Child/ Teacher Competencies

1. Child/ Teacher Competencies Presented Grant Fitzgerald Facilitator of the Sandhurst Technology Resource Team

2. Rationale • Over the last 5 years, schools have developed networks and have purchased many more computers • Schools have spent huge amounts on technology • Teachers have undergone much more PD in the technology area • We have found that the experiences of children have improved only marginally in that time • We as a STRT have been worried about this trend • The Child/ Teacher Competencies has emerged from this worry.

3. STRT Professional Development • In 2001, STRT went to Apollo Parkways in Greensborough – a Navigator school • The emphasis at Apollo Parkways is on the curriculum – the technology is a tool to help • The school uses the Enquiry Model as the basis for their learning (show an example)

4. Enquiry Learning Model (Courtesy St Mels) WOW SHARE YOUR WORK CREATE IT HOW WILL I FIND OUT ? WHAT DO I WANT TO KNOW ? BRAINSTORM IMMERSE

5. STRT Professional Development (cont) • All the children’s experiences are housed within their everyday curriculum • They use very little software, but have an emphasis on creative software (i.e. when you open a program, it begins with a blank page – you have to create the content) • The Child/ Teacher Competencies have these understandings as their basis

6. Additional Input • It was recognised that there were a number of competencies/ training regimes etc. but within these training packages there were two glaring anamolies: • The teacher could learn all the relevant skills and the experiences of the children may still not change, and • There was an understanding that children/ staff only use Microsoft programs • Therefore, our Child/ Teacher competencies would need to necessarily involve the learning of the students as well as the teachers and they must be cross platform and cross program (i.e. all Word Processing skills could be done in any of the Word Processing packages)

7. The CTC’s have a number of components The Learning Plan The Checklists of Skills Certificates for Children and Teachers Wall Sheets A centralised database Initially we chose 4 software packages- all of which are blank when you open them (creative software) Word Processor Kid Pix Spreadsheet, and Powerpoint Child/ Teacher Competencies

8. The Learning Plan (handout) • Each Child/ Teacher Competency Learning Plan has four levels; Familiarisation, Development, Integration and Advanced • Each of these levels has outcomes for both the Teacher and the Children. • The Teacher can achieve a level only when the children have achieved the skills, are using the application related to their work and the teacher has mastered the skills. CEO recognition of Teacher skill development.

9. Skills Checklists (Handout) • Students have a series of checklists to ascertain whether they have achieved a certain level • Students are rewarded (with a certificate) by the teacher when they have accomplished the skills HOUSED IN THEIR EVERYDAY CLASS WORK – not to be used as a checklist for checklists sake. • The emphasis is on the child using the software as a tool to enhance their learning about a particular subject

10. Wall Sheets • Teachers often don’t have the time to create wall sheets to help children with their learning of a program. • These wall sheets have been created for teachers. The STRT will add to these sheets as the need arises (e.g. Office XP, Star Office, Open Office, Appleworks 6 etc.) • They cover only the basics of the program – enough to get teachers and children started using it. • Example: Word Tools 1 • Example: Word Drawing Tools 2

11. Integrated Units • We decided as a team that the most appropriate place to start for teachers would be with Integrated Curriculum Units • To this end, we prepared a fictitious unit on “Life in the Goldfields” – having activities from each software package across all levels • Many teachers who initially are sceptical over their ability to effectively plan to use the competencies, find these sheets extremely helpful. • View Handout

12. Anticipated Outcomes • Children will be rewarded as they develop skills and use the computer as a tool to aid their learning. • Children will have more meaningful use of computers, based on their learning and integral to the curriculum. • Teachers will be rewarded for developing creative use of computers, in the context of their normal curriculum. • Teachers will have a framework to guide their development in using computers to aid children’s learning. • Schools will be able to plan to improve skills in a particular software package. • Schools will have a framework to develop personal Professional Development plans for its teachers. • Technology Cluster Meetings will become vital in offering Professional Development relevant to the Child/ Teacher Competencies. • The Diocese will have an agreed set of skills for its teachers.

13. Conclusion • All these resources are on the Sandhurst CEO website under the STRT team resources. • The Child/ Teacher Competencies initiative is designed to make children’s use of computers a natural extension of their learning. • It will not be the only use of computers in their school life as there are many legitimate uses of software that directs children’s learning (i.e. CD’s, educational games, the Internet for research etc.) • Hopefully it will provide many teachers with validation for their present practice or help those reluctant users of the technology to open the door to creative use of the computers with their children. • Finally, it is our vision that teachers, when planning a Unit of work, PLAN to use the technology they have at their disposal. (i.e. we could use kid Pix to make a slideshow of the travels of a digger)

14. Grant Fitzgerald • Contact Details: • Email: gfitzger@ceo.sand.catholic.edu.au • Mobile: 0419 52 4434 • Address: Catholic Education Office 71 Ryley St Wangaratta 3677