Mary Hooker, GeSCI John Hurley, H2

1. MINEDUC-GeSCI PartnershipFocus Group Discussion: ICT-TPD MatrixConference Room, National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC)13th May 2010 Mary Hooker, GeSCI John Hurley, H2

2. Workshop Objectives • Provide an overview of the development and context for the ICT Teacher Professional Development (ICT-TPD) competency matrix and toolkit. • Create a common understanding of the role of ICT teacher competency standards for TPD in the Rwandese context. • Review the ICT TPD matrix statements in terms of content, application and relevance to the Rwanda national vision and educational objectives for ICT use in education. • Develop a framework through which a National ICT Competency Standard for Teachers can be finalized and utilized by relevant institutions in Rwanda. • Promote a collective ownership of stakeholder groups to contribute to the localization and formulation of the National ICT TPD framework.

3. Agenda

4. Stages in drafting Competency Framework Stage 6: Finalization of Competency Framework

5. Stage 1: Document Review Challenges • A focus on the global challenges facing education systems: • Global Agenda of Education for All • Knowledge Economy or Information Society Agenda • Global challenges identified: • Information is in abundant supply • Technology is changing rapidly • Learners need to keep up with ICTand continually develop new skill sets • Jobs appear and disappear very quickly

6. Stage 1: Document Review Rwanda Context • Vision 2020 • MINEDUC ICT Education Policy • National Curriculum • ICT-TPD Landscape

7. Stage 1: Document Review Framework Examples • ISTE NETS for Teachers Achievement Rubric • UNESCO ICT Competency Framework • Australia Competencies • Ireland e-Learning Roadmap • EU Competency and Qualifications Framework

8. Stage 1: Document Review Is ICT integration the solution? ICT is often seen as being a ‘solution’ Delivering relevant quality instructional material Supporting student self directed learning anywhere and anytime Enhancing teachers’ skills and knowledge Promoting international collaboration and networking But ICT is also part of the fundamental shift in teaching and learning styles from didactic to constructivist They are not the ‘cheap’ solution that many people have argued (Unwin 2004)

9. Stage 1: Document Review The UNESCO “Information and Communication Technologies in Teacher Education: Planning Guide” (2002) recommends: “A shift from teacher-centred instruction to learner-centred instruction is needed to enable students to acquire the new 21st century knowledge and skills.”

10. Stage 2: Field Research • Identification of key stakeholders • School and national institutional visits • Teacher and student case studies • Problem statement

11. Stage 2: Field Research Problem Statement • Teachers are not able to fully use the deployed ICT infrastructure for Teaching and Learning • Need for a comprehensive curriculum for ICT in Education for both pre-service and in-service teachers • Need to increase capacity of teacher trainers • Need to follow up support to teachers at the cluster / school level. • Lack of digital learning material • Lack of Maintenance and technical support • High cost and low availability / reliability of electricity

12. Stage 3: TPD Workshop Contributions from key stakeholders • Mineduc • GeSCI • KIE • RITC • NCDC • NUR • ICT Unit

13. Stage 2: Field Research Aspects to be Considered What are the… Theme(s) Trends / Issues Tools Models / Approaches Community / Networks

14. Stage 3: TPD Workshop Salient issues and observations • In some elements teachers have not attained the first stage of technology literacy as yet. • There is a need to develop national standards using UNESCO standards as a reference. • The UNESCO competency standards may be too high. • Current status of provision close to Technology Literacy levels in most components.

15. Stage 3: TPD Workshop Proposals from workshop • Develop a ICT-TPD policy framework to incorporate the four approaches for ICT integration from traditional to knowledge creation levels. • Set up a stop-gap coordination committee to take the momentum from the workshop forward - inviting participants from the workshop to form a working group. • Develop and cost a ICT-TPD strategic action plan for 2009-2013 in line with Education Sector Strategic Plan.

16. UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix • Designed by UNESCO • To help educational policy-makers and curriculum developers identify the skills teachers need to harness technology in the service of education. • Developed in cooperation with Cisco, Intel and Microsoft, as well as the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE)

17. UNESCO ICT Competency Standards for Teachers Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix • Policy Framework • Implementation Guidelines • Competency Standards Modules • http://portal.unesco.org

18. Objectives Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix • A basic set of qualifications that allows teachers to integrate ICT into their teaching and learning, to advance student learning, and to improve other professional duties. • A set of guidelines for CPD providers to identify, develop or evaluate learning materials or CPD programs in the use of ICT in teaching and learning. • Extending teachers’ CPD so as to advance their skills in pedagogy, collaboration, leadership and innovative school development using ICT. • Harmonizing different views and vocabulary regarding the uses of ICT in teacher education.

19. Approaches Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix Connecting education policy with economic development: • Increase the technological uptake of students, citizens, and the workforce by incorporating technology skills in the curriculum - or the technology literacyapproach. • Increase the ability of students, citizens, and the workforce to use knowledge to add value to society and the economy by applying it to solve complex, real-world problems - or the knowledge deepeningapproach. • Increase the ability of students, citizens, and the workforce to innovate, produce new knowledge and benefit from this new knowledge - or the knowledge creationapproach.

20. Components Approaches Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix

21. The introduction and use of ICT in education proceeds in broad stages that may be conceived as a continuum or series of steps, namely: Emerging, Applying, Infusing, Transforming. • Each of the successive stages in the continuum gets richer in both technology and pedagogy in terms of quality and complexity. Temechgn 2009 Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix Integration in stages

22. Taking it one step further Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix • Identify the progression across each of the components • Identify the categories within each component • Create a “Emergent” or “Basic Education” level • Create new statements where gaps are identified • Simplify the terminology to make it more accessible and universal

23. ICT-TPD Matrix http://www.gesci.org/teacher-education-and-icts.html

24. OLPC Review Stage 4: Development of draft ICT-TPD matrix • By the end of emergent phase: • all teachers will at least be able to apply many of the attributes outlined in the Curriculum Assessment, Pedagogy and ICT dimensions at the Emergence level of Teacher Professional Development Matrix7. • A third phase is proposed: • to reinforce further learning and allow teachers to develop along the matrix proposed by MINEDUC. • Can the programme identify the specific attributes from the matrix?

25. GeSCI ICT-TPD MatrixSetting the Scene

26. ICT–TPD Development Matrix The matrix can be used to localize or tailor a development path for ICT use in professional development to a particular country, its policies and its current educational conditions. The key to moving towards knowledge creation is to leverage current strengths to advance other components in the system.

27. ICT Integration

28. Emerging Stage • Educational establishments just beginning to explore the possibilities and consequences of using ICT for institutional management and adding ICT to the curriculum • Pedagogically speaking, institutions at this stage are still firmly grounded in traditional, teacher-centered practice.

29. Applying Stage • Administrators and teachers use ICT for tasks already carried out in institutional management and in the curriculum. • Teachers involve themselves in integrating ICT to acquire specific subject skills and knowledge, beginning to change their teaching methodology in the classroom, and using ICT to support their training and professional development.

30. Infusing Stage • Educational institutions involved in integrating or embedding ICT across the curriculum, and in employing a range of computer-based technologies in laboratories, classrooms, and administrative offices. • The curriculum also begins to merge subject areas to reflect real-world applications. • The teachers use ICT to manage not only the learning of their students but also their own learning

31. Transforming Stage • Educational institutions involved in integrating or embedding ICT across the curriculum, and in employing a range of computer-based technologies in laboratories, classrooms, and administrative offices. • The emphasis changes from teacher-centered to learner-centered. • Institutions at this stage of teacher development have become centers of learning for their communities.

32. Technology Literacy • Increase the technology uptake of students, citizens, and the workforce by incorporating technology skills in the curriculum.

33. Knowledge Deepening • Increase the ability of students, citizens, and the workforce to use knowledge to add value to society and the country and the economy by applying it to solve complex, real-world problems

34. Knowledge Creation • Increase the ability of students, citizens, and the workforce to innovate, produce new knowledge and benefit from this knowledge

35. Consolidating the Approaches

36. Progression Paths: Policy Policy Awareness Classroom Practice “We have developed an informal policy to create habits, to promote a culture of learning opportunities for using ICT” “The school has no policy – we follow the government of Rwanda to give the students access to ICT” “Our school follows official ministry policy – which is internalized at school level – two years previously all teachers were trained in ICT – the main objective was to enable teachers to use the computers for planning and research.”

37. Progression Paths: Curriculum & Assessment • Curriculum Planning • Learning Environment • Assessment • Communications and Collaboration • Special Education Needs • ICT is not included in the curriculum, the focus on the school is to find ways that they can integrate ICT for three hours a week.” (P) • “The school needs to sensitize teachers on the role of ICT and implementation by the school but it should be the teacher who sets the criteria for assessing ICT use.” (T)

38. Progression Paths: Pedagogy • Planning • Problem Based earning • Student Experience • Project Based learning • Communications and collaboration • “Each classroom should have computers – so that the teachers can do the demonstrations in the classroom.” (P) • “There is a need to bridge the gap between ICT and the methodology of giving a lesson – they receive general knowledge in training – training support should focus on methodology”. (P)

39. Pedagogy • “Sometimes I come to the lab to find information for subjects – I do not have computer in the classroom and I don’t bring pupils to the lab – I use computers for my own preparation.” (T) • “All classes come to the lab for ICT use, we have 20 computers so it is few for the whole school. Pupils come when they have classes – and teachers come at break time for this own research.” (T) • “ICT makes our activities easy and it develops learners critical skills.” (T) • “I give the learners exercises in Mathematics on the laptop and use ICT to track the exercises.” (T) • “Collaboration on ICT is not easy because there are few people with time to communicate and show you what you are learning – but after training – it is not easy to communicate.” (T)

40. Progression Paths: ICT • Productivity tools • Authoring tools • Internet • Communication and Collaboration • Administration • Student Learning • “The crucial problem is that there is a knowledge gap – there are many resources that can be used even without access to the internet – the teachers do not have the know-how on how to use the ICT software tools that are in the computer – the knowledge gap that teachers have to master the programmes in the laptops – with knowledge on mastering the use of the computer.” (P)

41. ICT • “Wireless not available in the home – so access to content is limited to prepare for classes.” (T) • “We have Word and programming software – but we don’t subject specific software for subjects like science or geography.” (T) • “The Internet the only tool available but there are problems with speed.” (T) • “I think all classes should have one computer and a projector in every room. (T) • “We try and sit together with the teachers on joint decision making on how to use ICT – giving pupils homework, having 3 hours dedicated to ICT per week.” (P)

42. Progression Paths: Organization and Administration • Teacher Understanding • ICT Integration • Classroom Management • Acceptable and Appropriate Use • “ICT is used by all teachers for administration, preparation of tests & exams, and reports.” (P) • “I would suggest the training of the head teachers and the deputy teachers in charge of studies to follow-up on training - other than general training in University on educational technology – many head teachers and school administration have not received training in ICT.” (P)

43. Progression Paths: Professional Development • Planning • Teacher Awareness and Participation • Informal Learning • “Know how can be developed through training – to date it has been organized in short courses – with little opportunities for teachers to put into action what they have received in training – they need assistance from near by others who have received the knowledge.” • “Most of the teachers who were trained have left the school – new ones acquired skills elsewhere.” • “There should be a national programme for all teachers to use ICT as a tool – reduce paper – there is a need for refresher courses particularly in their areas of teaching.”

44. Professional Development “There has not been a shift towards using the ICT tools – as teachers have a fear of approaching ICT tools – lack of confidence, time – the number of teaching periods does not allow them to exploit the ICT tools – lack of personal motivation to use ICT, teachers commuting to schools.” (P)

45. A good teacher... • “is one who varies the methods to address all the needs of different students in the class – should be able to deliver the materials and the content should be precise – that teacher is a teacher who uses teaching aids to accommodate the different learning styles of the pupils – the use of ICT should focus on student centre methodology – the teaching and learning materials the teacher uses in class – the teacher comes in to assist the student to use that material in class – the teacher is transforming the use of ICT into practice.”

46. A good teacher... • “using ICT in his/her practice is a teacher who is ICT literate in the first place, who hasan ability to help learners to practice what they do – not in a theoretical way – in a more enjoyable, learner friendly environment – ICT brings in new opportunities, new means to motivate teachers and learners.This teacher has a wider knowledge perspective orientation due to the opportunities ICT provides for research,”

47. A good teacher... • “expect to see the link between ICT knowledge and the curriculum and the subject to be taught – the way that the teachers facilitates the process of learning and teaching – want to see the bridge between ICT on one side and the subject to be taught – I want to see my teachers exploit ICT – in teaching reading and biology – I want to see a methodology of conducting a lesson – how the time management in teaching, the evaluation – I haven’t seen this in practice.”

48. A good teacher... • “it is important to incorporate different learning styles and to deliver the content in a learner centred way – technology can help because ICT provides audio visual materials that cater for different learning capacities, enables the students to get used to ICT.”

49. GeSCI ICT-TPD MatrixDevelopment Matrix Exercise

50. ICT-TPD Development Matrix Exercise Review the descriptors for each development area Mark an “X” on each continuum indicating level of progress (Left side – “Emerging” Right side – “Transforming.”) Circle top three priorities you want to focus on for raising ICT Competency Standards in Rwanda for the next 3 years