Module 10: Activity 2 - ICT Policies

Some primary and all secondary schools in Antigua have received computer labs as donations or initiatives through the Ministry of Education.  Once, weekly mobile lab visits those primary schools that do not have labs.  Also most students from form two to five have received tablets.  It is therefore necessary that schools develop ICT policies to bring awareness to all concerned about the roles and responsible use of ICTs and to ensure the safe use of these tools.

Vision: Foster the use of ICT to modernize the teaching and learning environment to facilitate equity of access, to enhance competitiveness and to develop individuals who are capable of functioning effectively in a technologically driven society.

Teaching and learning with ICT  in ten years time at my school:

• Principals, teachers, students and parents will  use ICT meaningfully, to enhance the teaching-learning process
• All teachers and students will have equitable access to ICT resources
• Skills across the areas of learning will be developed
• Students will find things out by gathering information from a variety of sources, enter and store the information in a variety of forms and retrieve the information that has been stored
• Students will communicate and collaborate to create knowledge, share their knowledge by presenting information in a variety of forms; review, modify and evaluate information.
• There will be a high level of computer ownership at home and constant internet access to foster school to home connection
• Attainment in Mathematics, Reading and Science will be greatly improved
• Teachers will have the requisite skills and competencies to use and
• promote ICT as a tool in the enhancement of the teaching / learning process and there will be opportunities for continuous upgrade of these skills
• Provision for continuous professional development
• Students will use ICT independently
• Students would be able to build on and develop existing knowledge through skills taught at our school to maintain continuity and progression in secondary school
• The internet will be used as a research and communication tool among students, parents, teachers, principals, other MOE officials and members of the community.
• Authentic assessment will be used  -  individual progress of each student  will be maintained and teachers will use data collected to identify students’ weaknesses and  to determine measures that can be taken to address such weaknesses.

 

To achieve this policy, the school’s ICT policy would need

The vision

Goals and objectives

Strategies and activities

Resources available

 Issues to be included in the ICT policy

Roles and responsibilities

Staff professional development

Use of ICT tools and resources

Teaching and learning

Repair, Replacement and Insurance

Environmental, health and social issues

Financial plan and budget

Assessment

I have looked at the Manchester Elementary Middle School.  

Policies are documents that provide guidelines for the management and use of ICTs.  When planning policies there needs to consultation, accountability, transparency and fairness.  Guidelines and possible consequences of transgressing these must be clear.