Cluster+Questionnaire+Results

Questionnaire Analysis

The survey questions were based upon the cluster goals for this year. In short, to ensure that teachers become confident in their use of ICT for teaching and learning. That all children learn in authentic contexts, that they become creative in the use of ICT’s and that they become independent in their choices.

Summary

All staff use ICT at home about 70% being frequent users. 85% of staff use ICT to plan. 50% of children’s use is for skills development or presentation purposes with an emphasis on word processing. Cameras and computers constituted most of the ICT’s in use. 25% indicated no creative use or authentic context for ICT use by children. 50% indicated that the ICT used did not foster independent use. 50% said ICT didn’t help deepen children’s learning. 85% had no experience of collaboration with other schools in learning. 50% of staff had personal experience of online professional learning communities.

The roots of this situation lie in the historical lack of equipment. Any PD on ICT use would have very little impact as there would be no way to implement it within the classroom.

Question 1

How would you describe your use of ICT outside of the classroom? Can you include what hardware as well as software this involves.

About 70% are frequent users of ICT at home and the rest are infrequent in their use. Those uses tend to be around internet banking, emails, photos, research, online buying and to a lesser extent social networking. There was no respondent who hadn’t used a computer at home.

Question 2

Can you describe how you integrate ICT use into your planning? At what point in the planning process do you start to incorporate ICT? Do you have any strong opinions as to why you include ICT?

About 85% of respondents intimated that they used ICT to plan with the rest inferred that they didn’t either plan with it or that it wasn’t planned for in the classroom.

Question 3

Tick which one of these statements best describes what ICT is good for in your classroom?

ICT is added for the purpose of developing specific skills in computer use. = 30% ICT allows children to showcase their finished work in a more polished form. = 20% ICT enables children to research for inquiry learning purposes. = 20% ICT allows children to become co-constructors of new learning using various technologies. = 20% None = 10%

Question 4

What range of ICT’s do you employ in your classroom for learning and teaching?

The staff responded:

25% used cameras 30% used computers and the rest had used the following: videos, TV’s, IWB, digi microscope, CD player, stereo, microphone and data projectors

Question 5

Do you provide authentic contexts for the use of ICT? Can you share a few examples?

25% indicated no authentic context with the rest citing the following as providing authenticity: Youtube, photos, word processing, filming, inquiry, blogging, and maths games

Question 6

How do the ICT’s you employ give children the opportunity of being creative?

About 25% said it didn’t give children opportunity to be creative. The rest indicated a range of activities including stories, photos, drawing and presenting.

Question 7

How do the ICT’s you employ give children the opportunity of being independent in their learning?

About 50% said that the ICT’s employed did provide the opportunity of being independent. The rest cited making presentations, inquiry learning, games and basic skills development.

Question 8

How does ICT in your classroom deepen children’s meaningful learning?

50% said that ICT doesn’t help deepen children’s learning, the rest said through discussion, problem solving and hands on experience.

Question 9

Have you ever had your class collaborate with children in another school using online collaborative technologies (web 2.0 tools) and if so what ICT’s did you use and what was the purpose for their use. Quote your best example(s).

85% had no experience and the rest had experienced it once.

Question 10

Have you ever been involved in a professional online learning community? If so what was its purpose and how well did it work for you?

About 50% had and 50% not.