RE & ICT Statement
No I'm not going to write one for you! But you might find some of the following questions and ideas useful in composing your own statement.
Please don't feel intimidated by some of the suggestions. Don't think that you're way behind because you don't do them (or don't even know what they are) - but they might give you some ideas that you could try out.

   Your RE & ICT statement can suggest the direction in which you want to go rather than just stating what you already do. Remember your audience - Ofsted, parents, colleagues - and what you want to tell them.
Impressive
You might want an opening sentence or paragraph which shows that you are aware of the importance of ICT in general as an emerging educational technology. Ofsted and the government are currently very 'hot' on the topic - impress them by letting them know you think it is a 'live' issue too.

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You may want to comment on how students regard ICT and how they regard RE. They don't seem like obvious bedfellows, but some of the most pioneering work with ICT and especially the internet has been undertaken by RE specialists across the country. Together RE and ICT make a powerful team which allows RE to lose its traditional image of being 'dull' and 'lacking relevance to today'.

Encouraging
Think about how the use of ICT in RE is encouraged by your school/department:

  • Outside lessons are students encouraged to submit work which is word-processed or desk-top published?

  • Are they allowed to e-mail staff with questions, problems etc.?

  • If they have a question to which teachers don't know the answer, are they encouraged to look it up on the internet - are staff able to help them if they need it?

  • In lessons do students have opportunities to use the technology in presenting their work?

  • Do students see it as something 'special' or as something which is like any other tool they might use in their studies?

  • Do students experience a variety of ICT uses in lessons - CD Roms, word-processing, desktop-publishing, spreadsheets, databases, browsers, webpage construction?

  • Is ICT used to enhance RE skills such as selection, editing, evaluation?

  • Is ICT used to help explain the diversity and subtlety of religious views and opinions?

  • Does the use of ICT help with differentiation?

  • Are there cross-curricular ICT issues - working with other subjects?

  • Does RE have its own webpages on your school site? If so, is it 'static' or 'dynamic'? Does it address specific student needs - provide curriculum material, answer questions, help with revision, extend learning?



How do you see ICT?

Research at Lancaster University suggests there are three ways in which teachers and students tend to regard ICT:

Some people react to ICT with alarm. ICT stands out distinctly from the surrounding environment and is like a wild animal which requires special handling and could easily escape their control - a frightening beast which needs to be tamed. Even the most experienced teachers may sometimes feel like this.

Some teachers see ICT as 'yellow' - it stands out brightly and can be used to accomplish tasks which cannot be performed as well, if at all, with other equipment. Nevertheless using it is still a performance.

Most students, however, tend to see ICT as 'green' - it doesn't stand out from its environment at all and is part of the range of technologies which they take as much for granted as a pen, a table, or a book.