Training INSET And CPD | doug woods

Archive for the ‘Training INSET and CPD’ Category

Why I enjoy ICT Training with Teachers

Sunday, February 20th, 2011

Let me start by saying that ICT in education has always been a passion of mine. Ever since I first brought m y own computer into the classroom, I’ve been exploring ways of using technology to help learners learn. I spent years as a teacher and ICT co-ordinator implementing technology into schools, some things worked and some things didn’t always work as well as I had hoped. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed my work and the job satisfaction that came with seeing pupils utilise ICT and learning with it.

When I left teaching and started on a project with Becta (that was a government agency promoting ICT in those days), I feared I would miss that job satisfaction. However, I found that job satisfaction came in a slightly different way. Having been a teacher, I have a highly positive regard for the profession and for schools and the work they do. My changing role meant that I was supporting educational ICT in a different way; instead of working directly with learners, I found myself working more with staff, schools and local authorities but still, ultimately, supporting the use of ICT to help learners learn.

Shortly after my first stint with Becta, I started working as a freelance trainer with Espresso Education. I did this for a little over two years and it was a great time. Once again, I was working more directly with staff in schools, demonstrating ways in which the Espresso product could be used in class to support pupil learning. This work was helped in that Espresso’s content was almost unique on the market and to a large extent it sold itself. Teachers felt that the content was extremely worthwhile and they could see the benefits to their pupils’ learning. Consequently, the training sessions were extremely rewarding.

I have also run training sessions on the Self Review Framework with schools and Local Authorities. This was very different in nature from the Espresso training. It meant that I was working with Senior Management Teams and whilst not working directly with curriculum technology, I felt the SRF was helping schools to make better implementation of their ICT provision, which consequently would improve the learning for pupils. I believe the SRF is a great tool and I know many staff and schools, who have gone through it, feel the same; so again, the training has its rewards.

So for me, ICT training for teachers is an incredibly valuable and rewarding undertaking. It is an aspect of my work that I really enjoy and often wish I could do more.

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Tags: computer training, Self-review framework
Posted in Training INSET and CPD | 1 Comment »

Teaching and Assessment; Which Comes First?

Sunday, January 16th, 2011

: Image by dougwoods via Flickr

Teaching and assessment, which comes first? To some, that may seem like a chicken and egg question, to others it may seem quite obvious and straightforward but let me explain why I am led to ask it.

The other day, I was very privileged to observe a group of teachers team planning. This is something not every teacher gets the opportunity to do, certainly, when I was a teacher I never got the opportunity to team plan; all my planning had to be done by myself alone. Even today, most teachers don’t plan in teams or get the opportunity to give it a go. Which is a great shame as it really can be an effective process.

While observing, what became evident to me, and this will surprise nobody, is that different teachers plan in different ways or have different approaches. In most cases, this can be a huge advantage because it means the planning process can tap into different people’s skills, knowledge and experiences. Sometimes, though, it can be a drawback if you have someone who plans in a particular way that doesn’t fit with the others in the team. One thing I observed is that most of the team planning involved some form of ‘brainstorming’ leading to the production of a mindmap or topic-web. This type of approach might not fit with someone who likes their planning done in orderly columns, rows and boxes. I know the compromise solution might be to take the mindmap and then rewrite it into a Word document or a spreadsheet but doesn’t that seem like doing the same planning twice?

Generally the planning sessions appeared to be going well but there were a couple of occassions where things went slightly awry based, it appeared to me, upon a person’s different approach to planning. In one instance, the team planning seemed to be going very well and were discussing the use of technology, particularly blogs, podcasts, video and their learning platform. This seemed to be too much for one person who suddenly interjected that they couldn’t see how this would fit into the assessment, they were particularly concerned about the use or creation of digital resources because these couldn’t be assessed or ‘fit into the boxes on the assessment sheet’ (almost their exact words).

As an outside observer, I couldn’t become involved in this discussion but I was quite shocked by this person’s statement and their approach. It seemed to me that this person wanted to plan and to teach toward the assessment criteria. Has this replaced ‘teaching to the exam’ or ‘teaching to SATs’ something we know happens but, which we also know, shouldn’t happen? The belief that we shouldn’t use digital resources or ask the learner to create digital material because it didn’t fit with the assessment, just seemed to be so wrong.

Should we be taking the assessment, in this way, and letting it determine what we teach and the way in which we teach? It does seem like a backwards way of teaching to me.

And yet…

… I think there may be a case for putting the assessment first. I am thinking, though, of assessment of the learners previous learning; the assessment of the learning that has taken place prior to the lesson(s) we are now planning. Surely it is important to consider this first as it will help us determine where the learners are, what they already know or have experienced and the ways in which they learn?

So I guess the answer to my original question; teaching and assessment, which comes first, is not so easy to answer.

Integrating educational technology into teaching (slideshare.net)
100 ways to use a VLE – #9 Peer Assessment (elearningstuff.wordpress.com)
Teach smarter not harder 0510 (slideshare.net)
Assessment and Evaluation (brighthub.com)
Norm-Referenced or Criterion-Referenced? You be the Judge! (brighthub.com)
Using assessment data (slideshare.net)
31 Days to Become a Better Ed Tech Leader — Day 10: Know the Data (ictineducation.org)

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Tags: assessment, lesson planning
Posted in Training INSET and CPD | 2 Comments »

Three Thoughts on ICT CPD for Teachers

Sunday, November 7th, 2010

Currently there appears to be a great deal of work behind the scenes preparing for an initiative to promote the use of ICT by teachers. This has prompted me to quickly put together a few thoughts about training teachers in the use of ICT.

Some of these thoughts are clearly born from my own experiences training staff in using ICT, whereas other thoughts are perhaps a bit more forward looking and maybe a little bit more “off the wall.” I have had years of experience in training staff to use computers and other technologies to support their teaching.

Having been a teacher myself for many years, I hold teachers in high regard and am always willing to encourage them to make use of technology in their work. Up to recently, though, most of this training has focussed upon enabling staff to use the tech within their own teaching and curriculum delivery. Increasingly, however, I feel the technology requires and promotes new approaches to learning and that possibly it is these new approaches which could be the focus of new ICT CPD initiatives.

1) Thought 1 – It is my belief that if you give teachers the equipment and the time, then the ideas will follow. Indeed, it has been my experience that the ideas are often already there, it is the time and the equipment that is often missing. However, too much equipment at once is rarely a good idea especially if that equipment is provided without the time and training necessary. Sadly, that has very often been the case as training is seen as expensive and undervalued. Even if done correctly, however, this approach might only generate new ways of using the technology to support current practices; it may increase teacher confidence and skill but it is unlikely to be transformational.

2) Thought 2 – I feel it is the role of the teacher to allow and enable learners to make use of the technologies. Therefore, ICT CPD should focus upon getting teachers to allow or enable learners to use technologies in new and innovative ways. The emphasis is upon learner use rather than teacher use. Increasingly, I feel, that it is the way in which learners are able to use ICT which is more important in learning rather than the way in which teachers use it. The teacher, however, still has a need to be made aware of new possibilities and opportunities afforded by technology and be allowed the time and training to explore ways in which the learners can use it.

3) Thought 3 – It is important to improve a teacher’s confidence and skills in using ICT but also it is important to give them the confidence and skills to support the learners’ use of ICT. I make the latter point because it is likely that not all learners will take to technology as easily and readily as others. Many learners may need support and encouragement to learn using technology and many of these learners may turn to the teacher for support and guidance. I therefore feel it is important that ICT CPD for teachers is designed in part to give teachers the skills and confidence to provide the support and guidance for their learners.

What can you do with IT? (deangroom.wordpress.com)
ICT CPD 4 Free from NAACE (warringtonict.wordpress.com)
A Tick List of 21st Century Digital Skills for Teachers (nikpeachey.blogspot.com)

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Tags: Education, Educational technology, ICT CPD, ICT in Schools, ICT Teacher, Information and communication technologies in education, Information technology, Teacher, Technology/Internet
Posted in Classroom Technology, Handheld Learning, ICT Support and Management, Training INSET and CPD | No Comments »

Change Management in Schools

Saturday, July 31st, 2010

Why is Change Management necessary in education?

We find ourselves in a time when the organisations and institutions in which we work are changing dramatically in terms of their structure, their strategies, their systems and, not least, their expectations of their staff. The rate of change and discovery often outpaces our individual ability to keep up with it. These statements I have paraphrased from the book ‘Making Sense of Change Management: ’ by Cameron and Green, as they seem to ring true in our schools, especially those involved in capital build projects such as BSF or PCP.

What is Change Management?

Change Management seems to cover a wide brief; you may come across it in business or commerce where a new system or way of working is being proposed or implemented, you may come across it in project management where a change or amendment is being considered within the project, and you may come across it in coaching or counselling where individuals or teams are being better prepared to cope a change and its effects.

For me, effective change management in schools should have elements from all three of these examples, with an emphasis upon the third example. I like to see the emphasis upon the third example, where individuals or teams are being better prepared for the change and its effects, because in schools we are principally concerned with the outcomes of our teaching and learning, for which we rely upon our staff and our learners.

CPD and Change Management

Sometimes we see Change Management combined with CPD or training and there is little doubt that elements of training are important in successful change management. Change Management, though, requires more than just one day’s INSET or time in staff meetings to be effective. Change Management needs to be planned, it needs to be ongoing and it needs to be geared to the levels of the individual or teams affected. It requires time and finance, two things we are often short of in schools especially with all the other ongoing demands on resources. Additionally, effective change management needs to be able to respond in ‘emergencies’ where an individual is having difficulty coping with new ideas, aproaches, systems or just the thought or prospect of their introduction or, indeed, where a particular new system is misfunctioning or having unforseen adverse effects.

Change Management and Financial Control

Effective change management may also have an effect upon finacial controls or budgetting. I daresay we can all think of a project, an initiative or piece of equipment which has been introduced at great expense but which has subsequently failed to live up to expectations or lain idle or rarely been used to its full potential. Such situations will often give rise to thoughts, or even accusations, of money and time having been wasted. My thinking here is that where a new project or initiative is combined with a process of change management, then the potential benefits of the project are more likely to be realised and there would be a lower likelihood of accusations of misspent money.

Let’s not go overboard here. I am not saying that we need a full blown Change management implementation every time a school acquires an additional piece of equipment, especially where that piece of equipment is just an augmentation of what already exists. However, where a complete new system or a new way of working is being considered, then I believe that change management should be implemented to ensure its effective introduction and subsequent use.

Change Management to enable continuous improvement (slideshare.net)
Managing Change: Engaging The Teachers (ictineducation.org)

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Tags: BSF, Change management, ICT in Schools, school
Posted in BSF, Training INSET and CPD | 5 Comments »

Using Interactive Whiteboards to Improve Achievement

Saturday, July 3rd, 2010

image by Sean O’Sullivan

A recent study suggests that the use of interactive whiteboards (IWB) can improve learner achievement by 16%. This could be good news for those schools seeking to improve the number of learners achieving 5 A*-C grades grades, particularly the current crop of National Challenge Schools.

The study would suggest that by focussing upon the effective use of a widely available piece of technology, schools and pupils can improve their performance. This positive news, however, should be tempered a little because the study also shows that some inappropriate use of Interactive whiteboards may have a detrimental effect for some learners (see previous post). So, with appropriate staff training or CPD, schools could make better use of their IWBs and anticipate improved levels of achievement for their learners.

Training, CPD, of course, costs money but in this instance, it would seem to be money well spent. National Challenge Schools may already have budgets to help them improve the attainment levels of pupils. For all staff and schools, the upcoming ICT CPD for staff initiatives could help provide the necessary input.

So if you find yourself with an ICT CPD budget or an upcoming INSET day and you’re not sure what to do with it, spending part of it on improving the use of Interactive Whiteboards might be worthwhile.

For interactive whiteboard training in UK, you could do a lot worse than contact Danny http://www.whiteboardblog.co.uk/about/

Learning Platforms, Insets and lessons (digital-teacher.co.uk)
Secondary Science on the IWB (warringtonict.wordpress.com)

Using Interactive Whiteboards to Improve Achievement

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Posted in Classroom Technology, Interactive Whiteboards, Training INSET and CPD | 7 Comments »

Training, Coaching and CPD

Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

One thing I don’t mention often on this blog is that as well as my ICT work, I also do work in coaching and counselling. This has included working with school staff coping with their workload or wishing to learn more and progress their career. Generally, though, I try to keep the two roles separate.

Recently, however, I have been thinking more along the lines of merging the two roles, particularly the coaching and the ICT training. This is not just a ploy to try to get more work (though that would be nice) but has arisen as a result of looking at the type of training teachers/schools may need.

Training usually involves someone, usually an ‘expert’, leading a session and imparting skills and experiences to the attendees. This seems to be the traditional model and it is fine, it has its place and it has a role to play. I see it principally being of use where a new piece of equipment or a new approach is being introduced to an audience who need to know its ‘workings’ before they can make use of it.

Coaching I regard as something different. It usually involves a someone, the coach, working with an audience on an individual basis. The sessions will start by the client/recipient (I hate the word coachee) identifying their own topic and or goals for the coaching sessions. This is done with the help/support of the coach. The next stage is for the client and the coach to work together toward the client achieving those goals.

The key difference between coaching and training is that in the former the client is in charge of their learning and is responsible for their progress. The coach is responsible for supporting the client in identifying what they wish to learn and how they get there.

In some ways, I see coaching as being supportive of performance management in schools as well as being a tool for CPD.

Coaching is not quite the same as mentoring, in which an experienced hand shows shows how things are done. In training and in mentoring, the recipient can be seen as receiving input from an ‘expert’, in coaching the recipient is in charge and the coach acts, at best, as an equal and more often as a support.

Another key difference is the time taken. Training is often a one-off event, consequently a lot of new information/skills may be imparted at this event, which then have to be assimilated and implemented in practice. There is usually little recourse to the trainer if subsequent questions/issues/problems arise after the event and little opportunity to share experiences arising from practice.

Coaching is more of a long-term development between the client and the coach. It can therefore be more flexible and more productive, being able to take account of changing circumstances and recognising/rewarding successes along the way. It is also perhaps better able to take account of individual learning styles/preferences and progress rate than would a one-off training session.

I’d love to see coaching more widely adopted in schools/Local Authorities as a model for CPD. I believe teachers would benefit from it more than from traditional training approaches. This could be particularly true in ICT training, where nowadays we are less concerned about how devices/software work but more concerned about how they can be implemented in learning and teaching. I also feel coaching could be more effective with reluctant users/adopters of technology ( I hate the word techno-phobic) because the coaching could be better tailored to their level of understanding and needs; or at least better than a one of training session where they might just sit at the back and collect their certificate, having felt ‘lost’,'out of place’, or that the training went ‘over their heads’.

CPD matters: What is CPD? (dillonslattery.com)

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Tags: counselling, model for CPD, Teacher education
Posted in Training INSET and CPD | 4 Comments »

Good Teachers Don’t Need Technology

Monday, May 31st, 2010

: Image via Wikipedia

Someone tweeted “Good teachers don’t need technology”. Like so many on Twitter, the tweet was sent and then quickly disappeared down the timeline and yet the phrase stuck in my mind.

It stuck in my mind because basically I don’t agree with it. The sentiment may have been well meant and witty but I do not think it is correct. All teachers need technology, whether they are good teachers or not. If I were asked to define what makes a good teacher, I very much doubt that I would include in my definition the fact that they do not use technology.

For me a good teacher will know that ‘learning’ is more important than ‘teaching’. A teacher can stand in front of the class and be as animated, as enthusiastic, as engaging etc. as they like but if the learners are not learning then the teacher is wasting their time. Technology is a resource to support learning and a good teacher will welcome all such resources. A good teacher will select and match resources to fit the ability and levels of the learners. A good teacher will not reject a resource simply because it is a technology resource (though sadly a teacher may have to reject a resource if they do not have the correct technology to run the resource).

Technology is very much part of our society and, I think, of most societies in the 21st century. The levels and types of technology may vary from society to society but technology is still a part in present or future provision. A teacher who eschews all use of technology in their teaching is probably placing their teaching outside of its societal context; I’m not sure that that is a sign of a good teacher.

A corollary of ‘good teachers don’t need technology’ might be to say that only poor teachers use technology to support their teaching. That is a statement which I would find completely unsupportable and without any evidence.

For me a good teacher will make effective and extensive use of technology to support learning. A good teacher will be constantly evaluating the technology and will be seeking new ways of using technology in their teaching. A good teacher will observe how the learners use technology and will seek to harness such uses to support learning. A good teacher will recognise the uses of technology and will be prepared to make use of such technology.

A teacher in the 21st century who doesn’t feel that technology can help them in their teaching is probably not a good teacher.

Update June 2010

I haven’t moved from my last statement that a teacher who feels that technology cannot help them in their teaching is probably not a good teacher. I would now go further and say the same applies to schools; any school that feels technology cannot help in the education of their pupils is probably not a good school.

What has happened since the original post is that the Government in the UK has closed the leading educational ICT agency, Becta. This has led to a lot of uncertainty within the sector regarding the future of ICT in education and the government’s view view of the importance of educational ICT.

One aspect of the closure which seems to be overlooked, however, is that the agency was closed because of its costs and not because of any ineffectiveness or lack of relevancy. That is to say that the government closed the agency to cut down on public expenditure in this time of financial difficulty rather than because it was irrelevant.

Nevertheless, the lack of a central body monitoring, promoting or steering educational technology does raise concerns about the future developments. It would also seem to place greater emphasis upon schools and ,perhaps, individual teachers to ensure and implement educational ICT.

Two reasons for “teaching Facebook” in school (edu.blogs.com)
The Global Virtual Classroom (slideshare.net)
National Educational Technology Standards[1] (slideshare.net)
As a teacher, I’ve realised Twitter has real potential (guardian.co.uk)
Supporting Expertise and Integration of Tech. Skills into Teacher Evaluation (isteconnects.org)
The Tyranny Of Relevance (ictineducation.org)

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Tags: Educational technology
Posted in Classroom Technology, Training INSET and CPD | 9 Comments »

Archive for the ‘Training INSET and CPD’ Category

Why I enjoy ICT Training with Teachers

Teaching and Assessment; Which Comes First?

Three Thoughts on ICT CPD for Teachers

Change Management in Schools

Using Interactive Whiteboards to Improve Achievement

Training, Coaching and CPD

Good Teachers Don’t Need Technology

Contact me

Follow us on Twitter

Doug Woods

Archive for the ‘Training INSET and CPD’ Category

Why I enjoy ICT Training with Teachers

Teaching and Assessment; Which Comes First?

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Three Thoughts on ICT CPD for Teachers

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Change Management in Schools

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Using Interactive Whiteboards to Improve Achievement

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Training, Coaching and CPD

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Good Teachers Don’t Need Technology

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Contact me

Follow us on Twitter

Doug Woods