Student: Rebecca A.

De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

X`With the Touch of a Button- Education,

ICT & Pedagogies
The method and knowledge about the pedagogies as a teacher is a persistently evolving
region within our academic society. Because of this there have been constant exertions put
toward the development of teaching. From the first teacher all throughout history Internet
communication technology (ICT) has been present within the preverbal and literal walls of
the class room. It has endorsed education to cross boarders, oceans, countries and continents
in its pursuit to allow equal opportunity to ascertain an education. ICT has taken on numerous
forms in the past from Morse code to the first telephone to the current Computer Operating
systems that are now established within most schools and educational based facilities. Bill
Gates once said Technology is just a tool. In terms of getting the kids working together and
motivating them, the teacher is most important. The introduction of ICT into education was
never to replace the teacher, but always to give them the best means of reaching their class
room.
My own philosophy as a pre-service teacher views ICT highly as an effective means of
reaching the divers array of students within the classroom all over the world.

Every student should have a chance at obtaining an education throughout their lives
even those in the most remote of locations.
Background, ethnicity and even language should never be a barrier to interfere with
ones learning and it is a Teachers role to be a constant discerner of information and
the means at which it should be relayed to their pupils.
A teachers role is not only to instruct this pupil by imparting knowledge but also
unveil each students potential within themselves
.

An Understanding of ICT in Education and Pedagogies

With the explosion of ICT in our schooling society many teachers have been able to break
through the barriers of learning difficulties and differences in order to more efficiently and
effectively teach their students. The span of ICT throughout the educational system of our
world has affected diverse arrays of schools and schooling methods. In this essay will be
addressed three specific areas of schooling; Privet Education, Public Education and Remote
Education. The great advancement that ICT has distributed to these three schooling types will
be referenced along with specific ICT advancement and additions made to those educational
systems and how it has further benefited the internal dynamics of the class room in its attempt
to further connect, and aid the efforts of the modern day teacher.

Student: Rebecca A. De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

The Privet Educational schooling method has been pursued by many a privileged parents
wishing to provide the best possible future for their child to succeed in. The diverse
adjustments and extravagant Personal Learning Plan (PLP) for the student orchestrated by the
school is one of the large reasons that there are additional fees to enrol. In the 2013 Digest of
Education collected data that was shared bringing up the fact teachers in Privet Education
enjoy their positions, and this is due to the great support they are supplied (Cape Outlook,
2014). Having a student orientated focus is the responsibility of the school to remain up to
date with their means and methods of administering ICT to the students, and allowing them to
access it in methods of using a smart boards to illustrate, or providing students with devices
like video cameras to record their science reports or even used typing on a Personalized
Computer (PC) to enhance academic English skills. With the great addition of ICT in the
Privet Educational world schools have been able to better accommodate teachers in their
pursuit to pass knowledge.
Privet Education has great privileges and has dozens of ICT opportunities to introduce to
their teachers to help them better facilitate a more exciting and informative lesson. They can
supply knowledge to their students by maintaining their technologies and introducing updated
ones if necessary. Devices such as Ipads has proven to be a fantastic method in the Privet
School class rooms as children are able to not only engaged academically on paper but also
digitally online, gleaning information from varieties of sources. Nevertheless no ICT or
online resource can ever substitute the benefit of a present teacher amongst students of any
age. Teachers need to integrate technology seamlessly into the curriculum instead of
viewing it as an add-on, an afterthought, or an event. (Heidi-Hayes Jacobs) Teachers need to
be confident with the ICT benefits in privet education so they can seamlessly teach and use
whatever device or method to more effectively aid them. In the end its always the ICT
assisting the teacher, never the teacher assisting the ICT. Yet ICT is not restricted to this.
Government funding has provided the local educational sectors to increase as schools are
continuously being established all over Australia to better supply their people with
educational opportunities. In a paper by UNESCO Institute of Statistics, the importance of
understanding ICT in education and the ability to integrate it across the education system is
voiced as a key priority for all countries.(April 2014) These ideas have been placed into
action as the Australian Government continue to house dozens of ICT devices such as
computers, laptops, Ipads etc within the everyday class room. The intent was to better and
more effectively allow a teacher to pass on information to the students. Obviously there need
to be the appropriate security precautions taken place to ensure all students are having a safe
ICT experience. This will better assist their learning and also better equip their teacher.
There are strong scaffolding within government funded schools giving the teacher a safety net
but also possibly hindering a teachers unique expression of their teaching methods. This is
not the governments fault in anyway; in fact it is the teachers mindset which needs to be

Student: Rebecca A. De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

adjusted if so. While teachers may find conformity and word for word curriculums
comforting a student does not. The words of April Chamberlain ring loud when they say
Change is necessary to engage students not (just) in the curriculum we are responsible for
teaching, but in school. Period. ICT can be used as a method by which a lesson can be
brought to life using the provided government resources with alternative and dramatic ICT
introductions such incorporating a stopwatch on the smart board at a way to time students
reciting mathematical knowledge, or watching a recording of themselves presenting to better
analyse the human psyche. When used correctly ICT can be the flair that every public school
teacher needs to brighten up their class.
Weve spoken about the benefits of ICT in both Public and Privet school systems, now let us
address the final education circumstance that ICT has revolutionized throughout its influence;
and that is Remote Education. Due to either work of parents or underprivileged communities
many Australians and many people throughout the world especially in third world countries
lack some of the simplest ICT advancements. Western Australia for instance due to the grand
geographical isolation many students take part in remote education. (Forlin & Lock 2006)
With the availability for internet constantly being introduced throughout the remote
communities and towns schools within those areas are now being better equipped, supported
and encouraged to continue presenting quality education to the students, now with online
interactive means, and providing students access to technologies they might not have at
home.
Remote education at times can be one of the most authentic means of teaching students. Kids
in remote areas often only attend school because of a desire, knowing the value of education.
With the introduction of ICT many of the disadvantages rural schools suffer can be reduced.
(White, 2014) As a teaching facilitating the introduction of any form of ICT, for example;
wireless internet, it is important to remember that a teacher is irreplaceable and that this
method of ICT is only here to assist an already capable teacher, and if anything ICT is to
more efficiently aid the teacher is reaching the group of kids. Online websites, IPads,
Projectors etc. these things all aid the teacher in adding a new method to learning the same
knowledge. It also provides the teacher to be aware they are not alone, as many teachers in
remote areas are able to contact other teachers and create community between then.

Student: Rebecca A. De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

Specific Incorporations of ICT in the Class room

ICT in all areas of education has been able to assist in some of the more complex but also
straight forward incorporations of technologies in schools. Its presence within the Privately
funded learning institutions has provided teachers and the schools to provide their students
with the newest advancement for class room ICT but also better equip their teachers to be
able to use it. In Public educational facilities ICT has expanded to allow even the less
financially stable families to introduce their students to quality schooling methods as more
and more teachers are incorporating their ICT advancements into the class room. In remote
education whether government or privately funded ICT has dramatically changed the lives of
both students and teachers as it provides a strong support structure for the teacher and diverse
learning methods to the students.
Microsoft Education
A software version of ICT that will be addressed within this essay is Microsoft Education.
Microsoft is a software package that is used by almost every government and privet schooling
system and the benefits of taking advantage of this software is limitless. Microsoft offers
Word that can be used in literacies and English, Publisher can be used in modern designing
and presentations by oral practicing students, Excel provides students in mathematical
subjects to design a budget while working with percentages, rations etc and math equations in
real life examples. Microsoft does not only offer their basic packages they also have special
offers and applications for schools such as Microsoft Education. This allows teachers to
unleash the world upon their class room in the form of introducing Skype lessons from other
teachers, online experiential workshops, an IT Academy and a broad network to connect with
other students on similar software.
As a teacher the ability to incorporate this software in the classroom can be the watershed
moment that revolutionizes ones method of teaching. Students are more readily excited
about learning because theyve been introduced to new and different methods of education
that they had never experienced. Microsoft continues to set a stable where a teacher can
introduce their students to a network of support, applications, documents and activities
through virtual methods and even incorporate this into their students assignments. For
example if a teacher is focusing on English they can used Microsoft Word to document an
essay, or Power Point to facilitate and oral speech made by students. One could even record
their presentation for them to look over and allow themselves to supply constructive
criticism. Although this software can never replace a teacher it can certainly shave off hours
of planning, and add a greater diversity into a teachers style with limited effort.
SMART Technologies
A Type of hardware that has been introduced into class room in recent age the Smart Board,
by SMART technologies. This hardware allowed teachers to structure and build engaging

Student: Rebecca A. De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

lesson plans in limited amounts of time. Providing already gathered materials and ideas for
the modern day teacher to either use or alter to better suit their specific class room dynamics.
The greatest gift we can give our teachers is more time (Smarttech) that quote sums up
everything that Smart Board hardware and the software within the devices have attempted to
achieve. With the ability to manipulate images, project motion pictures and so much more the
Smart Board not only provides a teacher with means to better present knowledge to their
class rooms but also allows the students with an interactive platform to engage in firsthand.
A teacher can easily use Smart Board technology in the everyday lesson and class room as a
way to excite their students about learning and create a much more community like
environment instead having it feel like reformatory. Students now no longer need to remain
seated for the duration of the class, the teacher if willing is able to call them up, and allow
them to manipulate the Smart Board software themselves on the device to better present or
resented whatever is being taught. This not only provides for more interactive learning but
also provides alternative learning methods to students who may have learning difficulties and
disabilities. The Smart Board is a very well developed piece of ICT that contains dozens of
advanced software and application that will allow any teacher to open the doors of learning
for their students.
MacBook Pro
A more personalized form of ICT that has recently entered schools all throughout Australia,
and would be a fantastic teaching tool is the MacBook Pro. This ICT device within the town
of Alice Springs has shown great benefit to the students of Centralian Senior College. Each
student is equipped with their own MacBook Pro which they are allowed to use throughout
the school day and also able to take home. They are also provided with a personal USB that
allows them to store, save and keep a backup of mobile data. Students now are able to have a
personalized computer in which they can store school data, programs and information that
they are required to work on throughout the week. The MacBook Pro saves hours of printing
and organizing for the teacher; instead with their students having a PC all they are required to
do is organize a file, and make it accessible for their students to save and then decide whether
to print it or not in their own time.
As a teacher incorporating each student having their own MacBook into an everyday lesson
would be a dramatic shift in original teaching style of most teachers. Many of the on paper
activities, resources and information would need to take a digital turn to an on screen,
projected or virtually accessible knowledge and examples. For example within an English
lesson teachers would have the opportunity to provide their students with digitalized scripts
of their reading which would not be as easily damaged or misplaced. As a safety measure
teachers should urge their student to maintain backups of their school study files on both
their USB and computer to provide security and protection. Another way to use a MacBook
would be to upload student assignments on their laptops this would allow them to work on
assignments and access them easily without needing sort through papers. The MacBook is a

Student: Rebecca A. De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

revolutionary device with at the end of each school day provides the student with organized
virtual data instead of dozens of jumbled up papers.
ICT in education is more than simply giving students a computer; it is about incorporating
modern technologies based upon more efficient communication to allow students to learn
through different avenues. Whether it visually, verbally or interactively ICT has developed
countless tools in modern day society to aid any teacher from any walk of life. Obviously as
ICT continues to evolve the teacher will also become a student, a student of developing
advancements of the many new innovations of technology. Teachers are no longer alone
unable to share ideas or gain knowledge from others. With the explosion of online access
every teacher has the advantage of gleaning gens of class room wisdom in order to facilitate
and forge the best learning environment for their students, to ensure that learning is a constant
outflow of their class room.
Teachers have limitless resources, students have limitless support. Teaching now crosses
countries and continents in its pursuit for all to access knowledge. A teacher is an
irreplaceable presence in a class room and their ability and knowledge in manipulating and
using modern incorporations of ICT in their class room can be the answer to smoother and
more effective learning. No longer does teaching need to be something that is read in black
and white instead it can be presented with a myriad of colure, sounds and interactions that get
students brains wired for learning.

Student: Rebecca A. De KockStudent Number: 261805

in Education

Unit: EST204 ICT

Reference Page
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Digest of Education Statistics, (2013). Schools and staffing services
Forlin, C.,& Lock,G. (2006) Employing Technologies to Engage Students with Diverse
Needs in Rural School Communities. Australian journal of teaching education. 31(1)
Retrieved from: http://ro.ecu.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1369&context=ajte
Gates, B.(1955). Microsoft Founder & Co
Jacobs, H. H.(1948). Educational consultant, curriculum designer, inc.
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http://smarttech.com/Home%20Page/Landing%20Page
Wallet, P., Melgar, V.B. (2014) Information and communication technology (ICT) in
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White, B. (2010). Using ICT to enhance curriculum opportunities for students in rural and
remote school. 25 (2). Retrieved from:
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%20V25N2%20UsingICTtoEnhance.pdf
The Privet Schools Advantage (2014, January). Voice of Americas privet schools. Cape
Outlook. Council for American privet education. Retrieved From:
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