What teachers need to know…

| whatedsaid

We’ve been using the McTighe Understanding by Design model to create a technology plan for our school.  My previous post was Part 1: What teachers need to understand…

Here are the goals again:

Goals:

  • The implementation of technology to support inquiry and learning across all learning areas.
  • The use of technology to support creativity, collaboration, communication and critical thinking.
  • The use of technology for global connections to promote authentic learning, not limited to the classroom.

Part 2: Knowledge and Skills (Suggestions welcome, as always)

You may have read an earlier version of this in an earlier post by Linda. We’ve developed the ideas further now, considering our particular school setting.

Teachers will be able to:

  • Use a range of tools to document, share, organize, create and present.
  • Use word processor and presentation software tools proficiently.
  • Read/use email regularly. Know how to set up a group in email.
  • Use the school intranet proficiently.
  • Use digital technologies as part of the information process.
  • Search the internet efficiently.
  • Navigate web pages.
  • Be confident users of hardware and peripherals such as laptops, printers, scanners,  cameras, flip cameras, iTouch/iPads.
  • Use the multimedia tools that come with the interactive whiteboard. Make it a student tool as well.
  • Manipulate digital images and movies.
  • Understand copyright issues on the web, and make sure students are copyright aware.
  • Use a wide range of web 2.0 tools to create, share, organize and present learning.
  • Create a class wiki or blog and use it to support learning.
  • Be able to embed images, video, and audio into a blog or wiki.
  • Make global connections and collaborate with people outside the college, using tools such as Skype or Voicethread.

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4 thoughts on “What teachers need to know…”

  1. Hi Edna,
    I like your list of knowledge and skills and would agree with them. Some of them are more “advanced” than others, however and I wouldn’t expect all our teachers to be able to do all of them.
    This year we have adopted the SAMR model. What this basically means is that we would expect all teachers to be able to use technology as a substitute for what they are already doing without any extra assistance – for example using word processing and presentation software, access the internet to use bookmarks and links, take a still or moving image and transfer it to a computer, use a digital microscope, create images using a graphics programme and so on. We would also expect (this year) that the teachers would all be able to use technology with assistance to augment what they are already doing, for example edit images, use a storyboard, sort and organise data, be able to use images, sound and links in notes and so on. Next year we would hope teachers would be able to do these things independently.
    Some teachers will already be able to move onto the M and R of the model – modification and redefinition. These involve significantly redesigning traditional tasks such as producing animations, using screen capture software, publishing podcasts and so on as well as using Web 2.0 tools to communicate and collaborate with the world outside of school. Currently we would not expect our teachers to be able to do any of these without assistance.
    Your list also seems to be a continuum, with the more challenging skills at the bottom of the list. Do you expect all your teachers to be able to do everything on your list independently, or is there a point on the list where you would expect that they would be doing them with support?

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  2. Thanks, Maggie.

    These are the ideals; We don’t expect everyone to be able to do all of it, but would like everyone to be working towards doing so. I suppose our model is the gradual release of responsibility one. But we don’t have set times for the staff as a whole, everyone learns and applies at their own pace. Support is always available for those who need it. Some need lots of support, some are starting to manage better on their own, some have taken off! At our upper primary campus even the most resistant are moving forward now. It’s exciting!

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  3. I’m not sure if this is already implied with the ability to search the Internet, but I always focused on the ability to discern a good website from one that wasn’t. Often teachers could perform a search but didn’t bother to check the resource for its validity. As I said, this may be implied.

    As far as ideals go, I would love to have a staff that was this ideal!

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  4. Pingback: What questions to ask? « fiLearning

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