many teachers are starting to realise now that a lot of new software is easy to use. Or at least, it is easy to obtain good results from using the software even if you are not that technically-minded, which is, of course, how it should be.

Related to this, and the fact that many pupils/students have computers at home these days, a growing number of teachers seem to be realising that they do not have to be, and are not even expected to be, the fount of all knowledge in their classrooms as far as computers are concerned.

Computers can have a very liberating effect. x y, who teaches children with special educational needs in the USA, believes that the graduation rates of her pupils would improve if they had access to up-to-date computers and software, given the gains they have made with pretty old equipment. In her case, gaining access to the right quality of hardware and software is the main problem.

If you have any views on what makes teachers reluctant or willing to incorporate computers in their curriculum work, please complete the survey form at http://fastlink.to/cics.

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Book Review: How Teachers Learn Best

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It is not enough to simply implore teachers to get to grips with new technologies and use them in the classroom. Other factors come into play, and need to be addressed. For example, provision has to be made for replacing obsolete equipment. Also, new technologies sometimes require different concepts to be learnt. This is especially the case with the internet, if it is to be used to advantage by students.

How Teachers Learn Best addresses these issues through a collection of essays. Written in an easy-to-read style, it addresses the sorts of issues that teachers are concerned with, and that administrators need to think about.

There are some very useful aspects of the book. For instance, one chapter describes what an information literate school community would look like, in terms of student progress.

Throughout the book, the author gives plenty of web sites that are worth exploring. As might be expected, these seem to be exclusively American, but this should not deter teachers in the UK and elsewhere.

The writer can also be provocative. In a section on staff training, he states that training is what we do to dogs and pigeons! He advocates adopting an adult learning approach instead.

Although a little pricey, this is a book that you'll want to dip into on many occasions. It's very readable, and well thought-out. British readers may well gain some solace from the fact that, in terms of the problems we face in the UK in these areas, we are not alone! Definitely worth looking into.

McKenzie,Jamie, How Teachers Learn Best,FNO Press, $20.00, ISBN 0-9674078-1-8

Also worth looking into is the author's main web site, http://fno.org. There are articles and free electronic books available for the asking, as well as further details of this book. While you're there, take a look at http://staffdevelop.org, which the author declares "is about adult learning and nothing else!"

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Scenario: It could happen to you!

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Each edition of Computers in Classrooms will feature a scenario -- some would say a nightmare scenario. Please write in with your suggestions on how to deal with it. The easiest way is to use the special form on the website, at http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman/scenario.htm.

Alternatively, email your comments to scenario@etfreedman.easynet.co.uk, including the information below:

* Your name

* Your employers

* Your post

* Country of residence

* Title of Scenario

* Your comments

* Whether we may quote you?**

* Whether we may say who your employer is**.

** ie in the newsletter, articles and books.

Thank you!

And now, here's this month's scenario:

Teachers in your school are very keen to let their pupils use the internet. Perhaps even a little *too* keen. You've noticed that pupils have sometimes accessed "bad" sites, spent time in chat rooms, or searching aimlessly for information.

Some teachers use the internet as a 5 minute filler before the end of the lesson when they finish the lesson too early, while some use it as a reward if pupils finish their work early.

What do you do?

Last month's Scenario:

======================

"You booked the use of the computer room ages ago, as part of your scheme of work. You've got the class in, everyone has settled down and have started to log on to the network. Then you experience a sinking feeling as it becomes abundantly clear that the network is not working. What do you do?"

There were a number of interesting replies to this. The general consensus is that although frustrating and inconvenient, such an event is not as awful a disaster as it might be if there has been some planning in advance.

Z, who was mentioned earlier, gives some practical advice in the form of checking cables, and rebooting the equipment if necessary. She also suggests asking a volunteer such as another teacher, teaching assistant or parent to start up the computer system each morning and check that it's all working properly. Of course, that's an ideal job for a technician.

x y, also from the USA, works in the abode School District. She says that one thing she tells all teachers is this: ALWAYS have a backup plan.

UK readers may be interested to know that the current edition of InteracTive features an article of mine called How To Manage The Unpredictable. It considers how to deal with this problem, amongst others. In the article I take the view that Judy puts forward: always have a backup plan.

I think it is being realistic, rather than pessimistic, to take the attitude that it's not a question of *if* the computers breakdown, but *when*. This is not necessarily a reflection on the ICT Co-ordinator or anyone else, because breakdowns can happen for all kinds of reasons. I think it's much better to be "up front" with teachers about the possibility, rather than try to pretend that the computer system is so perfect that nothing can ever go wrong.

The only effect that has is to completely demolish the self-confidence of staff who experience a computer system breakdown the first time they use it in a lesson. On the other hand, being up-front to the extent of almost insisting that the teacher has a viable alternative up her or his sleeve will help to enable the teacher to keep the control if something goes wrong.

There are also, of course, technical issues that can be addressed, which, because they involve money, may become management issues. For example, there are devices that will maintain the power long enough in the event of a power cut for you to save work and close the computer down "in an orderly fashion". Also, there comes a point where if the system is breaking down more and more frequently, money needs to be spent on repairs, new cabling or new computers. Some of these technical and management issues are addressed on my web site. There is a useful collection of relevant links at http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman/mictresourcesidx.htm. There is also a different, but overlapping, set of links at http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman/manguidenet.htm.

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Feature: Could do better -- the state of ICT in UK schools

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Findings on ICT and IT, taken from the recent national Ofsted report, The Annual Report of Her Majestyís Chief Inspector of Schools: Standards and Quality in Education 1998/99.

Introduction

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This article summarises the findings of the most recent Ofsted report on teaching and learning in the UK, as they relate to information and communication technology (ICT) and information technology (IT). The report was published in February 2000. But before looking in detail at the report, a few parameters are defined for the benefit of non-UK readers. To skip this section, go to the heading "Structure of the Ofsted Report".

First, what is Ofsted? This is the Office for Standards in Education, and is concerned with inspecting schools and, more recently, colleges, teacher training colleges and university departments, and local education authorities (LEAs). Each year it summarises the results of its inspections and makes the resulting document available for sale in print format, and on the internet free of charge.

The UK Education System

=======================

In the UK, schooling ages are categorised as follows:

Early Years: Age 0 - 5

National Curriculum Key Stage 1: approximately age 5 to 8, Years 1 to 4

National Curriculum Key Stage 2: approximately age 9 to 10, Years 5 to 6

National Curriculum Key Stage 3: approximately age 11 to 13, Years 7 to 9

National Curriculum Key Stage 4: approximately age 14 to 15, Years 10 to 11

Post-16

The "Year" refers not to the child's age, but to his/her position on the rungs of the National Curriculum. Thus, a Year 11 pupil is not 11 years old, but 15 or 16 years old, and in Key Stage 4 of the National Curriculum. Similarly, a pupil in Year 6 is 10 or 11 years old, and at Key Stage 2 of the National Curriculum. In terms of the American system, age ranges correspond as follows:

USA Year .... USA Phase ..... Age ..... UK Year ..UK Key Stage

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K ........... Kindergarten .. 5 ....... 1 ........... 1

1 ........... Elementary .... 6 ....... 2 ........... 1

2 ........... Elementary .... 7 ....... 3 ........... 1

3 ........... Elementary .... 8 ....... 4 ........... 1

4 ........... Elementary .... 9 ....... 5 ........... 2

5 ........... Elementary .... 10 ...... 6 ........... 2

6 ........... Jnr High/Middle 11 ...... 7 ........... 3

7 ........... Jnr High/Middle 12 ...... 8 ........... 3

8 ........... Jnr High/Middle 13 ...... 9 ........... 3

9 ........... High: Freshmen . 14 ...... 10 .......... 4

10 .......... High: Sophomores 15 ...... 11 .......... 4

11 .......... High: Juniors .. 16 ...... 12 .......... 4

12 .......... High: Seniors .. 17 ...... 13 .......... 4

The National Curriculum has been mentioned several times. This is a set of principles and regulations, introduced in its first form in 1998, which state the broad areas of what has to be taught in UK state schools. Although in some respects the National Curriculum is quite prescriptive, there is leeway within the system to teach subjects in any order you like within the obvious constraints, and to use methods and illustrations of your choice, bearing in mind the necessity to satisfy the requirements of tests (known as Standard Attainment Tasks, or SATs) in Mathematics, English and Science, and reporting to parents in the other subjects.

The situation in practice is not quite so clear cut, because some State schools are exempt from the National Curriculum for one reason or another, while many private schools, which are automatically exempt from it, choose to follow it anyway. However, none of this matters for the purpose of this article! If you would like to know more about the National Curriculum, visit the official National Curriculum website at http://www.nc.uk.net. This, by the way, is an excellent site, not least because it has taken all the hard work out of linking the ICT Programme of Study in the National Curriculum to that of the other subjects. Note that next month in "Computers in Classrooms" we will be looking at the new Key Stage 3 ICT Scheme of Work produced by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) to address the National Curriculum's Programme of Study in ICT.

The Structure of the Report

===========================

Before we look at the report itself, please note the following. The official term in the UK for most ICT courses is ICT, for Information and Communication Technology. However, the Ofsted report pre-dates this change, and refers to "information technology" throughout. I have changed this to ICT in order to update the report, but this should not affect the substance of the report.

Ofsted's report covers the whole range of teaching in UK schools, teacher training institutions and LEAs. This summary deals only with the aspects relating to ICT and IT. Although every attempt has been made to give an accurate reflection of Ofsted's findings, you may want to check the original wording for yourself when you come to a section that interests you. I think the easiest way to do so would be to look at the report on the internet at http://www.official-documents.co.uk/document/hoc/157/157.htm

and use your web browser's search or find facility to get to the relevant bit.

The sections that are covered in this summary are the same as those in the original report, namely:

* Commentary

* Attainment and progress in National Curriculum subjects

* Primary schools

* Secondary

* 6th form

* GNVQ

* Key Skills

* SEN

* Special schools

* Pupil Referral Units (PRUs)

* Teacher Training

* LEAs

And now, with no further ado, the findings of the report....

Commentary

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The report starts off with a general commentary, in which the following points are made.

In ICT, teachers' expectations of pupils are too low in about a quarter of primary schools. The report implies that this is at least partly due to a lack of subject expertise on the teachers' part, by stating that primary teachers must have better access to high-quality training designed to deepen their own knowledge of the subject.

Pupils' progress in ICT is unsatisfactory in over one-third of schools at Key Stage 2 and over 40% at Key Stage 4, although there has been some improvement this year, especially in primary schools.

In comparison with other subjects, the general quality of teaching in both primary and secondary schools remains significantly weak. Expectations are low, and this is reflected in pupils being given tasks which involve low-level skills.

The in-service training available for teachers has not kept pace with developments in the subject, and this needs to be addressed if pupils are to benefit from the expansion of ICT in schools.

Attainment and progress in National Curriculum subjects

In this section of the report, it is noted that progress in ICT at Key Stage 2 lags significantly behind that in all but 3 other subjects.

Primary schools

===============

Progress in ICT at Key Stage 1 has not improved since last year. But there is good news at Key Stage 2, where more pupils are now making good or satisfactory progress. The report attributes part of this progress to the fact that many pupils have increased access to computers both at home and at school.

The work produced by many pupils in communicating information is more sophisticated than their work in control or modelling.

There is an unacceptably large difference between the highest and lowest ICT attainment in schools. This is linked to the point made earlier, that pupils with ability are not given sufficiently challenging ICT tasks.

Although generally the quality of work in ICT is lower than in other subjects, where an inspection identified ICT as a "Key Issue for Action" this has usually been acted upon successfully.

It is not all bad news. Schools increasingly have schemes of work, some of them based on the DfEE/Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) materials published in 1998, and more schools reserve time for ICT.

Also, arrangements for staff development have improved and ICT features more strongly in schools' development plans.

In addition, Ofsted believes that the increase in the number of schools with computer rooms has also helped to develop good quality work and much improved teaching.

As stated in the Commentary, teachers' expectations of pupils are far too low in ICT in about 25% of schools.

According to Ofsted, good teaching requires teachers to have a good grasp of both the subject itself and the principles underpinning learning in the subject. Unfortunately, there are still many teachers with insufficient knowledge and understanding to teach ICT effectively. In fact, over two thirds of schools have this problem.

There has been a significant growth in the number of schools providing after school study support or "homework clubs", often in ICT.

There are weaknesses in the breadth and balance of the curriculum in a small minority of schools. Where this is the case, the main weakness discovered is insufficient time for ICT.

Government and LEA funding has often been targeted at primary schools, especially those with little ICT provision, and these funds have assisted most schools in improving their equipment.

Secondary

=========

Pupils have not made satisfactory progress in ICT, where there are particular weaknesses. In fact, progress is poor in two thirds of schools at Key Stage 3, and in three quarters of schools at Key Stage 4.

Most pupils can skillfully handle text and graphics, and can present information graphically. Also, the range of applications they experience continues to grow. In addition, many pupils are able to transfer skills readily between applications and between different types of computer.

Unfortunately, however, most pupils in both key stages spends too much time practising low-level ICT skills., as noted earlier. Perhaps because of this, most pupils don't reach the higher levels of attainment, unless they are studying for examination courses in IT.

Some interesting and relevant approaches have been used in schools to teach ICT skills and knowledge in sensible subject contexts, but the quality of teaching remains weak too often, and is overall significantly below that of other subjects.

Teachers often expect too little of pupils given their technical skills and the facilities available.

Good work often occurs in designated ICT lessons, but it is insufficiently integrated with applications of ICT in other subjects.

As indicated in the Commentary, ICT INSET hasn't kept pace with developments in the subject. Given the general lack of subject expertise, this is a cause for concern. One in five teachers of ICT is not qualified to teach the subject but staff development continues to show little sign of improvement.

On the whole, legal requirements are met. In addition, some schools offer out of hours access to ICT.

The report also makes the point that the cross-curricular nature of ICT places particular demands on departmental management.

Apparently, over three in ten schools have weak leadership in ICT, and staff, especially co-ordinators, require clearer role definitions.

School management teams and governors are beginning to respond positively when ICT is raised as a key issue for action during inspection. In particular, schools are investing in technical support and staff training.

6th form

========

Progress is noticeably less good in IT than in the other A-level subjects, apart from religious studies.

GNVQ

=====

Advanced work in IT is not satisfactory overall.

Key Skills

==========

In Key Skills in Advanced GNVQ students' competence in using IT varies greatly between schools and between subjects within schools. In some classes students make good use of up-to-date technology for research and the interrogation of databases; elsewhere there is little evidence of technology being used to develop ideas and follow up lines of enquiry.

Students on vocational courses are generally more confident in their use of IT than those on GCE A-level (General Certificate of Education Advanced Level) courses.

Overall, the proportion of good and very good teaching was lowest of all in IT. The highest proportion of unsatisfactory teaching was in IT (4%).

SEN (Special Educational Needs)

===============================

There has been some improvement, but ICT is still the weakest subject, with pupils failing to make adequate progress in almost a third of schools.

Pupils' progress continues to be restricted by schools' lack of planned progression and breadth of activities and by the under-use of equipment across the curriculum.

Achievement is best in schools for pupils with physical disabilities, where intensive use is made of ICT to support pupils' communication and access to the curriculum, and technician support is more frequently available than in other special schools.

Special schools quality of teaching is lowest in ICT lessons and in the use of ICT in other subjects.

PRUs (Pupil Referral Units)

===========================

These are "schools" for pupils of compulsory school age who, because of their behaviour, illness or other reasons would not receive appropriate education unless special arrangements are made for them.

The quality of resources available for ICT varies widely. Ten percent of PRUs had good resources for ICT, and 10% had little or outdated equipment and software.

Teacher Training

================

Twelve courses were inspected in IT. More than 90% of higher education institution-based training sessions were good, but 40% school-based sessions had major shortcomings.

The main teachers of ICT often have many responsibilities in school and many are unable to dedicate time to support ICT trainees.

The best school placements provided trainees with good training in ICT across a wide age-range, but a significant minority of trainees had a restricted experience because they were required to teach identical material to several classes each week.

Ways need to be found of offering all trainees sufficient opportunities to see good teaching, for example by making more intensive use of those schools where ICT is very well taught.

In ICT few trainees started with a good understanding of key ICT skills and concepts, but the training was in most cases effective in remedying this.

LEAs

====

One of the two most common exceptions to the pattern of sound provision is ICT.

Supplement: Preparing for inspection

====================================

If you have an inspection coming up, how can you prepare for it? One way is to look at the ICT inspection web site recently put up by BECTa (British Educational & Communications Technology Association) at http://www.becta.org.uk/supportproviders/inspection/index.html.

Another way is to read the following advice, taken from the Greenwich Grid For Learning Weekly ICT Newsletter.

The newsletter states that it is necessary "that the school has assessed accurately where they are and can demonstrate that they have realistic plans for moving forward. Alongside a carefully worked out action/development plan this should take the form of regular audits of staff skills and evidence of monitoring of planning, teaching and learning."

The newsletter also makes the point that teaching is improved, and pupils' progress is increased, when a structured scheme work is followed, even if it is only an interim scheme of work.

Thanks to x y, ICT Advisory Teacher in abcdef (London, UK) for permission to quote from the newsletter.

On the subject of schemes of work, if you haven't got one then you could do worse than use the QCA's schemes of work. There are two: Key Stages 1 and 2, and Key Stage 3. The UK's Qualifications and Curriculum Authority has just published its Key Stage 3 scheme of work units in PDF format on the internet. The web page should be ready at the end of April, and the printed version in May. More on this in next month's newsletter, which is due out on 6th June 2000.

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Next issue's Features

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In the next issue of the newsletter we will look at the new QCA scheme of work for Key Stage 3 ICT, and take a critical look at ICT and student motivation. The next issue is due out on 5th June.

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Surveys

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There are four main surveys running on my web site at the moment, these being the ICT Co-ordinators' wish list, one on why teachers do or do not use computers in their lessons, the response form to this month's Scenario and your horror story about a management aspect of ICT. Details of all of these can be found on my web site.

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About the editor

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I am an ICT advisor in London, and a freelance writer. You can find out more by going to http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman/tfcv.htm.

My most recent book is Managing ICT. My previous book was Make Time With IT.

Managing ICT looks at all aspects of managing ICT in schools and colleges, and provides checklists to help the busy ICT Co-ordinator. A satisfied reader recently said:

"This book needs to be read by every senior manager and education minister!"

Managing ICT, Terry Freedman, £9.99, Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN 0-340-75334-X.

Make Time With IT considers numerous ways in which teachers and school/college administrators at all levels can use computers to reduce their workload. The tips contained in the book are summarised on my website. The review in InteracTive said:

"...it tackles the complexities of computing across a wide range of technicalities and procedures and does all this with a lightness of approach and welcome snippets of humour..."

Make Time With IT, Terry Freedman, £19.95, Questions Publishing, ISBN 1-898149-54-2

Both of these books are available from Amazon via http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~etfreedman/buybooks.htm

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To subscribe to this newsletter...

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Send any email to compic-subscribe@listbot.com

Please feel free to pass on this newsletter or extracts from it to anyone whom you think might gain some benefit from it, but please acknowledge the source.

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Advertising rates

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Please send any email to compicads@fastfacts.net

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Disclaimer:

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Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this newsletter, T Freedman cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information within it or for any consequences arising from it.

I hope you found that step into the past interesting. My newsletter is still going strong, but now it’s called Digital Education.

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