Pre-Course and Primary School Experience Booklet

PGCert Secondary ICT

2012-2013

Contents

This booklet contains:

1. Introduction

2. The aims of your primary school experience programme

3. How to organise your school experience

4. Useful reading

5. General experience tasks

6. Specific experience tasks

7. Letters for the Primary School Headteacher from ICT Course Coordinator

8. Summary of reflections

9. Report form to be signed by school staff

1. Introduction

Welcome to the PGCert Secondary ICT here at Brunel University. This booklet will provide you with some essential information relating to the first school based element of the course.

As a trainee teacher, you are expected to attain national Professional Standards in order to achieve the Award of Qualified Teacher Status (QTS). Although you are training to be a secondary school teacher, several of these Standards are concerned with your knowledge and understanding of ICT at Key Stage 2 and the transition that pupils have to make between primary and secondary school. There are important issues of continuity and progression in this period of transition and, as a teacher you will be expected to embrace these in your planning and teaching. This period of primary school observation will introduce you to these issues.

You now need to negotiate with a state primary school to undertake a period of school based work. Prior to commencing your school experience, you need to engage in some preparatory reading (e.g. National Curriculum; Every Child Matters; National Strategies) which will help you to understand the environment that you are going in to and introduce you to some of the issues; as well as enabling you to complete this booklet. This period of initial observation will last for six school days. You will then have a further University based plenary session which will draw upon your observations and experiences and the data you have recorded in this booklet. You must remember to keepa copy of the completed booklet and to bring it to all your sessions in September/October (or keep your electronic version up-dated) as it provides us with material for discussion and also with evidence towards the Professional Standards for QTS.

We do not see these sixdays as the sum total of your primary school experience and hope that, during your course, you will continue to negotiate further learning opportunities, such as working with a local feeder school for your secondary placement schools, gaining an insight in to the induction of year seven pupils into the secondary school environment and working with a year seven form class during the early part of their first year at secondary school. A record of such experiences should be kept in your school file. This helps you to experience issues of continuity and progression within a practical teaching context.

2. The aims of your primary school observation programme

The aims of this period of observation are that you:

Arrive at the University with a recent experience of primary schools;
Begin to understand issues of continuity and progression between primary and secondary schools;
Are able to make informed comparisons and observations between the primary and secondary school learning environments as the course progresses;
Gain an insight into the role of the class teacher in the primary school;
Have an understanding of how the ICT curriculum applies at Key Stages 1 and 2;
Begin the process of adapting to the professional demands of life as a teacher.

3. How to organise your school observation

a) As stated previously, you should by now have made initial contact with a state run primary school. You should confirm your placement arrangements with the school, including the dates and days you will be attending, as per my letter, and present a photocopy of the letter of introduction included in this booklet, together with a brief CV.

At the end of the experience, you should complete section A of the report form included in this booklet and you must ensure that the Headteacher or teacher responsible for students completes section B.

b) When you arrive at the school you will need to arrange an observation schedule (showing the lessons, rooms and teachers to be observed) with the Headteacher or the teacher responsible for students. As you will have noticed, the observation tasks in this booklet begin with whole school activities and gradually narrow to subject specific activities.

Although your first interest at this stage will be your main subject, you should aim to spend some time observing other aspects of the curriculum such as Special Educational Needs or Literacy/Numeracy. If possible, observe teaching (in any subject area) which is thought to be particularly well-managed, or is innovatory.

You should also try to read a selection of available school documents e.g. the school prospectus, policy statements on, for example, equal opportunities and special educational needs, the physical education handbook (including curriculum time allocation for this subject, schemes and units of work, and sample lesson plans).

c) This is a period of observation and you are not expected to prepare and teach lessons, although you may very well be asked to act as an assistant to the class teacher.

d) You will have many opportunities to talk with pupils, as well as teachers and this may be highly illuminating. However, pupils will view you as one of the teachers and will consequently expect a certain professional ‘distance’ and manner from you.

When you are in school, please remember:

e) Teachers are very busy professionals and schools take their role in society very seriously. Ensure that you do not cause them problems. Be punctual and dress appropriately. Remember that parents place great trust in teachers and that by starting this course you also accept that trust.

f) You are not in class to judge anyone else’s practice, you are there to learn from it. You may not agree with how another teacher approaches a class or a subject, in fact you may think you would do it differently yourself. However, these are professional opinions which you may discuss with others as part of your University course, but which you keep to yourself while you are in school.

g) Before you go into a class, ask the teacher if they mind you taking notes, moving around the working area or assisting the pupils if the opportunity occurs. Be sensitive and tactful when carrying out the observation tasks. Remember, for example, that you are a visitor in class and have no automatic right to pupils’ written work.

h) Make notes about your observations while in school, but take care that you do not unwittingly alienate teachers. You are not ‘inspecting’ their classes. Brief notes may be amplified outside the school in the privacy of your own home, but even in this context please ensure the anonymity of the staff and pupils by using fictitious names.

i) Make sure that you return any materials lent to you before you leave the school.

4. Useful reading

The following texts are included as your course reading. It is important that you supplement your learning throughout the course by doing additional reading and research. The reading list is expanded upon throughout the programme but some of the texts listed below are particularly good to help understand the primary experience- kindly note I DONOTexpect you to purchase all the books listed below- however would recommend if possible to purchase the ones in bold:

Ager, R. (2003) (2nd Ed) Information and Communications Technology in Primary Schools. David Fulton Publishers, London.

Allen, Potter, Sharp & Turvey (2007)(3rd ed) Achieving QTS: Primary ICT. Knowledge, Understanding, Practice. Learning Matters, Exeter
Barber, D., Cooper, L. & Meeson, G. (2007) Learning and teaching with Interactive Whiteboards. Primary and early Years. Learning Matters, Exeter.
Bennett, R. (1997) Teaching IT at KS 1.
Bennett, Hammill, Pickford (2006) Progression in Primary ICT. David Fulton Publishers, London.
Byrne, J. and Sharp, J. (2002) Using ICT in Primary Science Teaching. Learning Matters, Exeter.

Cowley, S. (2010) Getting the Buggers to Behave Continuum
Crompton, R. & Mann, P. (1996) IT across the primary curriculum.
Deadman, D. (ed) (2001) Ideas for integrating ICT into the primary and secondary classroom (Revised Edition).
Duffty, J. (2006) Extending Knowledge in Practice: Primary ICT. Learning Matters. Exeter.
Fox, B. (2003) Successful ICT Leadership in Primary Schools. Learning Matters, Exeter.
Gillespie, H. (2006) Unlocking Learning and Teaching with ICT. Identifying and overcoming barriers. David Fulton Publishers. Chiswick.
Gillespie, H., Boulton, H., Hramiak, A.J. & Williamson, R. (2007) Learning and Teaching with Virtual Learning Environments. Learning Matters, Exeter.
Griffin, J. and Bash, L (Eds) (1995) Computers in the Primary School.
Higgins, S., Packard, N. and Race, P. (1999) 500 ICT Tips for Primary Teachers. Kogan Page Limited, London.
Jarvis, G. (2003) Using ICT in Primary Humanities Teaching. Learning Matters, Exeter.

Kennewell, S. (2002) Learning to Teach ICT in the Secondary School, Routledge, Falmer, London

Kennewell, S. (2007) A Practical Guide to Teaching ICT in the Secondary School, Routlege, London

Loveless, A. (1995)The Role of ICT. Practical issues for the Primary Teacher. Cassell, London.
Monteith, M. (2002) Teaching Primary Literacy with ICT. Open University Press, Buckingham.,
Potter F. and Darbyshire, C. (2005) Understanding and Teaching the ICT National Curriculum. David Fulton Publishers, London. isbn 1-84312-133-6.
Potter, J. (2002) PGCE Professional Workbook, Primary PGCE. Learning Matters, Exeter.
Poulter, T. & Basford, J. (2003) Using ICT in Foundation Stage Teaching. Learning Matters, Exeter.
Prensky, M. (2006) Don't Bother Me Mom, I'm Learning. How Computer and Video Games Are Preparing Your Kids For Twenty-first century. Paragon House.
Pritchard, A. (2004) Learning on the Net: A Practical Guide to Enhance Learning in Primary classrooms. David Fulton Publishers, London..
Rudd, A. & Tyldesley, A. (2006) Literacy and Ict in the Primary School. David Fulton Publishers, London.
Sharp, Potter, Allen & Loveless. (2002) (2nd Ed.) Achieving QTS: Primary ICT. Knowledge, Understanding, Practice. Learning Matters, Exeter

The Royal Society (2012) Shutdown or Restart? The way forward for computing in UK schools. Report for the Royal Society: Royal Academy of Engineering.
Underwood, J. (ed.) (1994) Computer based learning: Potential into Practice. David Fulton Publishers, London.
Underwood, J. & Underwood, G. (1990) Computers and Learning: Helping Children acquire Thinking Skills. Basil Blackwell, Oxford.
Unsworth, L., Thomas, A., Simpson, A. & Asha, J. (2005) Children's Literature and Computer Based Teaching. Open University Press, Maidenhead.
Wheeler, S. (2005) (Ed.) Transforming Primary ICT. Learning Matters, Exeter.
Wheeler, S. (2009) (Ed.) Connected Minds, Emerging Cultures. Cybercultures in Online Learning. Information Age Publishing, Inc, Charlotte, NC.
Wray, D. (2006) Teaching Literacy Across the Primary Curriculum. Learning Matters Ltd, Exeter.

5. Observation tasks

5.1 Observation in general

The number of variables affecting what happens in the learning environment is large. You therefore need to be clear about what you are going to focus on in each observed lesson and to have clear ways of recording what happens. The following tasks should help you get started.

You may need to modify these tasks in the light of advice from the school. You may develop systematic approaches to observing and recording of your own or the teacher may well suggest alternatives. The essential point is that you need to observe in a way that will develop your thinking about teaching and learning in general.

Make sure that what you do is well recorded as these records will form the basis of your work in the primary plenary session. Try to draw out from your experiences a set of issues that you feel you would like to explore in depth during this session.

When planning your observation remember the following general advice:

a) An important part of your work is to learn about children. Watch them, listen to them, talk to them, look at what they write or plan, perform or evaluate and how they learn. Begin to discover what makes children value and enjoy their education, and what makes them ‘tick’.

b) At the heart of teaching is interaction between teacher and pupil(s). You will find it useful to focus sometimes upon the teacher’s activity, sometimes upon the pupils’ activity, and sometimes on both.

c) Within a particular lesson or series of lessons, you may find it helpful to give particular attention to one aspect of the teacher’s activity (e.g. how they get the lesson started; how they round the lesson off; their language; their handling of awkward pupils; their attention to individual pupil during a lesson)

You may wish to concentrate upon pupil response (e.g.: to different kinds of activity; to the teacher’s tone of voice; to one another’s contributions)

Discussion with the teacher before and after lessons will suggest many other points for observation, although bear in mind that teachers are very busy.

6. Specific observation tasks

The following section provides specific tasks for you to complete during your observation days. These tasks will help you to complete your ‘Summary of Reflections’ at the back of this booklet. These tasks are flexible in that they can take place within either the general school environment or within physical education specifically.

6.1 Observation task 1: observation diary

Each day make brief notes about your observations and experiences. These notes can be used as a basis for group discussion in initial seminars at University. You may find it helpful to comment on some of the following:

a)Teachers:

The different ways in which teachers teach
The ability of teachers to create an ‘authoritative’ presence
The necessary skill and qualities related to good teaching
The different ways in which teachers manage practical activities in a primary school classroom
The health and safety issues related to practical teaching

b)Pupils:

The range of experiences that pupils have in any normal day
The contribution that pupils make to lessons
The quantity and quality of work that they produce
The activities and relationships of pupil outside the classroom

c)Activities:

The variety of learning activities taking place
The different ways in which pupils appear to learn
How pupils are motivated to work
What is ‘good work’ and how is ‘good work’ recognised?

d)School Organisation:

What structures exist to organise the school as a community?
What different responsibilities do teachers and pupils have?
How does the environment affect the learning and activities of the school?

6.3 Observation task 2: pupil learning

Make more detailed notes about how and what pupils learn. Again these will be used to inform the primary plenary session at University.

In selected lessons consider the following:

a)Did the pupils learn?

This may seem an odd question, but it is quite possible for pupils to seem busy and absorbed in a task (e.g. copying or colouring in) without learning very much (beyond improving their colouring skills). On the other hand it is possible for pupils to be involved in something that appears to be purely social, such as talking to each other in groups, but they are actually learning a good deal from the activity.

How effectively do the activities enable the pupils to learn something about the topic being studied? (Can you think of alternative activities?)
How much have the pupils learned that was useful and relevant?

What evidence are you looking for here?

b)Did all of the pupils learn?

In most lessons some pupils learn more than others. The effective teacher tries to ensure that as many pupils as possible achieve the key learning points of the lesson.

To answer this question, you will first have to identify the key learning points of the lesson. In some lessons teachers will simply tell the class which points they intend to cover, however, in others you will have to decide for yourself what the key points are.

To decide whether pupils have learnt the key points, there are a number of pieces of information that you may need to collect, you need:

To see what they have written in their books
To speak to them
To see whether they are paying attention to the task
May need to take part in their practical tasks

c)What is preventing some pupils from learning?

Try to work out why some pupils are learning more easily than others. Many things can stop people from learning effectively (e.g. they may be too hot or cold; they may be hungry, tired or miserable; they may simply have other things on their mind).

Ask yourself:

Can all pupils hear or see the teacher?
Is the environment helpful? (E.g. the layout of the desks, the amount of light, the amount of room to work)
Are pupils distracting each other - if so, how?
Do some pupils in the group have special educational needs (SEN) that make it difficult for the teacher to help them sufficiently? (E.g. do they have poor basic literacy, numeracy or movement skills or are they at an early stage of learning English as a second language)
Is the timing of this lesson conducive to productive learning? (E.g. is it the last period of the day, just after PE or immediately following break)

d)How does the teacher help the pupils learn?