Information & Communication Technology INSET
for Teachers and Librarians in the ESF:
Planning an ICT Course
WHAT TO LOOK OUT FOR
when running or attending an ICT inservice event.....
- Teachers select their own level of entry based upon a needs analysis.
- Spend time understanding the participants and what will appeal to them
- Try to cater for the varied learning styles show infinite patience
- Allow people to work at their pace
- Try to find what will flip the switch for each person
- Recognise that however carefully planned their "advanced" course may be, someone will have signed up who had not used the mouse yet, or been sent by the in-set
co-ordinator on "detention in-set", and, of course, cope with the situation
- Build in time for reflection and talk
- Know that sometime during the course some of the equipment will not work as expected
- Adapt to the participants' circumstances
- Make it real
- Make it practical
- Relate it to the classroom
- Keep it simple!
- Do more listening than talking
- Create a safe, uncritical space for trainees to ask questions and make comments
- Be able and willing to change the course in response to questions and comments
- Acknowledge achievement and effort
- Communicate and generate passion for the subject
Above all
..... remember that most people are not necessarily interested in ICT: they are interested in being more efficient, more productive, teaching better, motivating their pupils, getting access to better resources
Acknowledgements
Jane Mitra, Peter Milford, Gareth Davies, Nigel Ward and Jack Kenny / TES 16 April 1999