ICT Current Trends

Since 2002 the Queensland Government proposed its plan to incorporate a
three-year ICT for Learning Strategy. This strategy came off effectively and provided students with the opportunity for learning in real-life settings (Finger, 2007). Following on from the success of ICT integration, the Queensland Government then released another ICT strategy within all Queensland schools. Commencing in 2005 the Smart Classrooms Strategy was based on the approach that ‘the critical mass of classroom integration reached during the past three years will be the foundation of the next step in the evolution of ICT and learning: making ICT integral to learning’ (Finger, 2007). 

 

At the time of reading the Finger (2007) article, nostalgia of 2002 and 2005 came to my attention. Within that timeframe I was commencing my last four years of primary education, and therefore I classify myself as a ‘guinea pig student’ who experienced these integrated ICT Learning Strategies. In remembering that time and looking at where I’ve come now with my education, I understand and see myself as proof of how the integration of these ICT Learning Strategies influenced my learning and in the long run have been beneficial to my learning outcomes and living of everyday life within this digital age. For this reason, I must commend my teachers on their use of ICT when I was at school. Although the concept of ICT integration was a new concept to education and teachers, in my learning experience, my teachers were able to facilitate their classroom content through different models of learning and teaching with ICT that involved more student-centred use, allowing me to construct my own knowledge (Finger, 2007).
 

Since then technology has advanced in many ways, including its evolvement for educational purposes. Today the use of Interactive Whiteboards (IWB) is now the latest ICT trend within schools. An IWB is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector (Howell, 2012). Its purpose is built on providing high levels of intellectual quality for students (Kent, 2010), in its potential to help teachers facilitate learning through exploring concepts by placing them in various contexts, making connections with previous knowledge and promoting discussions that develop students understanding and ability to become pioneers of their own learning. As Gage (2006) states, using an IWB increases the pace and depth of learning experiences, resulting in more time for discussion, questioning and investigating.

Upon coming into the lectures and tutorial workshops, my knowledge of the Interactive Whiteboards was very scarce. This was due to the commencement of IWB integration being in my final year of secondary education. At that time, similar to that of when I was in primary school, IWBs were a new concept to teachers and therefore they did not have the necessary knowledge to be able to incorporate the IWB into their pedagogy. Fortunately enough for me, after reading the Kent (2010) and Gage (2006) articles, and submitting the IWB assessment piece, I have been given the opportunity to engage with the software and use it to its full potential. After this experience I now understand how to properly incorporate the IWB in my future practice to maximise experiences. 

Interactive Games

As stated, there are many benefits in utilizing the technology, in my current experience I found the IWB to be fairly user friendly, which I believe most teachers will like, as I personally did. Other positive qualities include its ability to cater for all learners (auditory, visual, kinaesthetic), its use of multimedia and ability to connect to the internet, its flexibility and engaging interactivity that enables concrete learning and full depth of class content. 

Ultimately though as Finger (2007) states, the way in which teachers facilitate the use of ICT in their classrooms should be determined by their understanding of how students learn, and by their expectations about the knowledge and thinking skills students should acquire. This means that teachers should incorporate technology in the classroom, however they shouldn’t let the technology take over their role. Instead teachers should recognise the ways in which technology can help improve learning experiences before integrating them into their own pedagogy.

References

Coolmath-Games.com. Retrieved May 27, 2013 from http://www.coolmath-games.com/1-strategy-games-01.html

Finger, G., Russell, G., Jamieson-Proctor, R., & Russell, N. (2007). Transforming learning with ICT: Making it happen. ICT planning issues and ideas: How do teachers plan for ICT integration and for transforming learning with ICT? (pp. 110-150). Frenchs Forest: Pearson Educational Australia. 

Gage, J. (2006). How to use and Interactive Whiteboard really effectively in your secondary classroom. Pedagogy. (Chapter 3). London: David Fulton Publishers.

Howell, J. (2012). Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaborating and Creativity. SouthMelbourne: Oxford University Press.

Interactive teaching and learning in Australia. YouTube. Retrieved May 27, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BJjbAI7whU

Kent, P. (2010). Secondary Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Promoting intellectual quality with an IWB. (pp. 13-40). Melbourne. Macmillian Digital.

Retrieved May 27, 2013 from Google Images: http://www.google.com.au/search?q=constructivism+in+the+classroom&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=qsyiUZ2PEYaTigeGgoHoDw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1233&bih=606#tbm=isch&sa=1&q=ICT+tagxedo&oq=ICT+tagxedo&gs_l=img.3...43810.53755.4.53980.11.11.0.0.0.0.228.1573.0j6j2.8.0...0.0...1c.1.14.img.Rz6ZBcp4NbI&bav=on.2,or.r_cp.r_qf.&bvm=bv.47008514,d.aGc&fp=94c67da1c7db37cb&biw=1233&bih=606

Telstra Case Study – Queensland Department of Education & Training (QDET). YouTube. Retrieved May 27, 2013 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjUOW9Zp2Hs