Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
· creating a collaborative environment with e-facilitators that is open and
international. How can fragmentation be overcome? How can links between
networks be made? The exclusivity of some current networks prevents effec-
tive exchange of knowledge
· developing more people to people connections and e-twinning opportuni-
ties.
Importantly, ethical and intellectual property issues need to be resolved as teachers
work more online, sharing knowledge and resources, and there is a need to develop a com-
mon code of conduct for such work. Any sites supporting professional networking will
normally have terms and conditions with protocols for codes of conduct which include:
· How can listeners in the e-forums be identified?
· What ethical code do contributors subscribe to?
· Who owns the ideas and the content posted by teachers?
Teachers report using a very wide variety of sources to gain information about new
tools and resources. These include:
· personal contacts : learners, friends, colleagues, parents
· professional contacts : peers, subject coordinators, in-school/college specialists
(providing demonstrations), staff in other schools/colleges
· professional networking : various professional associations
· examination boards : especially for moderators
· reviews : magazines and specialist sections of newspapers: for example, the
TES , Guardian
· exhibitions
· local authorities : through advisory teachers and teachers' centres or virtual
teachers' centres where ideas can be pooled and shared
· reputable software providers
· associated universities
· technicians who work across schools and colleges : these are reported as becom-
ing a conduit for the sharing of knowledge, because they see what staff in
other schools and colleges are doing and can judge what works. A suggestion
from teachers contributing to the Education Futures research was that tech-
nicians should be trained to understand pedagogy as well as technology. In
addition, a cluster of schools and colleges could have a roaming e-learning
technologist as well as a team of technicians.
· well-designed CPD programmes providing examples of pedagogical applications
and giving time to play, test out and evaluate. Teachers contributing to the
Education Futures research said the best CPD programmes are not just about
'what' the product can do but also about 'how' a digital tool or resource can
be used. This recommendation was made because staff will not always see the
relevance or potential of a piece of kit or software unless it is linked to the cur-
riculum. Decontextualized technical training was not considered useful unless
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