ICT Tools Statement

ICT tools are pivotal in both effective teaching and effective learning in contemporary
classrooms. With technology constantly evolving, it is critical that children are equipped with
both the skills and knowledge on how to use ICT to engage, comprehend, analyse and present
information. Classroom activities as a result of this, should actively utilise ICT as a learning tool
opposed to a teaching tool. In constructing the lesson plans that form this unit, attempts were
made to remove the teacher as the instructor, thus replacing teaching tools with learning tools as
such. Rather than having the teacher instruct utilising technology, we redefined the role of the
teacher, further positioning the teacher as an aid. In this way, the teachers job was to help
students construct meaning and understanding, while the students themselves engaged with the
learning tools. The way in which we sought to accomplish this is explored below through
discussion of Answer Garden, padlet, stormboard, spiderscribe, QR codes and imovie in lesson
plan implementation.

The first tool utilised within this unit is evident in lesson one. As a means of introducing this
lesson Answer Garden is used with the purpose of stimulating thought in the area and
encouraging students to engage with the topic. Allowing students to view the answers of other
class members to the question posed (by the teacher), Answer Garden is a key example of an
effective learning tool. While the teacher guides discussion (within answer garden), via posing a
question, students use their own sense making and knowledge to answer this question
comprehensively. The fact that answer garden further shows all responses in a word cloud like
format, encourages students to think elaborately, building on the ideas and thoughts of others. In
this way, one students answers can prompt thoughts and ideas that may not have otherwise been
considered by other students. Answer garden is an interesting and useful learning tool as it
encourages students to learn from others and elaborate on their ideas. Additionally, it is also a
very visual tool meaning it is engaging to observe, thus maintaining students attention. The
teacher is not instructing per say, when implementing this tool, but rather learning is achieved
once more through viewing peers ideas.

In a similar way, lesson one also involves the learning tool Padlet. Padlet is an interactive,
collaborative program that enables students to make written, visual or audiovisual posts online.
Students can add attachments, take photos, and record their voice over webcam. This program
was chosen, as like Activity Garden it enables students to construct meaning and obtain
knowledge through the learning of others. This kind of social learning is a key element of social
constructivism and it makes logical sense that teachers further implement this ideology through
ICT use in the classroom. In this way, padlet is used as both an assessment tool and a learning
tool within the lessons constructed. Students (in groups) makes posts on padlet, which is in turn
used as a forum for class discussion. The fact that students can see other groups/students padlet
posts further encourages elaborate thought and means that learning can occur once again from
the work of others. Modification of ideas/posts based on discussion and other students
knowledge is also incorporated into lesson one and is possible through the ability to edit posts in
padlet. This is useful as lesson one (along with other lessons within this unit) utilise class and
peer group discussion as a means of learning. Padlet was chosen as a learning tool within this
unit as it enables students to engage with the thinking, mindset and learning of other students.
Padlet encourages creativity through the options it gives students to upload various media types,
including media types they have created. It further encourages collaboration through visibility
and discussion that emerges from reading other peoples posts. With this in mind, integration of
padlet and activity garden together in the first lesson is pivotal in firstly encouraging children to
think in the confines of the topic area, and secondly in encouraging creativity and stimulating
social learning.

Lesson two also saw the integration of ICT tools in the classroom with the introduction of
stormboard to students. While this tool is similar to padlet in structure it differs as students can
respond and comment on each others posts. This is another kind of collaborative learning,
meaning that those students who are intimidated by class discussion have a venue through which
they can voice their ideas, thoughts, and knowledge. Stormboard is also somewhat more Live
than padlet as it has a whiteboard function enabling students to draw while others watch. Like
padlet, stormboard is also a collaborative learning tool and it was chosen to be implemented as it
provides a more visual option to those children who did not enjoy using padlet the week before.
Stormboard was also implemented as it allows students to comment on each others posts. This
in turn adds another element to the online learning environment. The student, in cases like this,
becomes a teacher. This is not only beneficial to their own learning, as they solidify their own
ideas through explaining them to others, but is also valuable to the learning of their peers whom
they share information with. This reciprocal student-student relationship is once again a key
element of social constructivism and further cements stormboard as social learning tool. Once
again stormboard enables learning to occur through collaboration of ideas rather than from direct
teacher instruction. While it may appear pointless to include both padlet and stormboard it is
essential that students obtain knowledge of a wide range of ICT tools in the classroom. Not all
students are going to enjoy the collaborative learning that occurs when padlet is utilised, and in
this way lesson two gives these children another alternative; that being stormboard. The
additional commenting component of stormboard, as aforementioned, has also further
enriched the learning experience of students through its inclusion.

Students are no longer the passive recipients of knowledge, ones to whom teachers regurgitate
curriculum contents. They are more and more challenged to be creative and to think critically. In
order to inspire and equip students for success in todays world, teachers are called to reinvent
the school experience and to implement innovative programs that will facilitate active learning.
Teachers act like guides who facilitate learning experiences by enabling students to explore,
interact, collaborate, and create. For instance, by using the online mind-mapping and
brainstorming tool SpiderScribe, students collaborate with each other and organize their thoughts
and ideas to problem-solve. Moreover, in order to foster an appealing and productive learning
environment, teachers create conditions that make students deliberately engage in their learning.
Students are provided with multiple options for acquiring content knowledge, such as video,
digital text, paper or face-to-face interaction with teachers and classmates. Teachers want to
incite the curiosity, interest and creativity of students, and ICT tools like QR codes, online games
and imovie help to achieve this. Using Quick Response (QR) codes is an innovative way for
students to research information on the internet. Scanning QR codes instead of typing long web
addresses has many advantages. It does not only save time by bringing students straight to the
correct websites, but also helps to keep them safe online by preventing them to open non-kid
friendly websites. QR codes also spark excitement and curiosity in students; they want to know
what the information behind the codes is all about. Furthermore, learning occurs when students
feel that they are doing a meaningful activity; an activity that they can relate to. Online games
which are instructional tools that teachers use to reinforce lessons learned, achieve this. Children
usually enjoy playing games, and by so doing they connect with the content of the games, and
also develop various skills such as critical thinking and creativity. imovie is one ICT tool which
also helps to develop the creativity and artistic sides of students through filming and making
their own movies. Through their creations, students attribute meaning to, and feel in control of
their learning. They become deliberately engaged with their learning.

ICT tools have been embedded into the curriculum with the purpose of enhancing learning and
thinking in children who represent the future generation. ICT tools are not here to replace the
fundamental role of teachers, but to support teachers in the delivery of their lessons by helping
the latter to create learner-centric learning environments. Teachers guide students through
their learning by enabling them to explore various ways of acquiring knowledge. In
contemporary classrooms, traditional pedagogical practices of teachers are gradually being
replaced by those which support the integration of ICT tools in learning. The role of teachers is
no longer seen as that of someone delivering curriculum content to passive learners but one that
encourages and guides students to be creative, think critically, problem-solve and construct
meaning out of their learning experience. With the support of ICT tools in the classroom, such
as Answer Garden, padlet, stormboard, SpiderScribe, QR codes and imovie, teachers are able to
achieve this.