Information Communication Technology Policy

Rationale

 The role of ICT has an ever- increasing contribution to make to learning, employment and everyday life. Information Communication Technology is no longer considered as incidental to the curriculum or an optional classroom activity. It has an increasingly important presence within overall learning and teaching strategies.

Aims:

General

As a staff we need to develop the following characteristics in order to realise the potential of ICT

In order to achieve the above the development of ICT will feature within the School Development Plan over the foreseeable future.

Most of the teaching staff in the school have been through the NGfL training programme and others have a good grasp of NGfL related issues. This has resulted in an increased awareness of the potential for ICT in learning and teaching across the curriculum.

Learning and Teaching

Like the staff, pupils will have varying levels of access to and experience of ICT and this needs to be acknowledged. We need to take account of the prior learning that pupils bring to the area of ICT.  We should ensure that information from the Nursery is passed onto the primary 1 teachers. The importance of noting and acting on prior learning and experience lies in developing continuity and progression and setting of appropriate ICT next steps for pupils. Attainment levels in ICT capability may vary considerably within classes often due to the accessibility or otherwise in the home of ICT equipment and resources. 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 and teaching within other 5-14 curriculum areas.

Challenges posed by ICT and the resulting sense of achievement will stimulate pupils and will contribute to the general educational process by developing:

Effective learning and teaching in ICT begins with forward planning and Section 6 in ‘Information and Communications Technology – 5-14 Guidelines’ gives some good exemplars of ICT being utilised in aspects of learning and teaching. There are no particular approaches or methods in learning and teaching ICT. The attainment outcome in the 5-14 guidelines ‘developing ICT capability’ and its associated strands and outcomes is a framework within which we will plan teaching and learning flexibly. Reference should be made to 5-14 documents for guidance on a regular basis particularly at the planning stage.

ICT is very effective in supporting group and individual work and facilitating a much greater variety of stimulating and challenging tasks across the curriculum.

The pupils are given opportunities through the use of the Highland Council ICT programme to use and learn about a variety of ICT devices, e.g. computers, word processors, database systems, spreadsheets, graphics packages, music systems, control systems, digital cameras, scanner, internet, emailing, TV and video equipment.  All of these learning experiences  support teaching and learning and problem- solving  across the 5-14 curriculum.

Continuity and progression

In order to achieve the above, we follow the above mentioned Highland Council programme of study for ICT from level A to level F based on 5-14 guidelines.

Cross Curricular:

As has been highlighted earlier, ICT is an area that will be used to support learning and teaching across the other curricular areas, for example:

Cross-curricular work is indicated in the school’s planning sheets.

Methodology/Classroom Management:

There is no method or style of classroom management that is right or wrong, but the nature of ICT usually involves access to a piece of equipment, e.g. computer, listening centre, TV, so much of the work is done individually, in pairs or in small groups.  All classrooms have at least two PCs and we have computers in the Computer Room which allow individual and group work.  Each class teacher also has a laptop computer available for personal and class use.

All pupils will be able to use core computer programmes like Textease and/or Word, Number Box and/or Excel, and Power Point at the appropriate time in their N to P7 curriculum to learn a systematic way of using word processing, databases and spreadsheets and preparing a presentation. 

Planning:

The Miller Academy ICT forward planning sheets are those provide in the Highland Council programme with identification of pupil targets, assessment, cross-curricular links and resources.

Assessment and Record Keeping:

Formative assessment should be used to plan next steps and note pupils’ strengths and development needs. Effective assessment in ICT should be well matched to curricular targets and be formal as well as informal, written or practical. It may be that acquisition of knowledge and understanding can be demonstrated by the completion of certain practical ICT-focused tasks or it may be to assess knowledge and understanding of an aspect of ICT separately through an oral or written task.  Assessment is mainly from observation of how activities are completed and from monitoring of completed tasks.  Teachers should record any notable comments on observations.

Recording for pupils should also take the form of printed work for the computer, e.g. story, graph, information.  Examples should be put in the pupil profiles folders as with other subjects.  Pupils may save their computer work on floppy disks or on the hard disk and these also form a record of work completed. Pupils’ own self-evaluation will also form part of recording progress.

Reporting of progress in ICT is included in pupil reports to parents.

Inclusion and SEN

ICT has a special role to play in Support for Learning across the curriculum.  It provides a wide range of tools and aids that can be used to support the learning of all abilities of pupils, from pupils with learning difficulties to the more able. ICT provides teachers with the means to access advice, information and resources to support pupils’ specific and individual needs as well as tools to assess pupils’ abilities and learning. Most importantly, ICT will provide a unique and powerful means for pupils to access and engage in learning, in communication, in reading, in recording and throughout the whole curriculum.

We can access support and advice for the IT/SEN advisor in Dingwall regarding any specialised IT equipment and other agencies involved in supporting pupils with specific difficulties. In order to include pupils with disabilities and learning difficulties within the class activities we will endeavour to provide them with portable aids like electronic note-books to support communication, writing etc.

We have a number of computer packages designed to particularly aid learning for the less able.  The Learning Support teacher can be consulted for advice on those and how ICT may support pupils with particular needs.  Many of our software packages contain differentiated activities.  Some pupils with recording difficulties will benefit from the use of computer keyboarding skills.

Staff development and training

As indicated earlier, the majority of teaching staff have undergone ICT Training under the National Grid for Learning Programme. Others have previously acquired skills in ICT and most have further developed their skills though additional course or independent study.  The CPD programme allows staff to carry out independent work in this area. 

Time allocation

For all pupils, learning in and through ICT will be essential experiences. Using ICT is a core skill of growing significance that will be embedded across the whole curriculum. It is important that sufficient time is allocated to allow pupils opportunities both to acquire skills but also to use them in contexts that are meaningful. For this reason no fixed minimum time allocation will be given specifically for ICT but we should ensure that in the overall time allocations for the curriculum areas sufficient time is included for ICT.

Internet/Email:

The school has access to the Internet, and e-mail.  All classrooms have computers that are networked. Guidance on rules for using the Internet has recently been issued to parents and pupils and  parents have the opportunity not to allow their children to have access to the Internet, have their work or photographs published by same.  Class teachers keep a note of who is/is not allowed the aforementioned.  The Council provides a restricted access to the Internet to safeguard against pupils accessing offensive materials, but it is the responsibility of staff to supervise and monitor access at all times.

By using the internet staff will access a wealth of material and information that can be applied to learning and teaching within the classroom.

Equal Opportunities

All staff members are responsible for ensuring that all pupils, irrespective of gender, ability, ethnicity, culture and social circumstances have equal access to ICT. Software will be monitored to ensure it promotes equal opportunities.

Support

Mr Lannon and Miss Brown (voluntarily but due to her special interest in computing and former area of responsibility) provide support for the staff in this area of the curriculum. The school also receives technical support and advice from the ICT Support Officer and from the Education ICT Helpdesk. ICL also provide a support helpline. Any faults/difficulties should be reported to Head Teacher.

Resources and accommodation

The school has purposed built computer stations in the computer room, upper corridor open areas and in the classrooms and they include the provision of a printer. There is a scanner available in the computer room.

The school’s list of software is to be updated though along the present lines continuing to indicate the curricular area and school stage most appropriate.

Monitoring and Review

Monitoring and review will be carried out according to the whole school procedures on ‘Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Review’. It will also be monitored on an annual basis and areas to be developed will be identified to ensure that ICT is embedded into the workings of the school over the foreseeable future.