EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY CENTRE

By Derek Moore (derek@weblearning.co.za)

Our Goal: To develop ICT capable teachers

e-Education policy goal

Every South African learner in the general and further education and training bands will be ICT capable by 2013

“Every teacher, manager and administrator in General and Further Education and Training must have the knowledge, skills and support they need to integrate ICTs in teaching and learning.” Department of Education, (2003). White Paper on e-Education. Transforming Learning and Teaching through Information and Communication Technologies. Pretoria: Department of Education.

Guidelines for Teacher Training ICT development is a process that takes

teachers and learners through learning about ICT, learning with ICT and learning through the use of ICT.

Department of Education, (2007). Guidelines for Teacher Training and Professional Development in ICT. Pretoria:

Level ICT knowledge and skills Targets

Entry level. The teacher is computer literate and is able to use computers.  

Adoption level. The teacher is able to use various ICT, including computers, to support traditional management, administration, teaching and learning, and is able to teach learners how to use ICT.

All practising teachers who have access to ICT should, as a minimum, be trained to the adoption level.

Adaptation level. The teacher is able to use ICT to support everyday classroom activities at an appropriate NCS level, assess the learning that takes place and ensure progression. He/she is able to reflect critically on how ICT changes the teaching and learning processes and to use ICT systems for management and administration. Productivity increases at this level.

At least 60% of teachers with access to ICT should reach the adaptation level.

Appropriation level.

The teacher has a holistic understanding of the ways in which ICT contributes to teaching and learning. He/she has an understanding of the developing nature of ICT, and an awareness that it is integral to the structure and purposes of the NCS. He/she has the experience and confidence to reflect on how ICT can influence teaching and learning strategies, and to use new strategies.

At least 20% of teachers with access to ICT should reach the appropriation level.

Innovation level. The teacher is able to develop entirely new learning environments that use ICT as a flexible tool, so that learning becomes collaborative and interactive. ICT is integrated as a flexible tool for whole-school development through redefining classroom environments and creating learning experiences that leverage the power of technology.

At least 10% of practising teachers should reach this level. 

How?

For educators to learn how to use ICTs effectively for planning, teaching, learning and professional development they need to see ICT modelled in their training and teaching.

Introducing ETC

The Education Technology Centre is intended to accomplish three purposes to assist current and future teachers to

integrate ICT into their teaching in a media studio, and

to assist education academics to integrate ICT into university classrooms.

to facilitate digital access and engagement with the curriculum

1. Select a platform2. Offer ed tech advice, support and training to

staff 3. Pilot courses4. Market the programmes

4 Milestones to ETC

Use Mobile Phones or Use the Web?

1) Select a Platform

Last year, 43% of Young Adults connected to the internet via mobile phones regularly. This year 64% do so at least weekly.

Mobile or Web

http://www.hdiyouth.co.za/

Apparently 32% of urban South Africans have internet access (this figure does not differentiate between access via mobile phone, at school, at home, or at work).

Mobile or Web

http://www.hdiyouth.co.za/

What does Moodle offer

1) Platform is Moodle

Moodle – Static Course Material

Text page Web page Hyperlinks View Course's directories Label that displays any text or image

Moodle - Interactive course material

Assignments (uploading files to be reviewed by the teacher and/or students)

Choice (a single question) Journal (an online journal) Lesson (a conditional, branching activity) Quiz (an online test) Survey (with results available to the

teacher and/or students)

Moodle - Social learning tools

Chat (live online chat between students) Forums (you can choose the number of

online bulletin boards for each course) Glossary (students and/or teachers can

contribute terms to site-wide glossaries) Wiki (Wikis can be inserted into courses, or

a Wiki can be the entire course) Workshop (workshops support

collaborative, graded efforts among students)

Moodle - Mobile

http://www.ilite.co.za/mlearn/

Moodle is

10 years old (launched 1999) Used by institutions worldwide for online

learning Flexibile Opensource. Can incorporate Mobile elements The new platform for UKZN

2) Offer Ed tech advice, support & training

Establish an Ed Tech Centre (ETC) Location

PMB AV Lab Equipment

Computer Network Equipped Media Studio Dedicated Education Server

Staff Instructional Designer / Media Specialist Technician / Administrator

Present and proposed layout

New Hardware

Computer Lab Smart board Laser Printer 2 Scanners 4 lab computers

Media Studio Education Server 2 Media workstations Data projector Audio Equipment Video Equipment

Software

Adobe Suite Articulate Audacity iTunes Microsoft Office

Microsoft Outlook Microsoft Photo Editor Camtasia Studio Roxio Easy CD Windows Movie Maker WS_FTP32

Education Server

Host Web Pages E Portfolios Past Papers Faculty Showcase

 Host Web Apps Moodle Blogs Wikis

 Host Web Media Host Podcasts Video on Demand Streaming Media

Staff: Instructional Designer / Media specialist

Research and disseminate best practices in e-learning, emerging technologies, instructional design theories, and policies

Serve on various committees related to the use of instructional technology

Design and present development workshops Work one-on-one with staff and develop

effective ICT infusion strategies Provide instructional design support for

teaching online courses.

Staff: Technician / Administrator

Ensure that technology is reliable Check, maintain and responding to

technology breakdowns Capture, configure and test new courses Attend and contribute to discussions

about teaching and learning and technology.

Offer support and responds quickly and efficiently to problems

ETC will

encourage an interest in Educational ICT develop amongst faculty a shared vision for

educational ICT assist staff with the design and creation of Internet

web-based and technology based instructional strategies and materials

prepare students to integrate technology into their classrooms and teaching and learning programme

work with necessary role players in dealing with these practical issues that hamper technology adoption.

Facilitate electronic access to the curriculum

Gather and share information using Microblogging

Showcase student work with a Blog

Showcase faculty work on a web site or a Blog

Provide a Platform to Broadcast Events using Web Video

Connect people using Social Networking

Encourage dialogue using Podcasting

Generate student produced content

Possible ICT PILOTS

Gather and share information in Microblogging

Showcase student work in Blogs

Showcase faculty using Web site

Showcase Faculty using Blogs

Provide a Platform to Broadcast Events with Web Video

Connecting People via Facebook

Encourage dialogue via Podcasts

Generate student produced content

How well is the Faculty using • Social Media• The Official UKZN Website

to market itself

4) Market ICT Programmes

Blog - Wordpress

Search

“UKZN Edgewood” Page does not exist Socialist Students Commercial Page

Market ICT programmes

Our ICT capacity needs to be demonstrated ETC will have a web page with resources Staff should be encouraged to integrate

elements of web media into their courses Staff should showcase projects via social

media Official Marketing via the Net needs

attention

Conclusion

• The faculty can either assume a leadership role in the transformation of education or be left behind in the swirl of rapid technological change.

• To reap the full benefits of ICTs in learning, it is essential that pre- and in-service teachers are able to effectively use these new tools for learning.

• Teacher education institutions and programmes must provide the leadership for pre- and in-service teachers and model the new pedagogies and tools for learning.

Adapted from UNESCO (2002) Information And Communication Technologies In Teacher Education

References

Department of Education, (2003). White Paper on e-Education. Transforming Learning and Teaching through Information and Communication Technologies. Pretoria: Department of Education.

Department of Education, (2007). Guidelines for Teacher Training and Professional Development in ICT. Pretoria: Department of Education.

Friesen, D., Maeers, M., Nolan, K., & Couros, A. (2004). A Shifting Landscape: Integrating Information and Communication Technologies into a Faculty of Education. The Final Report of the iTeacherEd Project submitted to Industry Canada-SchoolNet, April 2004.

Lavrusik, V. (2009) 10 Ways Universities Share Information Using Social Media available http://mashable.com/2009/07/15/social-media-public-affairs/

OSISA 2004 Towards a Strategy on Developing African Teacher Capabilities in the Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

Taylor, Liz (2004) 'How student teachers develop their understanding of teaching using ICT', Journal of Education for Teaching,30:1,43 — 56

Trucano, Michael (2005) Knowledge Maps: ICTs in Education - What Do We Know about the Effective Uses of Information and Communication Technologies in Education in Developing Countries?

Unesco (2002) Information And Communication Technologies In Teacher Education

http://www.weblearning.co.za

Thank-you