2. Rationale All pupils are to acquire the necessary ICT skills to support them in learning and preparing them for future needs ICT refers to Information and Communication Technology
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5. Baseline ICT Skills: Key Stages Primary Level Secondary Level Key Stage 1 Key Stage 2 Key Stage 3 Key Stage 4 Pri 1 to 3 e.g. create a short text using word processor Pri 4 to 6 e.g. create a short paragraph which includes punctuations and symbols Sec 1 to 2 e.g. create pages of text in a document Sec 3 to Pre-U 2 e.g. create documents for different purposes, such as newsletters, reports, pamphlets
6. ICT skills are generic & applicable across subjects Areas of Baseline ICT Skills Areas ICT Skills Basic Operations Interactive media environment Learning with Searches Internet navigation and search Learning with Spreadsheet Data management and processing Learning with Text Word processing Learning with Multimedia Production and manipulation of multimedia content Learning with Communication Tools Online communication Learning with Data Collection Tools Data collection and transfer Cyberwellness Ethical & legal, safe & responsible use
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9. Monitoring Approach by School ICT Plan Monitoring Matrix (across levels, across subjects)
10. Monitoring Approach by Department Work Plan Monitoring Matrix (across levels, within subject)
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 Let’s just pause for a moment to review the rationale for the baseline standards. What we’re looking for are opportunities for student use of technology, to develop ICT skills for learning and the future. These standards are meant to help us as educators in our planning, teaching and communication with each other.
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 The first Masterplan for ICT in Education (1997 - 2002) was a blueprint for the use of ICT in schools and access to an ICT-enriched school environment for every child. (Provision of hardware, training for teachers)
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 The ICT Standards were piloted in 10 Pri and 9 Sec Schools. Arising from feedback from the pilot schools, there was recalibration of the Baseline Standards.
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 The Baseline ICT Skills are spread out over 4 key stages as illustrated in this table, with 2 key stages in the primary and secondary levels. The skills are developmental in nature so word processing skills at Key Stage 3 for instance build on those learnt in Key Stage 2. Schools have the flexibility to accelerate the integration and implementation depending on the capability and interests of their pupils. However skills should be acquired by the end of respective Key Stages to facilitate ICT planning at the next stage. The critical stages are end of KS2 and KS4 when students will transit from educational institution to another. KS4 focuses on extending the range of activities in KS3 rather than acquiring new skills, and builds in more higher order thinking. Also, depending on the readiness of the staff and pupils, schools can choose to implement the standards in stages or as a whole-school approach across the levels. All in all, schools are given until 2010 to achieve full implementation of the Baseline ICT Standards
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 Now let’s look more closely at the baseline ICT skill areas. These are categorised into 8 areas as shown on the table. These skills are not new to schools and can be surfaced in existing school programmes where ICT is integrated. However gaps in areas of coverage and extent of pupil coverage are likely to be present and need to be addressed over time. Let’s take a look at p8-11 of the guide. You will see a summary of the standards across the 4 key stages with the same 8 skill areas. These skill areas have been defined for education relevance. For instance, with many schools having subscribed to learning management systems, pupils are already using online communication tools such as discussion forums and blogs in learning activities. With the introduction of SPA in secondary schools, pupils would be able to handle data collection tools like data loggers as they would have used them to collect data when they carry out Science experiments. Looking to the top of the page, let’s take p10, we have the learning objectives and ICT focus. Skill areas are listed on the left, followed by the skill code and a short descriptor. Skill codes beginning with P refer to Primary, and S to Secondary skills. Certain skill areas contain more than 1 skill. In a lesson, it is likely that there is be more than one skill exercised. Towards the bottom are suggested ways to determine or observe skill acquisition. Below that are the main cyberwellness areas targeted for that Key Stage. A note now on Cyberwellness. The Cyberwellness standards have been designed to complement the Cyberwellness framework that rolled out recently. We had a briefing last week for school cyberwellness coordinators who will look into an overall school program. For IP Heads, these standards here are to help you and your teachers identify opportunities in curriculum for bringing in cyberwellness which includes the ethical, legal, safe and responsible use of ICT. As cyberwellness is in essence values education, it needs to be integrated into learning activities wherever there are opportunities to do so, For instance, citating research resources obtained through Internet search. Looking at Basic Operations, SK1, many of you might be wondering what “Operate in an interactive digital environment” means. Now let’s turn to Annex A-1 on p42-48. Specifically, let’s head to p45. Here we see explanatory notes for each of the skill descriptors. An extended explanation and examples have been provided. In this case, we see that Applets, GSP and simulations games like SimCity could qualify. SH1 – Independent search, SS1 – Graphs and charts, SS2 – Simple built-in functions, ST1 – MS Word or even Blogs Skills are not necessarily tied to specific tools but the use of the tool. Blogs could be ST1 (Text/Word Processing) if you had students write their journal entry there. It would hit SC1 (Online Communication) if you had students make comments on each other’s blog. SM1 – Editing a multimedia element can be as simple as using the picture toolbar in MS Powerpoint to crop an image, SM2 – Creating a presentation with hyperlinks could be tied with cyberwellness by having students create a hyperlinked bibliography at the end of their project presentation, SC1 – Forum threads, email all qualify, SD1 – Transferring data collected. This could be a video clip, digital still, mp3 recording, datalog. I hope you get the idea. The skill descriptors are meant to help support and organise our efforts in technology integration so that it’s overall more comprehensive. If you’re using ICT in lessons, it should be hitting a baseline standard somewhere. However as we’re looking at Secondary standards, do note that some very basic skills like saving a file, typing a short sentence or browsing a list of provided links would be Primary rather than Secondary standards. Annex B-3 p53 shows the complete list of cyberwellness standards.
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 We shall now discuss how schools can integrate the Standards into curriculum in greater details. At the school level, for a start, HODs as instructional leaders and ICT champions may want to review the existing ICT-based lessons across the different subjects and levels which already have baseline ICT skills integrated. This will help us in planning for ways to ensure that opportunities for baseline ICT learning experiences are well-spread out across the curriculum. Next, we need to recognise that different ICT tools and skills do present a more natural fit in certain subjects, topics and activities, as indicated in the table. It is important for each subject to capitalise on the natural opportunities for ICT integration into the curriculum and to plan for its use. This will maximise opportunities across the curriculum for pupils to acquire all the baseline ICT skills. However, this does not mean that teachers should limit themselves to the specified ICT skills for the subjects indicated in the table.
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 Here is another example on how to integrate ICT vertically across levels for similar or related topics. Annex C-2 p63. In this maths example, the same topic is covered in a spiral fashion. As such the same tools can be used for teaching Cartesian coordinates at S1, Quadratic functions at S2 and Cubic functions at S3.
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 So now we have integrated the Baseline ICT Standards into the curriculum, and just like any processes that have been put in place, we need to put in place a structured monitoring and reviewing system to ascertain if our implementation has been successful and that our pupils have been given opportunities to use and practise these ICT skills. Annex E-1 p99 There are basically 2 approaches that schools may adopt to monitor the integration of baseline standards. We may use the whole-school perspective, that is to use the school’s ICT plan to give an overview of how each IP department has integrated baseline standards into the curriculum. The HOD ICT can use the plan to ensure co-ordination among departments so that baseline standards are integrated across subjects and at every level nominated, so that pupils have the opportunity to practice the baseline skills. To aid the HOD ICT in the monitoring of baseline standards integration into the school curriculum, a matrix could be developed. It will present the number of lessons that baseline standards have been integrated into, within a single level. This will enable the HOD ICT to scan the areas of integration and to plug any gaps. This monitoring matrix could be put online or in the school shared folder for teachers to indicate the details of the baseline ICT lessons they have conducted. This will help the HOD ICT to keep abreast of the baseline ICT integration and generate reports to monitor implementation. In the example here we see that SC1 and SD1 are gaps that may need attention over the year. * Presenter may refer audience to p99 of Guide
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 At the department level, HOD IPs can monitor the integration of Baseline ICT Standards by using a matrix similar that of the school monitoring matrix. Elaborate example shown * Presenter may refer audience to p101 of Guide
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 To review if pupils have attained the baseline ICT skills, schools can adopt a mix of the following strategies. Using observation form, the department can identify some lesson activities where pupils need to apply Baseline ICT Skills and observations are conducted by teachers to see if pupils are able to apply the skills. * Presenter may refer audience to p105 of Guide
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 Teachers can also collect pupils’ printed assignments or artefacts created with ICT tools for grading. Such artefacts can be filed together with other class assignments and handouts in their subject files. Artefacts may be printed out in hardcopy for submission, or stored in the pupils’ shared folder on the school server for teachers to access and view. A checklist may be developed for teachers to monitor the attainment of Baseline ICT Skills through the review of artefacts. * Presenter may refer audience to p106 of Guide
Baseline ICT Standards - HOD Briefing 28 & 29 Jan 2008 ETD has also developed lesson resources to help schools integrate the standards into the subjects’ scheme of work. The resources are put up in the edu.MALL where teachers can download for use.
