Teachers can use technology to interact with professional networks to support their own professional development.
Video of the Rwandan experience with developing and deploying a UNESCO ICT CFT / OER teacher training course
This course proceeds or should be done concurrently with the “Planning for Technology Integration” course during which the initial planning for e-learning and technology in the school is completed. During this course we strategise around several key elements of change leadership, such as capacity building and the cultures of learning and evaluation, which will help to sustain the change and continue growing a sense of ownership of the e-learning vision. The course also addresses ongoing implementation issues regarding support and maintenance and facing challenges adaptively.
Why Change Leadership?
When new and innovative approaches are adopted in a school e-learning plan, new technologies may be identified as resources. Both represent change/transformation in the school. Implementing a School Technology Plan requires management of processes as well as people and technology. If process and technology are changing in a school, stakeholders (the people concerned) need to feel ownership of the direction of change if educational transformation is to succeed. Therefore, being a technology leader in the school requires an understanding of the process of change leadership, because ultimately it's all about the people, especially the teachers and learners.
The purpose of this course is to inspire you to explore the possibilities of teaching in innovative, educationally sound ways. It is a foundational course which can provide an impetus for a more detailed exploration of various aspects of innovative teaching and learning, both in terms of your own practice (as a stand-alone), but also specifically as a basis for the other courses. You will critically evaluate some current innovative approaches which are broadly constructivist in approach. By becoming familiar with some key concepts and some principles of instructional design, you will understand the need to adopt and foster a constructivist approach. You will be introduced to the habit of reflecting on your own practice, and also to discussion and collaboration within the group studying the module, thereby setting up those skills for future modules.
Today’s learners can use a variety of technologies to access knowledge resources and interact globally with people. These interactions create a digital society that affords learners opportunities for education, entertainment and social interaction. Most of today’s children are comfortable using technology, but may not use it efficiently, effectively or appropriately. Teachers can create learning experiences that foster specific digital literacy skills. They can also help learners understand their roles and responsibilities as responsible digital citizens who can participate in the knowledge economy.
This is the full Egyptian ICT CFT Course including 14 units of study. The units are drawn predominately from the Knowledge deepening level. Note the course is in the Arabic language.
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This is a manual that shows the curriculum coverage of the Rwanda ICT Essentials for Teachers Course. It provides the course structure, the specific competencies, and provides a suggested facilitation process
This is a unit of study whose competency is to locate necessary resources that help to acquire additional subject matter and pedagogical knowledge for professional development. The objectives are: identify relevant resources for professional development and collaborative teacher networks. Discuss the advantages of collaborative networks and participate in collaborative teacher networks.
The aim of this unit is that upon completion, teachers will be able to locate and use resources that help to provide professional development opportunities.
This course has been developed to support the training of teachers to integrate ICT into their teaching practices. The materials, guides and activities are strongly aligned with the UNESCO ICT Competency Framework for Teachers (CFT).
While the course embraces the role ICT can bring to the classroom it is also not held prisoner by the need for high end or sophisticated technology platforms. The course can be deployed in areas of limited or no connectivity via CD ROM or memory stick as most of the resources have been previously downloaded and collected. There are also web and paper based versions of the lessons and guides.
This course uses materials that are Open Education Resources (OER) or free to use for educational purposes, allowing the use and distribution, and in some instances the repurposing of the materials, at no additional cost. (See the Open License tab for more information).
But most importantly we hope the lessons are fun and engaging enough to introduce new possibilities and refresh the participant's passion for teaching and learning.
Teachers require the competencies and knowledge to implement learner-centred classrooms that integrate technology and foster innovative teaching and learning practices. This course builds on the foundations of knowledge of learning theories and basic technology-enhanced teaching to focus on more innovative classroom activities. This course also focuses on learner engagement, developing 21st Century skills and engaging learners in knowledge-building tasks.
A unit of study that builds upon the work covered in the Technology Literacy Course participants. Participants will access and share learning opportunities that support their own personal learning goals.
A unit of study for teachers to understand the concept of Personal Learning Network (PLN) and the various sources and experts that are available to them online to help them further their professional learning.
Prof. Melinda dP. Bandalaria from the University of the Philippines Open University (UPOU) lectures on 'Online Communities of Practice' and covers how being in a community of practice can support the professional development of teachers. She also investigates various digital tools and platforms that can support teachers find such communities.
In earlier courses you learned about the key educational principles behind innovative approaches to learning and how digital literacy prepares students for a digital society. One way of bringing this approach to life in the classroom is through project-based approaches to learning. The purpose of this course is to provide participants with an understanding of the key components of a structured project and we will use the WebQuest as an example. The course is practical, exploring and analysing existing projects, and inviting participants to develop their own project using a 4-part structure. A planning template provides a “place” where the various ideas and aspects involved in a project design can be systematically collected. Where relevant, the concepts underlying the various aspects of a project are referenced and briefly explored.
This course simulates a process (stretching over two courses) which school leaders could follow while planning/reviewing and preparing for technology-enhanced learning in their schools. Previous courses in this CCTI programme have shown us how technology-based resources result in an ever-changing landscape which requires stakeholders to develop a clear vision and for leaders to facilitate the capacity-building of these stakeholders to respond collectively to that vision.
Planning is a cyclic process, as shown in the image below. We will follow one cycle during the process of the two courses in this series.
Research demonstrates that teacher professional development is most effective when it is school-based and when teachers see it as directly relevant to teaching and learning. In the digital age, professional development activities have become de-centralised and individualised. At the same time they have become globalised and collaborative. In this course, you will select a focus for your own professional development and experience the variety of resources and tools available.
You will develop recommendations for leading professional development at your school. This course builds foundational knowledge and technology skills useful for participating in the CCTI programme and for planning a school-wide professional development strategy in Course 8: Planning for Technology Integration.
In the same way teachers encourage their learners to be curious about the world, teachers need to regularly update their own knowledge and skills. This unit focuses on how teachers can enjoy lifelong professional development opportunities by linking to teacher networks and online courses.
UNESCO’s Framework emphasizes that it is not enough for teachers to have ICT competencies and be able to teach them to their students. Teachers need to be able to help the students become collaborative, problemsolving, creative learners through using ICT so they will be eff ective citizens and members of the workforce. The Framework therefore addresses all aspects of a teacher’s work:
Understanding ICT in Education
Curriculum and Assessment
Pedagogy
ICT
Organisation & Administration
Teacher Professional Learing
The Framework is arranged in three diff erent approaches to teaching (three successive stages of a teacher’s development). The first is Technology Literacy, enabling students to use ICT in order to learn more effi ciently. The second is Knowledge Deepening, enabling students to acquire in-depth knowledge of their school subjects and apply it to complex, real-world problems. The third is Knowledge Creation, enabling students, citizens and the workforce they become, to create the new knowledge required for more harmonious, fulfi lling and prosperous societies.
The Zimbabwe ICT Essentials for Teachers Course is avaiable as an App for Android phones and tablets. The original course has been reformated to fit on screens of different sizes! The full course is available.