Term 1 one of the new academic year has come to a close – teachers and students alike are enjoying well earned holidays. In January, 2009, Becta produced Harnessing Technology for Next Generation Learning – Becta at work – A progress report 2008. It would be reasonable to expect that progress had been made on the ‘Issues for the future’ identified in the report so maybe this is an appropriate time to reflect, as a school, what has been achieved before the next report in January 2009 is published.
In the January 2009 report, Becta demonstrates the progress made with each of the five elements under the revised Harnessing Technology strategy. The elements are:
- Confident system leadership and innovation
- Enabling infrastructure and processes
- Technology-confident effective providers
- Engaged and empowered learners, parents and employers
- Improved personalised learning experiences
Examples of progress in 2008 include:
- 48% of secondary heads said that they were giving high priority to using technology to communicate with parents.
- 82% of all colleges have a dedicated ICT and e-learning strategy.
- 73% of all teachers regularly used interactive whiteboards in lessons – up from 42% in 2006.
- Learner services are becoming more and more integrated, but few schools reported that their information management system could be accessed via a learning platform.
- In many cases, the technology infrastructure for learning in schools and colleges is not as efficient and sustainable as it could be.
- 46% of secondary teachers said that they used internet resources in at least half of their lessons – up from 33% in 2007.
- 32% of secondary school teachers said that they used ICT with pupils working on their own in half or more of their lessons – up from 22% in 2007.
- 16% of secondary teachers said they felt ‘very’ or ‘quite effective’ in using ICT – up from 12% in 2007.
- 34% of schools reported using a computer in school during break or lunchtimes and 46% have used a computer in school before or after school.
- Around 10% of schools had a home access scheme in place and these schools were more likely to report that teachers set more homework requiring ICT use.
- 60% of college learning platform users who used a computer at home said they had accessed the learning platform at home.
How well does your school do against these highlights at the end of 2009? What more needs to be done? Does your school have the infrastructure and consultative process in place to support further development and integration of ICT?
The same document suggests a number of issues for the future for each of the elements of the strategy. You can download your copy here -> Becta at work – January 2009 – A progress report.
Also, if your school is not sure about their progress and you need more information go to School ICT Health Check.
