Transcript ICT and Inclusion

ICT and Inclusion
Whole-school issues
J Taylor – BECTa On-line Conference Nov 2001
Remember
A curriculum that
includes everyone
A good variety of
topic based
Every pupil is entitled to
software, ICT
• a broad and balanced programme of ICT in
line with and
equipment
statutory requirements
regular software
• ICT experiences and the use of technology across the
often available
curriculum to extend learning
Pupils with special educational needs are also entitled to
• ICT to help them access the curriculum
• ICT to help learn particular skills or compensate for
individual difficulties
Well chosen
materials, purpose
built, localised
resources
Good access to ICT,
individual access
solutions and
equipment
But for effective learning
this must be set within an
inclusive culture
Most of the ideas and opinions here are
my own, reflecting ‘values’ training, visits
to many schools and contact with self-advocates
and parents of children with disabilities
These thoughts were clarified during time
spent at Batheaston Primary School – a school
working effectively to include children with
a genuine diversity of need and ability
Luckily these ideas also sit well with those
that underpin the Index for Inclusion
So - many thanks to the children and staff at Batheaston for the time
taken to talk and think things through, for hanging on in there (its not
always easy) and their permission to use these photos – many of them
taken by the children themselves
An Inclusive Culture
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genuinely welcomes and cares about each individual pupil and her family
•
places a high priority on spiritual and social aspects of development
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ensures consistency from all adults in the school community by having
crystal clear guidelines and frequent opportunities to share information,
triumphs and concerns
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is confident to admit to problems and makes quality time to address
these with individuals, class or staff groups before they have time to
fester and grow
•
where appropriate, roots the curriculum in the local
community, capitalising on skills and talents and making
it relevant to individuals and giving pupils a real stake in
their learning
•
listens to (and asks) parents, pupils, therapists, friends
about things that work
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makes learning challenging and fun by looking beyond
the immediate school environment for new opportunities
ICT can help, for example
•
by contributing to a valued learning environment and
showing pupils and families that they are important and
welcome
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by providing good opportunities to work together and
make an individual contribution
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by helping people share information quickly and easily
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by giving pupils opportunities to explore and express
their feelings in a less threatening context
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by helping adults to make localised and personalised
curriculum resources for individuals, groups or topics
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by speeding up the process of getting and sharing
information about cultures, conditions, technologies,
resources
•
by ensuring that the school gets timely information
about funding, national and local initiatives, events
Valuing everyone
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Giving pupils access to good technology helps to raise their profile within
school and their self-esteem. Remember HOWEVER GOOD you think the
resources are on older machines almost everyone knows that they are
second best and risk damaging or reinforcing a low image of pupils at risk.
•
Everyone deserves appropriate access. This includes pupils with challenging
behaviour – it’s not allowed to deny them
access as
a punishment
Up-to-date
classroom
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Reading books which include pictures of children themselves and even better
their families can reach out across chasms!
Remarkable
bridges have been
Good and
monitored
built between disaffected parents and schools when they see this type of
equality
material. A Traveller mother spoke to
a teacher practice
for the first time to ask for
more copies, when children had made
these with asoftware
mobile teacher. The
Accessible
children subsequently went to school.
•
Get children to write letters home. A Midlands School for children with
learning difficulties to write letter home using Writing with Symbols and they
started getting much better response. Not only had the children got a
greater stake in making sure that they reached parents but many parents
with limited English and literacy skills could now understand them.
technology
Mind, body and spirit
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•
•
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Celebrate and remember high points with video, photos and
presentations. Pupils subject to distraction or distress, little
English, low self-esteem or few literacy skills may tend to
Video, cameras, dataforget some of the good stuff or not share it with significant
adults. High profile, high
graphic content
helps.
projector,
Internet
Teacher and pupil skills
Make assemblies memorable. Use good music, interesting
with
appropriate
multimedia presentations,
record
opinions and contributions
multimedia and web
Share the school’s philosophy
andsoftware
activities through web
design
publishing and good quality bulletins. You may find that
there are lots of firms, colleges, other people in the
community ready to help with this. Many schools have
produced very attractive prospectuses, information to
parents about early reading skills or curriculum resources
with funding and support from local industry.
Everyone can (and did) contribute….
Clarity and consistency
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Wordprocessing speeds up policy writing and helps to provide consistency
between documents. Using a standard format frees people up to
concentrate on the important elements of policy and makes them easier
to navigate and understand.
•
Photocopying, electronic notice boards and email help people share
information quickly and succinctly. Beware breaching confidentiality and
think when face-to-face communication is more helpful.
• Interesting and valued resources engage adults too
Good
access to equipment for staff
and encourage them to take an important role in
reinforcing
messages
Templates
andsocial
e-prompts
foras well as in the
leaning process. Here children look at pictures
developing
school documents
taken earlier in the week of people around school
ready for a class reading book. The cook is shown
her photo. Most of this group are reading names
and high frequency words, one is just beginning to
say short phrases and recognise adults outside her
immediate family and support staff.
Problem
solving
Good teacher ICT skills,
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Search for some excellent resources on the Internet about bullying.
software
and equipment
Some
good information
on-line, freebies to support bullies and the
bullied,
contributions
different
Useful
(sorted)from
clipart
or projects and voluntary agencies
•
Use ICT lessons to explore some difficult issues. A Y9 group in an
EBD school replayed a real incident and took digital photos and put
onto PowerPoint with real voices over – amazing results and what
bravery! Also well used for social stories involving known adults and
children.
•
Use clipart to annotate work, allowing pupils to express how they felt
about it. Often reluctant learners are more open to consider and edit
work on the computer screen
symbols
A community curriculum •
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Digital photography allows local images to be
used for – making literacy materials,
demonstrating geography concepts, illustrating
written work, setting homework challenges and
Routine
classroom
engaging
families
in pupils work
access to digital camera,
Scan – historic documents like ration books or
scanner,
tape
demob
papers video
and oldand
photos
brought from
home
– it’ll keep them safe. Use children’s
recorders
own line drawings or computer graphics.
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Make a web site. Make information relevant and important to community
members, parents and children. Keep it updated so it’s worth logging on.
Surprises and challenges help too. Everyone will log on to see
themselves, their friends or their children featured
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Allow pupils to use tape recorders, digital cameras or videos for
recording. Maybe instead of writing up a science experiment, an
alternative drafting technique for creative or investigative work, or a tool
for capturing immediate experiences. This can build localised resources
for future lessons, Helps pupils capture the thinking and language too.
Sharing information •
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•
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Target boards and tracking – making sure that
pupils and parents know how well each pupils is
doing and what they need to do next. Motivating
graphs of progress – rising achievement and
Good
access
to photocopier
decrease
in incidents
(and paper!), phones, Internet
Phone calls, emails,
photocopies
Templates
and good
teacherof good work,
photos to show new skills – share the good news
ICT
skillsastowell
help
frequently
as track
problems.
progress
Use the Internet to find out about new resources
and teaching technologies. Parents may make a
significant contribution through their own support
organisations – here are two PEACH and the
Downs Syndrome Association
On-line communities can help schools feel less
alone. BECTa hosts several… but you may find
others too
Beyond the school gate
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Use the Internet to find out about new funding streams from
the DfES and EEC – more money REALLY helps. One small
school has just bought 8 new computers from money for study
skills classes after school. Batheaston have an EEC module for
older pupils that includes exchange visits to Greece and France
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Look on your LEA intranet for events and initiatives. Maths and
philosophy for high attainers, joint ventures with with other
schools, technology challenges
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Check what’s going on in your nearest big city. Bands, films,
theatres, sporting events, special exhibitions. You may be
lucky enough to arrange a visit, but even if you don’t pupils
can be encouraged, parents told and any pictures and
information will have extra relevance
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Make email links for pupils with others from different
backgrounds, places and cultures. There are also
opportunities to talk to adults too, for example authors and
poets
Good access to Internet for
adults and pupils
Helpful links and bookmarks
… so what?
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This has been a cursory glance at some of the ways in which technology
can assist in building an inclusive community
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Equipment to reproduce materials, to give instant graphic or sound
recording not only helps effective learning, it also motivates and engages
teachers, parents and other community members. But it needs to be
there for EVERYONE, not just those in the ICT coordinators class. Can
this remain a priority in times of staff shortages and budget cuts?
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Where people are clear about policy, practice
and channels of communication technology can
speed routine processes. Does this make more
time for human contact or just become another
way of making people work harder and faster
and become increasingly stressed?
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The Internet is a phenomenal source of teaching
resources, information and professional
contacts. Do schools have the access that they
need? Are LEA services blocking this? Is it
actually a snare and delusion and a waste of
valuable time?