IBSCA Education Centre :: Blog

The advent of ICT has
changed the environment in which students develop in society in ways that
impact on the way they learn in schools. It is commonly observed that ICT is
now more than a tool and it infiltrates every part of life Young people are
increasingly aware of the importance of being able to utilise current
technologies. These changes associated with the advent of information and
communication technologies have significant ramifications for teachers and
schools because they have changed the ways in which young people access and
process information and they ways in which they communicate with each other ICT
finds a range of applications in schools and classrooms and is frequently
associated with innovative pedagogical practices mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[1].
Many of the changes to the digital environment come under the banner of Web 2.0
technologies.

Web 2.0 technology is a term describing the trend in the use of
World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity,
information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These
concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and
hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blog, and folksonomies EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[2]. EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[3]

Many groups have been abuzz with talk of "Web 2.0". Though the
term bears the familiar version number so often attached to software products,
it doesn't actually refer to any one technology. Rather, Web 2.0 is the moniker
for an emerging set of Internet-based tools and an emerging philosophy on how
to use them.

The philosophy focuses on the idea that the people who consume media,
access the Internet, and use the Web shouldn't passively absorb what's
available -- rather, they should be active contributors, helping customise
media and technology for their own purposes, as well as those of their
communities.

This philosophy contrasts sharply with the old "Web 1.0"
methodology, in which news was provided by a handful of large corporations, Web
pages were static and rarely updated, and only the tech-savvy could contribute
to the development of the World Wide Web. mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[4] Web 2.0 is a bit of a
catch-all which covers a broad range of new online services, user-generated
content, communities and social networking tools. The most popular are sites
such as Blogger, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and Wikipedia and the godfather of Web
2.0 - Google. The phrase also refers to the creation of far greater levels of
interactivity, not just between users, or between users and the internet but
between complementary online services through mash-ups mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[5]
and web services.

The
technologies encompassed by Web 2.0 include, but are by no means limited to,
blogs, tags, RSS,
social book-marking, and pod casting.
A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually
maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions
of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly
displayed in reverse chronological order. A typical blog combines text, images,
and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The
ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important
part of many blogs. Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political
blogs, travel blogs, and education blogs. EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[6]
The role of the blog in education is
limited only by your imagination. Options for teachers using blogs are: content-related
blogs as professional practice, networking and personal knowledge sharing, instructional
tips for students, course announcements and readings, annotated links and knowledge
management. Options for students using blogs in relation to the classroom
include: reflective or writing journals, knowledge management, assignment
submission and review, dialogue for group work, E-portfolios, share
course-related resources and so on

Tagging and
social bookmarking describe the keyword that is added to a digital object to
describe it. In essence, social bookmarking lets
you maintain a personal collection of links online, similar to the bookmarks or
favorites in your browser, but they are also accessible to others on your own
personal archive page. The real meat of the services, however, is
"tagging". When you save a link to your collection, you tag it with
one or more keywords to describe it. Two of the biggest multipurpose social
bookmarking services are FURL EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[7]
and del.icio.us color:#333333;mso-ansi-language:EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:
AR-SA">[8]. Both have free
registration, and easy pop-up saving forms. del.icio.us has a nice feature of
suggesting tags, while FURL actually saves a (private) copy of the page, so you
can see it even if the page disappears or changes. There are also social
bookmarking services aimed at specific people or formats. Flickr EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[9]
is a photo service with some neat annotation features. These bookmarking sites
can be used for educational purposes; a FURL category could be set up for your
class and any sites that are suitable and helpful can be bookmarked. The best
part is that FURL (and all the others) is completely web based, it wouldn’t
matter where you or the student were; home, the office, library or the
classroom, if something useful was found it could be could FURL’ed for
later use. Edutagger EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA;mso-bidi-font-style:italic">[10]
is a social bookmarking service for learners and educators, allowing you to
store your web links online, organise them via tags and share them with others,
all within an educational context.

A wiki is a web site that can
be individually or collaboratively edited using just a web browser. No special
tools and no special skills are required. At its simplest, it can be read just
like any other web site, but its real power lies in the fact that groups can
collaboratively work on the content of the site without constantly emailing
Word documents and tracking revisions from multiple authors who can't see each
others' changes. The wiki is increasingly being used in education, as an ideal
tool for collaborative work done by both students and teachers. Students might
use a wiki to collaborate on a group report, compile data or share the results
of their research, while faculty might use the wiki to collaboratively author
the structure and curriculum of a course, and the wiki can then serve as part
of each person's course materials. For example,
the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia is one of the best known wikis. EN;mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[11]

RSS or Rich Site Summary; is described as a
technology that allows web users to receive (ongoing, constantly updated)
information collected from many sources through a simple reader. This is
supplied through an “RSS feed” that users can subscribe to. mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[12] You no longer need to remember to revisit a site to
check for updates. RSS feeds deliver information and news from your favourite
websites, blogs and podcasts as they are updated. An RSS
Reader allows you to subscribe to content of interest to you so you can; view
information as it is published, e.g. news, blogs, podcasts, display and keep up
to date with latest information and participate in discussions through blogs.

Podcasts are
audio recordings, usually in MP3 format of talks, interviews and lectures that
are uploaded to a host server, for playback on mobile devices and personal
computers. Many educators
and institutions are already integrating podcasting successfully into their
curricula — with great results. Podcasting enables educators to use music
and recorded audio to enhance learning. The addition of photos and video to
podcasting allows educators to add a wide range of visual content to their
teaching and address even more learning styles. mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[13]

Whilst I have presented
some examples of Web 2.0 technologies, it is not exhaustive, there are many
more facets and innovative ideas for collaboration. I have focused on blogs, podcasts,
wikis, bookmarking and the use of a RSS feeder as I would love the opportunity
to use these technologies in my current teaching programs or see them being
used across the school.

Teachers have been encouraged
to accept new technologies. Whilst some have enthusiastically integrated
computers and the Internet into the classroom, others have been cautious in
their welcome, and some have simply rejected the technologies. With the
inevitable proliferation of ICT in the classroom, the role of the teacher must
change, and there are key reasons why this must happen:

Firstly, the role of the
teacher must change because ICT will cause certain teaching resources to become
obsolete. For example, the use of overhead projectors and chalkboards may no
longer be necessary if learners all have access to the same networked resource
on which the teacher is presenting information. Furthermore, if students are
distributed throughout several classrooms - which is becoming more common place
- localised resources such as projectors and chalkboards become redundant and
new electronic forms of distributed communication must be employed.

Secondly, ICT may also make
some assessment methods redundant. Low level (factual) knowledge for example,
has been traditionally tested by the use of multiple choice questions. In an
ICT environment, on-line tests can easily be used which instantly provide the
teacher with a wide range of information associated with the learner's score.
Comparisons of previous scores and dates of assessment for example, will
indicate a child's progress, and each student can be allocated an individual
action plan data base stored in electronic format into which each successive
test's results can be entered automatically.

Thirdly, the role of the
teacher must change in the sense that it is no longer sufficient for teachers
merely to impart content knowledge. It will however, be crucial for teachers to
encourage critical thinking skills, promote information literacy, and nurture
collaborative working practices to prepare children for a new world in which no
job is guaranteed for life, and where people switch careers several times. One
of the most ubiquitous forms of ICT - the Internet - gives access to an
exponentially growing storehouse of information sources, almost unlimited
networks of people and computers, and unprecedented learning and research
opportunities. The Internet is a network of networks, providing opportunities
for inquiry-based learning where teachers and students are able to access some
of the world's largest information archives. Students and teachers are able to
connect with each other, learn flexibly, and collaborate with others around the
world. Generally speaking, geographical distance is no longer a barrier, and the
age of the 'borderless' provision of education is upon us.Teaching strategies
and resources can be shared through communication with other educators and may
be integrated across the curriculum. The Internet provides a wealth of
information to the extent that it is now impossible to comprehensively track
the amount of information available. Unfortunately, misinformation and
inaccuracies are similarly present in great numbers on the Internet so one of
the new roles of the teacher within the electronic classroom will be to
separate out quality information from misinformation. Identification,
classification and authentication of electronic information sources will be
critical new tasks for teachers. mso-fareast-language:EN-AU;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">[14]

My research into the role
of ICT in education and Web 2.0 technologies highlighted firstly – how
far behind I personally am with the use of current technology and secondly, the
poor use of this technology across the school. The lack of ICT innovation is
linked to planning and development across the school and I will use the STaR
Chart: the School Technology and Readiness Chart to address the areas of
technology in my school. It is important to note that this use of the STaR
chart is entirely based upon my observations. I have been teaching in my
current school for two and a half years and in that time there has been massive
change in the educational pedagogy – middle school implementation and so
on. Has the STaR Chart been addressed? There are 6 indicators; Leadership and Management,
ICT infrastructure, ICT Professional Learning, Classroom Practice, Student
Access and Assessment, Administration and Community Access.

Indicator 1: Leadership and Management:
My school has taken a step backwards and is in Phase 1. All ICT planning
appears to rest solely with the principal and the ICT committee has failed to
have any input in the role that ICT plays within the school community. The ICT
committee had members from each faculty, the library, administration and the IT
technician. Any issues, ideas, planning, needs were brought to the committee,
discussed and then taken to the Executive. With the collapse of the ICT
committee, individuals are approaching the Executive for their ICT needs on an
adhoc basis and there is little scope for planning and integration. Any vision
and direction is not led by teacher and student needs.

Indicator 2: ICT Infrastructure: My
school sits on phase 4 and maybe even a little bit further. The school is very
well resourced with students accessing computers in all subject areas. There
are dedicated computer labs, laptop trolleys and computer ‘pods’ in
specialist areas. ICTC support is available in school hours at all times. The
network suffers rarely and any issues are resolved promptly. IWB’s are
being rolled out across the school, with approximately 20 installed so far.
Access to all peripherals such as printers etc, is dare I say it consistently
available across the school; all students and teachers have access.

Indicator 3: ICT Professional Learning:
Opportunities for ICT Professional Development are not quite in phase 1. The
professional learning opportunities I have observed are solely skills based and
are presented on an adhoc basis; for example ten minute PD on the use of the
electronic whiteboard, and there is now one in your classroom. My belief is
that the EdCap and ICT Teacher continuum has highlighted areas that need
addressing but has failed to offer any professional learning opportunities.

Indicator 4: Classroom Practice. Apart
from one or two isolated incidents, my school is still in phase 1 of classroom
practice. Learning Technology despite two years of effort is still addressed in
a stand alone manner, and is not integrated effectively across the middle
school curriculum. ICT is poorly used across the school and students have few if
any opportunities to access Web 2.0 technology.

Indicator 5: Student Access and
Assessment: This year has seen the school move from phase 1 to phase 2. All
students have access to computers every week. Middle school students are at
present limited to their Learning Technology lesson, but two class sets of lap
top trolley’s have arrived and will be online shortly. Senior school
students have more opportunities for access to ICT. Assessment is still centred
on basic skills with little evidence to support the LT outcomes.

Indicator 6: Administration and Community
Access. The school is currently in phase 2 for collaboration between staff and
access between parents, students and teachers. There are some teachers
endeavouring to foster online communities via the portal, but at present they
are under utilised as teachers aren’t contributing on a regular basis. At
present the digital communication between the school and parents, is the
occasional email from teacher to parent and what we call the
“E-news”. This digital communication is only available to those
parents who have provided their email details.

The purpose of the STaR Chart is to
consider how Information Technology is being used across the school and to make
recommendations. It is much easier to criticise what is in place than it is to
form recommendations for the implementation of change in the role of ICT. The
challenge is to convince school leaders, teachers and students to use ICT in
their daily school work. Studies have shown that the advent of ICT integration
across the curriculum has resulted in student centred learning. Students are
using many of the Web 2.0 technologies in their personal lives and have
developed skills in those areas. The big question is how those skills can be
used to enhance the quality of their learning and improve outcomes.

There are many initiatives coming from
different sources available to teachers in the NT. In the last week alone,
deposited in my pigeon hole; I received a DVD with the latest TLF materials
courtesy of the NT Distance Learning Service. The Learning Federation is an
innovative project that employs emerging technologies to produce free online
curriculum content to enrich student learning in all Australian schools. I also
received an email from ICT services promoting Scootle, it read; NT educators
are invited to register for Scootle, an online environment that provides access
to resources from The Le@rning Federation. Scootle provides search, browse and
filter technologies for a suite of interactive learning objects, including
audio files and movie clips, and enables users to create favourites lists of
resources for quick access. There is an extensive list of initiatives
available; the STaR Chart analysis will address measures to implement these
initiatives across the school.

Possible recommendations are: firstly
that a whole school approach is necessary to ensure the success of ICT
integration. An ICT committee needs to be established so that there is a
central point of focus. They have the potential to become the bringers of
change. The committee would need to address who will be responsible for implementing
initiatives and be able to provide direction and support for teachers who are
attempting to use current technologies. There needs to be a clear description
for the role of the committee. The committee would have to constantly promote
innovative ideas and give direction on how to develop the idea. The previous
committee focused on student behaviour within the dedicated computer labs and
class timetabling and was attended by few interested parties. A newly formed
ICT committee would need to complete an audit of the school and look at how the
Web 2.0 technologies can enhance the teaching and learning experience. The
committee could model the use of some of these technologies and actively
encourage participation of their use.

A barrier to the use of new technology is
often linked with the fear of trying something new and it failing. To be able
to ‘book’ ICTC support would encourage more teachers to engage in
the new technologies. While I reflect on the idea I realise that each schools
demographics and timetabling play a big role in the support available from an
ICT coordinator. Secondary schools generally have 40 – 50 minute lessons
which don’t allow time to use new technologies and ICTC support is 20
minutes walk away. I have observed that if the trial is not running smoothly it
is usually abandoned and rarely attempted again.

The role of the teacher is an integral
part of the future of these technologies. There needs to be measures put in
place to support the development of the use of the skills. I have heard many
people say that they are self taught computer users, but often the support
necessary is how can I integrate what I have learned/discovered into a class
program. “I know what to do, what is a great way to use it”.
Support needs to be given to educators who are trying to use new technologies
to facilitate their continued use across the whole school.

To ensure the ongoing success of the role
of ICT within the school I am recommending that their be consideration of the
fact that to embrace new technologies takes time, extended planning time needs
to be allocated solely towards using the new resources available and
integrating the Learning Technologies into teaching programs. That the sharing
of resources in and online space is essential, and an online community such as
I have experienced with this course can help teachers with use of resources and
ideas. My research has highlighted the variety of technologies available and the
need to provide quality support if we are to see their ongoing use. Secondary
school students are comfortable communicating in online communities, teachers
need to encourage these skills to enhance their learning experience.

Bibliography

1.      What is Web 2.0 Anyway? (2005); http://www.techsoup.org/learningcenter/webbuilding/page4758.cfm
Date visited1/05/08

2.      Blog – Wikipedia, the free Encyclopaedia,
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog,
Date visited 9^th May 2008

3.      Ainley, J and Searle, D, Students in a Digital Age: Some Implications
of ICT for Teaching and Learning, MCEETYA ICT in Schools Taskforce.

4.      Web 2.0 Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2,
date visited 8^th May 2008.

5.      http://www.furl.net/,
date visited 13^th May 2008.

6.      http://del.icio.us/,
date visited 13^th May 2008.

7.      http://edutagger.com/,
date visited 4^th May 2008

8.      Anderson, P, What is Web 2.0? Ideas, technologies and implications for education.
JISC Technology and Standards Watch Feb 2007.

9.      Technologies and Definitions, http://iws.cit.cornell.edu/iws2/technology/techinfo.cfm#CP_JUMP_3084.
date viewed 13^th May 2008.

10. Apple – Education –
Podcasting in Education, http://www.apple.com/education/resources/podcastingvideos/,
date visited 14^th May 2008

11. Wheeler, S, The Role of the Teacher
in ICT, (2000), http://www2.plymouth.ac.uk/distancelearning/roleteach.html,
date viewed 17^th May 2008.

The advent of ICT has changed the environment in which students develop in society in ways that impact on the way they learn in schools. It is commonly observed that ICT is now more than a tool and it infiltrates every part of life Young people are increasingly aware of the importance of being able to utilise current technologies. These changes associated with the advent of information and communication technologies have significant ramifications for teachers and schools because they have changed the ways in which young people access and process information and they ways in which they communicate with each other ICT finds a range of applications in schools and classrooms and is frequently associated with innovative pedagogical practices[1]. Many of the changes to the digital environment come under the banner of Web 2.0 technologies.

Web 2.0 technology is a term describing the trend in the use of World Wide Web technology and web design that aims to enhance creativity, information sharing, and, most notably, collaboration among users. These concepts have led to the development and evolution of web-based communities and hosted services, such as social-networking sites, wikis, blog, and folksonomies[2].[3]

Many groups have been abuzz with talk of "Web 2.0". Though the term bears the familiar version number so often attached to software products, it doesn't actually refer to any one technology. Rather, Web 2.0 is the moniker for an emerging set of Internet-based tools and an emerging philosophy on how to use them.

The philosophy focuses on the idea that the people who consume media, access the Internet, and use the Web shouldn't passively absorb what's available -- rather, they should be active contributors, helping customise media and technology for their own purposes, as well as those of their communities.

This philosophy contrasts sharply with the old "Web 1.0" methodology, in which news was provided by a handful of large corporations, Web pages were static and rarely updated, and only the tech-savvy could contribute to the development of the World Wide Web.[4] Web 2.0 is a bit of a catch-all which covers a broad range of new online services, user-generated content, communities and social networking tools. The most popular are sites such as Blogger, Flickr, MySpace, YouTube and Wikipedia and the godfather of Web 2.0 - Google. The phrase also refers to the creation of far greater levels of interactivity, not just between users, or between users and the internet but between complementary online services through mash-ups[5] and web services.

The technologies encompassed by Web 2.0 include, but are by no means limited to, blogs, tags, RSS, social book-marking, and pod casting. A blog (an abridgment of the term web log) is a website, usually maintained by an individual, with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse chronological order. A typical blog combines text, images, and links to other blogs, web pages, and other media related to its topic. The ability for readers to leave comments in an interactive format is an important part of many blogs. Some blogs focus on a particular subject, such as political blogs, travel blogs, and education blogs.[6] The role of the blog in education is limited only by your imagination. Options for teachers using blogs are: content-related blogs as professional practice, networking and personal knowledge sharing, instructional tips for students, course announcements and readings, annotated links and knowledge management. Options for students using blogs in relation to the classroom include: reflective or writing journals, knowledge management, assignment submission and review, dialogue for group work, E-portfolios, share course-related resources and so on

Tagging and social bookmarking describe the keyword that is added to a digital object to describe it. In essence, social bookmarking lets you maintain a personal collection of links online, similar to the bookmarks or favorites in your browser, but they are also accessible to others on your own personal archive page. The real meat of the services, however, is "tagging". When you save a link to your collection, you tag it with one or more keywords to describe it. Two of the biggest multipurpose social bookmarking services are FURL[7] and del.icio.us[8]. Both have free registration, and easy pop-up saving forms. del.icio.us has a nice feature of suggesting tags, while FURL actually saves a (private) copy of the page, so you can see it even if the page disappears or changes. There are also social bookmarking services aimed at specific people or formats. Flickr[9] is a photo service with some neat annotation features. These bookmarking sites can be used for educational purposes; a FURL category could be set up for your class and any sites that are suitable and helpful can be bookmarked. The best part is that FURL (and all the others) is completely web based, it wouldn’t matter where you or the student were; home, the office, library or the classroom, if something useful was found it could be could FURL’ed for later use. Edutagger[10] is a social bookmarking service for learners and educators, allowing you to store your web links online, organise them via tags and share them with others, all within an educational context.

A wiki is a web site that can be individually or collaboratively edited using just a web browser. No special tools and no special skills are required. At its simplest, it can be read just like any other web site, but its real power lies in the fact that groups can collaboratively work on the content of the site without constantly emailing Word documents and tracking revisions from multiple authors who can't see each others' changes. The wiki is increasingly being used in education, as an ideal tool for collaborative work done by both students and teachers. Students might use a wiki to collaborate on a group report, compile data or share the results of their research, while faculty might use the wiki to collaboratively author the structure and curriculum of a course, and the wiki can then serve as part of each person's course materials. For example, the collaborative encyclopedia Wikipedia is one of the best known wikis.[11]

RSS or Rich Site Summary; is described as a technology that allows web users to receive (ongoing, constantly updated) information collected from many sources through a simple reader. This is supplied through an “RSS feed” that users can subscribe to.[12] You no longer need to remember to revisit a site to check for updates. RSS feeds deliver information and news from your favourite websites, blogs and podcasts as they are updated. An RSS Reader allows you to subscribe to content of interest to you so you can; view information as it is published, e.g. news, blogs, podcasts, display and keep up to date with latest information and participate in discussions through blogs.

Podcasts are audio recordings, usually in MP3 format of talks, interviews and lectures that are uploaded to a host server, for playback on mobile devices and personal computers. Many educators and institutions are already integrating podcasting successfully into their curricula — with great results. Podcasting enables educators to use music and recorded audio to enhance learning. The addition of photos and video to podcasting allows educators to add a wide range of visual content to their teaching and address even more learning styles.[13]

Whilst I have presented some examples of Web 2.0 technologies, it is not exhaustive, there are many more facets and innovative ideas for collaboration. I have focused on blogs, podcasts, wikis, bookmarking and the use of a RSS feeder as I would love the opportunity to use these technologies in my current teaching programs or see them being used across the school.

Teachers have been encouraged to accept new technologies. Whilst some have enthusiastically integrated computers and the Internet into the classroom, others have been cautious in their welcome, and some have simply rejected the technologies. With the inevitable proliferation of ICT in the classroom, the role of the teacher must change, and there are key reasons why this must happen:

Firstly, the role of the teacher must change because ICT will cause certain teaching resources to become obsolete. For example, the use of overhead projectors and chalkboards may no longer be necessary if learners all have access to the same networked resource on which the teacher is presenting information. Furthermore, if students are distributed throughout several classrooms - which is becoming more common place - localised resources such as projectors and chalkboards become redundant and new electronic forms of distributed communication must be employed.

Secondly, ICT may also make some assessment methods redundant. Low level (factual) knowledge for example, has been traditionally tested by the use of multiple choice questions. In an ICT environment, on-line tests can easily be used which instantly provide the teacher with a wide range of information associated with the learner's score. Comparisons of previous scores and dates of assessment for example, will indicate a child's progress, and each student can be allocated an individual action plan data base stored in electronic format into which each successive test's results can be entered automatically.

Thirdly, the role of the teacher must change in the sense that it is no longer sufficient for teachers merely to impart content knowledge. It will however, be crucial for teachers to encourage critical thinking skills, promote information literacy, and nurture collaborative working practices to prepare children for a new world in which no job is guaranteed for life, and where people switch careers several times. One of the most ubiquitous forms of ICT - the Internet - gives access to an exponentially growing storehouse of information sources, almost unlimited networks of people and computers, and unprecedented learning and research opportunities. The Internet is a network of networks, providing opportunities for inquiry-based learning where teachers and students are able to access some of the world's largest information archives. Students and teachers are able to connect with each other, learn flexibly, and collaborate with others around the world. Generally speaking, geographical distance is no longer a barrier, and the age of the 'borderless' provision of education is upon us.Teaching strategies and resources can be shared through communication with other educators and may be integrated across the curriculum. The Internet provides a wealth of information to the extent that it is now impossible to comprehensively track the amount of information available. Unfortunately, misinformation and inaccuracies are similarly present in great numbers on the Internet so one of the new roles of the teacher within the electronic classroom will be to separate out quality information from misinformation. Identification, classification and authentication of electronic information sources will be critical new tasks for teachers.[14]

My research into the role of ICT in education and Web 2.0 technologies highlighted firstly – how far behind I personally am with the use of current technology and secondly, the poor use of this technology across the school. The lack of ICT innovation is linked to planning and development across the school and I will use the STaR Chart: the School Technology and Readiness Chart to address the areas of technology in my school. It is important to note that this use of the STaR chart is entirely based upon my observations. I have been teaching in my current school for two and a half years and in that time there has been massive change in the educational pedagogy – middle school implementation and so on. Has the STaR Chart been addressed? There are 6 indicators; Leadership and Management, ICT infrastructure, ICT Professional Learning, Classroom Practice, Student Access and Assessment, Administration and Community Access.

Indicator 1: Leadership and Management: My school has taken a step backwards and is in Phase 1. All ICT planning appears to rest solely with the principal and the ICT committee has failed to have any input in the role that ICT plays within the school community. The ICT committee had members from each faculty, the library, administration and the IT technician. Any issues, ideas, planning, needs were brought to the committee, discussed and then taken to the Executive. With the collapse of the ICT committee, individuals are approaching the Executive for their ICT needs on an adhoc basis and there is little scope for planning and integration. Any vision and direction is not led by teacher and student needs.

Indicator 2: ICT Infrastructure: My school sits on phase 4 and maybe even a little bit further. The school is very well resourced with students accessing computers in all subject areas. There are dedicated computer labs, laptop trolleys and computer ‘pods’ in specialist areas. ICTC support is available in school hours at all times. The network suffers rarely and any issues are resolved promptly. IWB’s are being rolled out across the school, with approximately 20 installed so far. Access to all peripherals such as printers etc, is dare I say it consistently available across the school; all students and teachers have access.

Indicator 3: ICT Professional Learning: Opportunities for ICT Professional Development are not quite in phase 1. The professional learning opportunities I have observed are solely skills based and are presented on an adhoc basis; for example ten minute PD on the use of the electronic whiteboard, and there is now one in your classroom. My belief is that the EdCap and ICT Teacher continuum has highlighted areas that need addressing but has failed to offer any professional learning opportunities.

Indicator 4: Classroom Practice. Apart from one or two isolated incidents, my school is still in phase 1 of classroom practice. Learning Technology despite two years of effort is still addressed in a stand alone manner, and is not integrated effectively across the middle school curriculum. ICT is poorly used across the school and students have few if any opportunities to access Web 2.0 technology.

Indicator 5: Student Access and Assessment: This year has seen the school move from phase 1 to phase 2. All students have access to computers every week. Middle school students are at present limited to their Learning Technology lesson, but two class sets of lap top trolley’s have arrived and will be online shortly. Senior school students have more opportunities for access to ICT. Assessment is still centred on basic skills with little evidence to support the LT outcomes.

Indicator 6: Administration and Community Access. The school is currently in phase 2 for collaboration between staff and access between parents, students and teachers. There are some teachers endeavouring to foster online communities via the portal, but at present they are under utilised as teachers aren’t contributing on a regular basis. At present the digital communication between the school and parents, is the occasional email from teacher to parent and what we call the “E-news”. This digital communication is only available to those parents who have provided their email details.

The purpose of the STaR Chart is to consider how Information Technology is being used across the school and to make recommendations. It is much easier to criticise what is in place than it is to form recommendations for the implementation of change in the role of ICT. The challenge is to convince school leaders, teachers and students to use ICT in their daily school work. Studies have shown that the advent of ICT integration across the curriculum has resulted in student centred learning. Students are using many of the Web 2.0 technologies in their personal lives and have developed skills in those areas. The big question is how those skills can be used to enhance the quality of their learning and improve outcomes.

There are many initiatives coming from different sources available to teachers in the NT. In the last week alone, deposited in my pigeon hole; I received a DVD with the latest TLF materials courtesy of the NT Distance Learning Service. The Learning Federation is an innovative project that employs emerging technologies to produce free online curriculum content to enrich student learning in all Australian schools. I also received an email from ICT services promoting Scootle, it read; NT educators are invited to register for Scootle, an online environment that provides access to resources from The Le@rning Federation. Scootle provides search, browse and filter technologies for a suite of interactive learning objects, including audio files and movie clips, and enables users to create favourites lists of resources for quick access. There is an extensive list of initiatives available; the STaR Chart analysis will address measures to implement these initiatives across the school.

Possible recommendations are: firstly that a whole school approach is necessary to ensure the success of ICT integration. An ICT committee needs to be established so that there is a central point of focus. They have the potential to become the bringers of change. The committee would need to address who will be responsible for implementing initiatives and be able to provide direction and support for teachers who are attempting to use current technologies. There needs to be a clear description for the role of the committee. The committee would have to constantly promote innovative ideas and give direction on how to develop the idea. The previous committee focused on student behaviour within the dedicated computer labs and class timetabling and was attended by few interested parties. A newly formed ICT committee would need to complete an audit of the school and look at how the Web 2.0 technologies can enhance the teaching and learning experience. The committee could model the use of some of these technologies and actively encourage participation of their use.

A barrier to the use of new technology is often linked with the fear of trying something new and it failing. To be able to ‘book’ ICTC support would encourage more teachers to engage in the new technologies. While I reflect on the idea I realise that each schools demographics and timetabling play a big role in the support available from an ICT coordinator. Secondary schools generally have 40 – 50 minute lessons which don’t allow time to use new technologies and ICTC support is 20 minutes walk away. I have observed that if the trial is not running smoothly it is usually abandoned and rarely attempted again.

The role of the teacher is an integral part of the future of these technologies. There needs to be measures put in place to support the development of the use of the skills. I have heard many people say that they are self taught computer users, but often the support necessary is how can I integrate what I have learned/discovered into a class program. “I know what to do, what is a great way to use it”. Support needs to be given to educators who are trying to use new technologies to facilitate their continued use across the whole school.

To ensure the ongoing success of the role of ICT within the school I am recommending that their be consideration of the fact that to embrace new technologies takes time, extended planning time needs to be allocated solely towards using the new resources available and integrating the Learning Technologies into teaching programs. That the sharing of resources in and online space is essential, and an online community such as I have experienced with this course can help teachers with use of resources and ideas. My research has highlighted the variety of technologies available and the need to provide quality support if we are to see their ongoing use. Secondary school students are comfortable communicating in online communities, teachers need to encourage these skills to enhance their learning experience.

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