Curriculum 2000
 Information and Communications Technology has changed the way we do
things. Its effects are so profound that the very structure of society
is changing. Robots now manufacture goods and heavy industry has
ceased to be the great employer it once was. The millions who used
to work in the manufacturing industries have had to re-train for
work in the new services sector, which has sprung up in the form
of myriad new businesses.
All of this has a profound significance for education. ICT can
be of immense value in both the teaching process and the learning
process and this applies to every subject of the curriculum and
indeed all learning. In addition there are skills, knowledge and
competences which all users of ICT must possess.
ICT Capability
This section focuses on the skills and knowledge which enable you
to be a user of ICT. This is different from using ICT in a particular
subject. What we are talking about here are the generic skills which
underly the ability to use the technology. This is called 'ICT capability'.
It is described in the National
Curriculum and is a subject in its own right.
In the early versions of the National Curriculum, ICT capability
was described as five 'strands'. They were labelled Communicating
Information, Data Handling, Modelling, Control and Monitoring).
They were, and still are, a very convenient way to quickly understand
the full range of uses to which ICT is put. They are described more
fully below.
Curriculum 2000
As the technology has evolved, these strands have begun to overlap
more and more and new applications have appeared. So Curriculum
2000 introduced new phrases which better describe the ways in which
technology is used. They are:
- Exchanging and sharing information
- Finding things out
- Developing ideas and making things happen
Two other aspects of the use of ICT are also described:
- Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses
- Breadth of study
These descriptions cover all of the things you can do with ICT
and children must learn to use ICT to do all of them. Obviously,
when you are very young you will do simple things and as you grow
older these will become more complex. Also, the things you do will
all be based on your current level of understanding, so for example,
data handling will be a matter of sorting and classifying when you
are young, whilst when you are older it will include complex searches
and detailed analyses.
Developing ICT capability in the classroom
So how can children master all of this? Every child must be
given opportunities to use ICT to exchange and share information,
to find things out and to develop ideas and make things
happen during each school year. This section contains a useful
chart which will help you understand what children should cover.
Click on 'Useful Charts' in the menu on the left.
The original descriptions of the strands of ICT capability still
describe perfectly the work children should undertake.
- Communicating information - using ICT to communicate
in words, pictures and sounds. This includes collaborating with
others on a global scale.
- Handling information - using ICT to find things out.
This includes sorting, classifying and presenting data and also
analysing and searching databases, CD-ROM and on-line resources.
- Modelling - using the computer to explore real or imaginary
situations and places which are represented in the computer by
adventure games, simulations and spreadsheets.
- Control - using the computer to control programmable
robots, screen turtles and real models connected to the computer
via an interface. Feedback should be included by using sensors
to detect physical changes such as light, temperature and sound.
Numeracy and literacy
ICT can support other subjects, including numeracy and literacy.
You should bear in mind that these activities may or may not be
supporting the development of the child's ICT capability. The essential
thing is to identify exactly what are the teaching and learning
objectives. It may be that ICT is being used to help a child understand
a mathematical concept. Or it may be that, whilst doing some mathematical
work the child is mastering an ICT skill. Both are valid uses of
ICT but as a teacher you must be clear of what your objectives are.
Basic skills
There are many basic skills without which ICT equipment cannot
be used. These should be identified, introduced, taught and practised.
Just like driving a car, it cannot be done until you have mastered
some basic skills. The skills may be taught separately or as part
of other ICT activities (as in the maths example above). You can
find out everything you need to know in this web site.
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