Innovation Profile 141

Tools for change

Teachers can use ICT tools to change their teaching/learning practices. ICT tools can also cause teachers to change the way they approach their work.

Digital learning resources can be used in much more powerful ways than paper learning resources. Storing resources digitally can also save large amounts of time. If a school/college decides that they should move from paper-based to digital-based resources, tools may be needed to cause this change to be made by all the teachers and other staff.

Providing teachers with laptops can start this process but the real driver for change is using digital resources with pupils in classrooms.

When a big change in practice such as this is made, it is sometimes much better to switch quickly from the old ways to the new ways of working. There will be initial fears and a heavy workload at the start, to make the change, but the benefits will come more quickly and all will be tackling the challenge together.

A school that decides to replace the blackboards in all classrooms, with interactive whiteboards, forces teachers to move to using digital resources. This is one of the important impacts of interactive whiteboards. Once digital resources are in use, the way is open to capitalise on the very many new opportunities this brings.

The wise headteacher will of course prepare for this moment, through wide discussion amongst the teachers and preparatory work by those leading the change, to assemble digital resources. A programme of professional development will help the teachers to see the change in the context of developing their teaching skills and career prospects.

And a considerable amount of help is available. For example, SMART™ Technologies, as well as providing a range of digital resources, run the SMART Exemplary Educator programme. Currently teachers from five countries around the world have become Exemplary Educators. At
http://www.edcompass.smarttech.com/ec/en-US/Professional+Development/
you can read their statements, as to why they are pleased to be part of the programme and why the change to using interactive whiteboards is an important step forward in education.

The most important aspect of introducing ICT into teaching/learning is not installing the ICT, it is helping the people involved to change working practices.

The Smart Technologies Inc. Profile on our web site will give you an overview of the company and a list of other Innovation Profiles connected with it.

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If you know of examples of innovative use of ICT-for-learning that others would be interested in, please email innovations@eep-edu.org

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