ICT support provision and the impact on education.
I would like address a particular issue that many senior leadership teams often ask about. How to bridge the gap between teaching & learning and ICT solutions to help best decisions to be made.
The future of ICT in your school is crucial if it’s going to support the school improvement plan, and provide the best possible support for your pupils and teachers. Your technical support provider or in-house team should have a clear understanding of the school’s vision & plan and translate this into the right solutions to enable the technology to be embedded and fully supported.
A common scenario that still happens today is that the biggest barrier between teaching & learning and ICT solutions is the technical support team or provider who always try to recommend what’s right for them, whether it’s the most profitable product for external providers or in many cases, especially in secondary schools, the internal IT team prefer to stick with technology that they love and feel most comfortable with. There’s so many benefits with devices such as iPads & Chromebooks but many secondary schools won’t embrace them because the technical staff are reluctant to change. The decision should be a strategic one made by a wider team of leaders with the technical team included. Challenging questions need to be asked by the school to the IT provider / technicians to ensure that a well informed decision is made. Pupils need to have access to a wide range of platforms, devices and software that they are likely to encounter in future careers. Primary schools, please don’t be pressured into the typical reason given by providers that you have to have an expensive Windows server and Windows Laptops / desktops everywhere because the pupils will need to know how to use this when they start work (in at least 10 years +)!! Times have changed in the past 10 years, Windows is not the only solution that businesses use any longer.
ICT staff need to be 100% on board with the teaching benefits of the chosen devices in school? Do teaching staff feel confident that they can deliver engaging and effective lessons with the chosen solutions? How will this be embedded in school and what training will be required to make a successful outcome?
As I have written in past issues, don’t do what you’ve always done or just buy the latest technology because you think it’s the best thing for school. Doing this could mean you end up with a large collection of expensive equipment not being used.
There is a wide range of ways to approach this, the following summary of questions has always been a good place to start:
Educational Objectives:
What are the specific educational goals and objectives of the school?
How can ICT support and enhance these educational objectives?
Teacher Training and Support:
What training and support are provided to teachers for integrating ICT into their teaching practices?
How can ongoing professional development be enhanced to ensure effective use of ICT tools?
Student Engagement:
How does the current ICT provision contribute to student engagement and motivation?
Are there specific examples of successful ICT integration in the classroom?
Digital Inclusion:
How are students with varying levels of access to technology accommodated?
What strategies are in place to ensure digital inclusion and equitable access to resources?
Assessment and Feedback:
How can ICT be leveraged for more effective assessment and timely feedback?
Are there tools and platforms that facilitate assessment and feedback in real-time?
Monitoring and Evaluation:
What mechanisms are in place to monitor the impact of ICT on teaching and learning?
How is feedback gathered from teachers, students, and parents regarding ICT effectiveness?
Collaboration and Communication:
How does the current ICT infrastructure facilitate collaboration among students, teachers, and parents?
Are there tools in place for effective communication within the school community?
Current ICT Infrastructure:
What is the existing ICT infrastructure in the school?
Is the current infrastructure aligned with the school's long-term educational goals?
Budget and Resource Allocation:
What is the current budget allocation for ICT provision?
Are there potential cost-effective solutions that align with educational goals?
Data Security and Privacy:
How is student data protected, and what measures are in place to ensure privacy?
Are there policies and practices to comply with relevant data protection regulations?
Future-Proofing:
How can the school's ICT strategy be aligned with future technological advancements?
What steps are being taken to ensure the scalability and adaptability of ICT solutions?
Sustainability:
How sustainable are the current ICT practices in terms of maintenance, updates, and upgrades?
Are there plans for future sustainability, considering potential changes in technology?
By asking these questions, you can engage in a meaningful conversation with school leaders, addressing both educational and technological aspects to make informed decisions about ICT provision and its impact on education.
If your IT support provider doesn’t fully understand and work with you to ensure that all aspects of your school are considered, please seriously consider an alternate provider. As part of my role working with school IT for over 15 years, I have been involved with whole school decisions where IT solutions have helped to make a difference.
Nigel Milligan
IT Director.
