Know How to Use Skills in Literacy, Numeracy and Ict to Support Their Teaching and Wider Professional Activities.
Information Communications Technology (ICT) can potentially be one of the most difficult subjects to teach. In Wheeler’s (2005) view, this is due to the “continuously changing industry where technologies are superseded or replaced so rapidly, it is difficult even for the manufactures to keep pace.” Therefore, it is crucial for a teacher to be able to apply their understanding of ICT to everyday situations, so that as ICT changes and the teacher’s use of it echoes this, it is then reflected within the classroom for children’s skills to develop and keep pace with new software. As it changes so frequently, books or studies instructing the use of ICT can quickly be outdated, and therefore, as opposed to teaching ICT as an individual subject, it can be more useful to include it within other areas of teaching. By doing so this gives other subjects an advantage, as ICT can “exchange, enrich, enhance, extend and empower”. NCSL (2006) This can range from a shallow and passive effect, such as “exchange” to a deep and active influence such as “empower.” English, Maths and Science are three subjects where ICT can have such an influence.
Use of ICT in English
ICT can be used to give children a sense of purpose during English, for example, writing for a real audience. According to Vygotsky (1978), if children can relate to what they are writing their enthusiasm for completing the task will increase and as a result, will generally produce better quality work. The website Shelfari (Shelfari, 2008) gives users the opportunity to write reviews about books they have read and by doing so, are also able to use others’ advice to choose books that may be of interest to them. By reading other reviews, children will be able to identify a more mature style of writing, which can then be unknowingly adapted into their own work, improving their literacy skills and vocabulary. As the children will be learning to change their style of writing to communicate with people they don’t know, they
Use of ICT in English
ICT can be used to give children a sense of purpose during English, for example, writing for a real audience. According to Vygotsky (1978), if children can relate to what they are writing their enthusiasm for completing the task will increase and as a result, will generally produce better quality work. The website Shelfari (Shelfari, 2008) gives users the opportunity to write reviews about books they have read and by doing so, are also able to use others’ advice to choose books that may be of interest to them. By reading other reviews, children will be able to identify a more mature style of writing, which can then be unknowingly adapted into their own work, improving their literacy skills and vocabulary. As the children will be learning to change their style of writing to communicate with people they don’t know, they