E-Activity 3

Review your posts in e-activity 1 and 2. Choose one or two areas where you would like to integrate ICT in your school. Provide a rationale for the choice

Our school has set up a new computer lab and we are calling it the ICT room-strictly for teaching of science through ICT (latter we do intend to use it for other subjects as well), the school where I teach consists of three year level (Grade VII, VIII & IX) initially we are using it for Grade VII (General Science) they have 5 lessons a week two lessons in the Science laboratory for Practical activities & Experiments, two lessons in class room for theory, tests and Quizzes and one lesson in the ICT room-In the ICT room I do intend to teach through power point presentation and also create a Blog, the blog shall have announcement, assignment and assessment result posted on it.

Choose an ICT tool to conduct needs assessment for the project. Provide a rationale for selecting the tool

Throughout the world, information and communications technology (ICT) is changing the face of education. Two fundamental and complementary factors are at work. First, ICT is changing the nature of work and the workplace, and education systems must respond to this. The so-called "knowledge revolution", combined with economic globalization, create conditions which strongly reward those countries that focus growth on knowledge-based industries. A prerequisite for this is an educated labour force of computer-literate individuals who themselves understand and can harness the power of the ICT revolution. More generally, every citizen in this and the next generation will need to have a high "comfort level" with technology to live in and contribute to a society increasingly part of an interdependent "wired world". So ICT is changing the objectives of education.
Second, ICT provides educators with a powerful new tool to enhance the learning opportunities for students and the professional development opportunities for teachers. Thus ICT is also changing the methodologies through which educational services are delivered.
But, like all, powerful tools, ICT can do as much harm as good. Bad pedagogy implemented on a computer may have its harmful effects multiplied many fold by the power of the technology. Educational leaders and planners thus bear a heavy responsibility to ensure that the introduction of ICT into the classroom is managed with great care so that the very real benefits are realised efficiently and effectively, while the dangers are eliminated, or at least minimised. Careful planning, in the context of a long-term educational vision, is therefore essential.
Moreover, the introduction and sustainability of ICT in the education system is expensive. The capital cost of the equipment needed to begin the process is obvious. Not so well understood is the high level of new recurrent costs that effective use of ICT requires on a continuing basis.
The central focus of ICT in education is on the use of the computer. In this context the computer, as a piece of hardware animated by a variety of software packages, must be viewed as a multi-purpose device whose educational applications include:
Manipulating text and numerical data (word processing, spreadsheets, statistical and mathematical software, desktop publishing)
Manipulating graphic information (scanning and drawing software)
Storing and analysing digitized information (databases)
Accessing and disseminating information (world wide web, CD-ROMs)
Communicating (e-mail, listservs, chatrooms, e-fax, real-time conferencing, etc.)
Instructional processes (software for teaching specific skills)
I do intend to use a blog as an ICT tool, firstly I need to convince my fellow teachers (colleague) to use it, how effective it is and how interesting it could be both for students as well as for us teachers-the blog will create an interest towards the subject and all information relating to the subject will be displayed, teachers could give assignment and students could answer them also give comments – assessment could also be done through the blog, this way there will be a close interaction between teacher and student.

Develop your needs assessment method and share your plan

I would share my blog with the students and also ask them to create one, then I would ask questions through the blog, the questions will be related to topics taught also some activities, assignment and project work will be displayed-the students could give there comments and I could assess them on what they have answered also I would visit there blog regularly and give my suggestion and comments-I intend to work this with all the sections and maintain a record and share it with other teachers and the HOD-also try and provide some incentive to students who have been working regularly this should encourage or motivate the students to take keen interest in the subject.

Conduct needs assessment exercise and present your findings

The need analysis process is a series of activities conducted to identify problems of other issues in the work place and to determine whether training is an appropriate response. A need analysis is usually the first in the series of steps implemented to encourage effective change. This is mainly because a needs analysis specifically defines the gaps between current and desired organizational and individual performances.

Reflect on the experience of using ICT for needs assessment.

Yes, it was and is a good experience of using ICT, I did create blog in teaching of general science (grade 7), which has helped me and my students. All information about the syllabus content, activities and above all the up coming project work was all displayed on the blog and students could get first hand information. Beside using the blog I also used a tutorial CD, and students did attempt some questions on multiple choice (MCQ's) which was good for self evaluation and as usual in every class there was a power point presentation on topic taught, so all in all a good experience and students did enjoy this technique of using ICT-I do intend to improve on it and continue using ICT in my teaching in future as well.