An aspect of my work that I find most enjoyable is the training work I often undertake. I feel that the pleasure and satisfaction that I get from doing the training comes from the fact that I am often working directly with staff involved in schools. This has two levels of satisfaction, firstly, I am able to feel that I am helping these staff to acquire or develop new skills, insights etc. into teaching learners and, secondly, it helps me keep in touch with developments and initiatives at the ‘chalkface’.
Espresso Education
For a few years, most of my training work was done through Espresso Education, for whom I delivered INSET training to schools subscribing to their service. This was a fantastic role, not only for the two reasons I mentioned above but also because I was greatly enthusiastic about their products and the benefits these would have on pupils’ learning. In its time, the Espresso service was greatly innovative and motivational and I could see on the faces of many staff their immediate enthusiasm for the product and its potential. This training also afforded me opportunities to explore training in, at the time, new technologies such as Interactive Whiteboards, which had recently been pushed into schools. Sadly, my time working with Espresso came to an end when a permament trainer was appointed for the area I covered.
Staff Training
However, staff training in ICT has always been a part of my work. Even when I was an ICT co-ordinator in school, there was a part of my role which meant that I would lead training for school staff. This was often on an ad-hoc basis, taking up a portion of staff meeting time or working alongside staff in a classroom. This was often an interesting aspect of my work as an ICT coordinator though it was also a very demanding one.
Unfortunately, I guess, it was often seen by schools as being a ‘cheap’ method of providing ICT training in that they didn’t have to pay anyone extra and it would often be carried out without providing supply cover for me or for the other staff being trained.
On the other hand, it was often a more effective method of providing training because it could be tailored specifically for the member of staff receiving the training and could be tailored also to the learners they were teaching. It could also be tied more closely to the equipment and facilities available within the school, rather than (as sometimes happens) being geared around a product or service not available and which then turns more into a ‘sales’ pitch for that product.
This approach had the added advantage in that a relationship could be built up with the staff member receiving the training and the approach, timescale, outcomes etc., could be better fitted to their individual requirements.
Self Review Framework
A new angle on my training work was taken on when I became contracted to Becta to deliver Self Review Framework (SRF) training to senior staff in schools and Local Authorities. This type of training meant working with smaller groups, usually consisting of headteachers, ICT leaders and senior management staff and involved a lot more consideration of stategic planning in the running of a school or department.
These sessions were generally well received by those attending, particularly because it afforded them not only an insight into the tool but also the thinking behand it. It also gave them opporunities for ‘hands on’ work, which is often welcomed at such training sessions as time can be difficult to obtain during the busy school day. Above all, it gave the participants an opportunity to share and discuss with colleagues their views, experiences and issues, rather than require them to work in isolation back in their own schools.
Transforming Learning
I feel that currently, education and particularly ICT in education is going through a difficult but interesting stage. We are witnessing a lot of innovation in ICT and a lot of transformation in learning. This, I feel, is placing a great demand upon ICT training for staff, not only in their use and exposure to ICT but, perhaps more importantly, in the use of ICT that they afford to their learners. Perhaps this reflects the biggest change in ICT training, we no longer focus upon developing the teacher’s confidence and skill in using ICT tools to support learning so much as demonstrating how the teacher can allow the learner to use ICT in new and creative ways.
Handheld Learning
These innovative ways can include a whole raft of web2.0 technologies and they can also include new devices such as mobile phones, smartphones and handheld devices such as the iPod Touch. I am a great fan of handheld learning and, although still in its infancy, I see it as a potential future route for delivering ICT to learners. These technologies and devices are not limited to learner use, they can be used by other members of the family and also by teachers. Increasingly we see educators making use of services such as Twitter or Ning to support their work and the benefits of this can be passed on to other staff.
A change in focus
I do feel, as I have said before, that there is a change in focus for ICT training for staff; no longer are we focussed upon developing individual staff member skill or expertise or upon promoting the particular features of one or other software package for staff to use. The focus now appears to be shifting upon staff allowing and facilitating innovative uses of technology by the learner.
See also my related blog posts;
Why I enjoy ICT training with teachers