Welford and Wickham Primary School
Information Technology Policy
The use of I. T. in the classroom will raise the demand for a technological knowledge and awareness among the population as a whole. It is essential that we prepare children in schools to be confident and competent in its application which should lead to a population that feels comfortable with this new technology.
AIMS
In addressing the requirements of the National Curriculum it is the aim of our school that all children shall receive equal instruction in Information Technology. They should be given the opportunity to use it creatively in its own right and in support of their learning in other curriculum areas.
EQUIPMENT
To give children the opportunities they need each class shall have their own 486 PC computer, keyboard, concept keyboard, monitor, mouse and printer. Equipment and software will be reviewed annually. Updating and upgrading of equipment and software will be an implicit part of this review as will the maintenance and servicing agreement, etc.
It is important to recognise that although most of the equipment for Information Technology is associated with computers, other equipment such as cameras and tape recorders also have their place.
AUDITING & IN-SERVICE TRAINING
The introduction of new hardware and software has implications for in-service training and it will be part of the school's development plan to address the needs of all staff in the use of I. T. Computers may be taken home by staff at weekends and holidays for familiarisation.
An annual audit will be undertaken to establish the availability and use of programs and it will be the specific duty of the named I. T. Co-ordinator to ensure that all staff are suitably equipped and informed of any developments. It will also be the responsibility of the co-ordinator to ensure that planned advice and assistance is given throughout the school.
CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT
Areas within classrooms shall be made available for computers to be stationed so that children can work individually, in pairs or in groups and where the teacher can interact with them. Display space should be provided for relevant examples of work to be effectively mounted.
Ideally, children should be able to recognise when it is appropriate to use the computer to assist their work or further their studies. However, until they have a working knowledge of programs and are confident in their use it will be necessary to devise timed activities to ensure equality of experience. Software should be accessible to them and they should be given the responsibility of caring for their work disks. Staff should ensure that master copies of each program are kept in a safe place.
The organisation within each classroom will have to be adapted to the program being used, taking into consideration the time children may need to fulfil a task. This is not to say that I. T. takes priority over other arrangements within the classroom but requires that teachers recognise that it has an integral part to play in their programme of activities.
Using the computer should enable children to feel free to make mistakes, to experiment, to draw upon experiences, to have a sense of ownership in what they are doing, to work co-operatively and to be able to select appropriate software to achieve success.
PROGRAMS
To achieve these aims suitable software must be available and progression through levels of competence must be explicit. A balance of programs is also essential in that some give children valuable keyboard and process experience whilst others may be more open-ended. To meet the requirements of the National Curriculum we shall follow the strands identified: data handling, communication, control & measurement, and modelling. We shall concentrate upon using the following minimum number of programs:
Data Handling
- World Atlas
- Houses & Homes
- Information Workshop
- MS Excel
- MS Access
- Publisher
- Talking Firstword
- MS Word
- Colour Magic
- Music Explorer
- MS Powerpoint
- Concept with Flexiwrite
- Internet access
- RM Logo
- Amazing Maths
- Dinosaurs
- Anglo Saxons
- Musical Instruments
- Encarta
Other more closed programs that may be beneficial are:-
- Musical Pairs
- Clipart Library
- Typing Tutor
- Chess
Pupils with intellectual, emotional, physical or communicational difficulties can benefit from I. T. The benefits can include heightened motivation, improvement of the accuracy and appearance of their work, better access to information and the development of creativity. Staff should recognise these needs and plan accordingly for such children.
CONTINUITY AND PROGRESSION
It is essential that children develop greater confidence and competence in the use of various programs as they progress through the school. They should be able to progress from simple instructions to more complex operations whilst still experiencing the same programs.
Before undertaking anything on the computer children should be given experience of activities that will naturally lead on to relevant programs. For example, before undertaking 'Logo' a child should enjoy activities that introduce and reinforce the concepts of direction and distance such as directing a blindfolded friend through a course of obstacles; or experiencing a 'Roamer' before attempting to program responses.
Communication programs should be used by children to experiment with and amend their ideas. Concept keyboards should be used as a ready means of giving children, particularly those in the early years, access to successful communication.
Progression through the stages should be reflected by greater demands and expectations upon the use of programs. For example, at Key Stage 1 children may be expected to express themselves upon the computer using Flexiwrite or Paintpot with or without the support of a Concept Keyboard and also be required to save, recall, amend and represent their work and be able to explain their reasoning. By Key Stage 2 they may be expected to make several drafts of their work and present it through more than one program in a collaborative or individual manner. Children should become more independent and confident in the use of I. T. and be able to use more sophisticated software as they progress through the school. It is important that progression is acknowledged by each teacher in their planning and assessment.
In their planning, teachers will also have to consider the balance they are achieving in the various strands so that children will not spend too much time with word processing or designing.
DIFFERENTIATION
We will aim to encourage all children to reach their full potential through the provision of various opportunities.
RECORDING
Keeping records of the children's experiences in I. T. is vital. Evidence supplied in the form of a portfolio of children's work will be kept for both Key Stage 1 & 2. These should be updated annually and the children should play an active role in recording their achievements.
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