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| What is ICT? This may sound like an odd question - everyone knows that it stands for 'Information and Communications Technology' and that we're all supposed to be using it. However, sometimes people have a very narrow view of what we mean by 'using' it.
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 One of the most frequent complaints teachers make is that they don't have enough computer equipment. Ideally every desk in every classroom would have a network socket, and every student would bring in their own notebook computer and plug it in - just as they bring in other equipment they need for their studies such as pens, pencils, and calculators.In fact you don't need to be sitting in front of a computer to be 'using' ICT. Students could just be using pencil and paper to plan the layout of a piece of work which they will later complete in a word processor, desktop publisher, or webpage. |
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Planning is the key. Feeling guilty that we haven't used the computer recently and then sticking children in front of one for a lesson is unlikely to be very productive. Using ICT can be very rewarding, but it should not be used as a reward - "You've been very good today, so you can go and use the computers." |
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| Much better to have a class planning a visit to a place of worship, for example, and deciding how best to present their work (as a leaflet, webpage, or powerpoint presentation) and which photographs to take. ICT is then integrated into their work as a means to an end, rather than the end itself. |