TeachIT: Act now for teacher ICT learning

John Turner
Head of Information Technology, Presbyterian Ladies’ College, Melbourne

The gap between teacher capability and student potential in the digital age is an issue of concern for teachers and students
alike. Efforts to date based on professional development of teachers have been disappointing and gaps appear to be
widening. If student learning potential for a digital age is to be realised then new ways of supporting teachers to attain the
skills necessary to add educational value through computer use need to be pursued. This paper examines one model,
teachIT, which provides a teacher learning approach that engage, supports and adds value to classroom use of digital
technologies across all teachers. Modules provide engaging pre-tests, supportive materials, examples of subject use, the
building of knowledge banks, and the sharing, celebration and recognition of teacher and student work. Consideration in
one school is used to highlight the potential of teachIT and issues arising. This paper reports on work undertaken within the
Information Technology Department of the school mentioned and does not present or report on the school's current overall
approach.

Introduction
For the fast evolving world of digital technologies the industrial-structured school system looks to be
increasingly on a different trajectory. The increasing availability of powerful computer systems in Australian
homes, and a tendency of school system decision-makers to define value through traditional priorities, has led to
increasing divergences between student home experiences, teacher comprehension of educational possibilities,
and the values schools and their teachers place on curriculum use of digital technologies.

This paper investigates some of the issues that go with such divergences and shortcomings, and proposes a
model of involvement to increase teacher engagement with technologies at the classroom level. The goal is the
generation of valued learning for students and teachers: for students, to utilise and build on their motivation to
engage with digital technologies (ISQ 2008); for teachers, engagement with information and communication
technologies (ICTs) to enhance classroom learning opportunities. The platform underpinning the model, teachIT,
makes use of the Internet’s capacity for interaction and publishing to share and build work of educational value
within schools.

Research Background

Prensky (2000) highlighted the dilemma of difference between teachers and their students; defining those
brought up in the digital world as 'digital natives' compared to older generations, including teachers, as ‘digital
immigrants’. Others have not been as strident, pointing to the lack of effective supporting research (Siemens
2007) and identifying a range of student learning preferences and capacities for teacher adaptability at odds with
Prensky's claims (VanSlyke 2003). However, what should not be contested is the difficulty that teachers have in
making effective educational use of new, ever-emerging technologies. Cuban (2001) points to the inadequate use
of computers in schools by teachers, building on his previous (1986) identification of the capacity of school as a
system to subsume new technologies to fit its ongoing traditional, conservative, text-driven culture.

Barth (2001) summed up the approach to change management by schools as “a basic pattern of grand
pretensions, faulty execution and puny results”. As Snyder (2008) points out, policy-makers fail to comprehend
the importance of working with and understanding how teachers work. In the case of ICTs, schools too often
appear content to seek promotion through the efforts of individual teachers or in partnership with commercial
providers to publicise the next solution. Teacher professional development is an oft-mentioned solution for
teachers to be able to make use of computers at the classroom level, but successful system outcomes in schools
have been consistently lacking (Hargreaves 1998). Lighthouse schools and teachers have been used to showcase,
but with limited effect on whole-system change. Leadership has been wanting, although at times evidence has
emerged as to what can be (see Loader 2006). ICT related curriculum change in schools generally, however, has
been limited and tending towards the haphazard (Snyder 2008).
Historically there have been two central issues affecting how educators value ICTs. The first is how best to
approach using computers in schools. Taylor (1980) summarised the choices as Tool, Tutee or Tutor. As Tool
the computer is thought best used as one would pen and paper, another tool with purposeful intent. As Tutee the
computer could form a student-centered learning partnership with the student, with the latter ‘teaching’ or
programming the computer. As Tutor the computer was thought to have potential as a teacher substitute.
Relevant philosophical debates about the preferred nature of school teaching and learning pre-date digital
technologies: Dewey (1916) talked about the need for school systems to change to be more project-orientated,
student-centered and authentic in purpose. His work is a strong influence on the Tutee view. Jonassen’s (2000)
computer as mindtool concept pushes the tutee potential with computers as learning Tools. At this point in time
the debates about the best way to use technology to progress educational achievement, and whether technology
can be used effectively to improve student learning, remain unresolved (ISQ 2008).

The second issue is school as a system. Its industrial preferences have been long touted as a limiting force.
Papert (1980) recognized school’s ability to resist the required changes that computers required for learning. As
Cuban (1986) demonstrated, the capacity for school as a self-serving system to submerge new technologies
should not be underestimated. Snyder (2008) points to the need for more than provision of technology as a
solution for educational shortcomings if schools want to move beyond the relatively minor shifts identified by
Cuban (2001).

Priority given to machine decisions over people or learning objectives has been one of the major limiting
factors towards teachers keeping up with ICT developments and schools providing educational value (Papert
1985). In more recent times, the competitive, market-driven model applied to schools has seen more emphasis
on perceptions of value-added rather than any willingness to embrace the issues needed to professionally
attest to what works and what is lacking. The recent initial focus of the Australian Government's Digital
Education Revolution policy on provision of computers is a concern in its adherence to such limited
considerations. As Barth (2001) puts it, “unless teachers and administrators act to change the culture of a
school, 'innovations' will have to fit in and around existing elements of the culture. That is, they will be
superficial window dressing incapable of making much difference”.

More consideration is needed into what schools should be required to provide through curriculum use of ICTs.
Phelps et al (2001) pointed to the need to develop computer literacy in students through learning to adapt, to be
flexible, intuitive, and do learning more than simply a set of technological skills. Meta-learners were defined as
those who were aware of their motives, task demands and personal cognitive resources, and who could exert
control over strategies used. Teachers were seen as integral to such a process, needing to develop adaptive
computer skills and a capacity to engage in self-directed and experiential learning.

Expanding on the aims advocated by Phelps et al (2001) and others such as those reported by Peck and Dorricott
(1994), classroom-based teaching and learning with ICTs has the potential to support:
• Purposeful learning: learning by doing to effectively achieve commonly agreed outcomes.
• Adaptability: taking on changing technologies and systems in a diverse world.
• Collaboration: valuing peer learning as well as student prior knowledge and potential.
• Processing information overload: the efficient use and evaluation of digital sources.
• Digital experimentation: building on student motivation to experiment and learn.
• Digital identity: developing a web presence and with it a responsibility.
• Time management: handling the time demands of ICT use.
• Reflection: problem-solving and meta-cognition.
• Digital literacy: programming as an integral curriculum consideration (Prensky 2008)
• Data communication: developing expertise in submitting and validating digital work.
• Building of mental models (see Senge et al (2000), National Research Council (2000)): through
apprenticeship developing effective use of specialised software.
• ICT as a subject: forming worthwhile paths for students who wish to become ICT professionals
• Ethics of computer use: valuing understanding of copyright, plagiarism, threats, inappropriate materials
and using ICTs as part of the modern digital society.
Guiding this should be a commitment to using ICT where benefits to student learning have been strongly
demonstrated, in terms of “characteristics such as motivation, concentration, cognitive processing, independent
learning, critical thinking and teamwork” (ISQ 2008).

School Background

The culture of the school in which curriculum use of computers is undertaken is as important as the intended
approach. This paper reports on work conducted, exclusively at this stage, amongst IT Department staff in the
secondary section of an academic, girls' independent school located in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne,
Australia. The school has been using computers across the curriculum for over twenty years. During this time
numerous technologies, including programming languages, applications, multimedia, and the Internet, have been
accommodated as they have become available. The school provides the computer technologies as part of its
policy of school resource provision (as distinct from 'laptop' schools where students use their own laptop).
Currently there is a ratio of about one computer for every three students. Just about every student has home
access to a computer and the Internet. The teacher is the primary determiner of when computers are to be used
and instigates the booking of the resource. However, there is also open access to students to the computer
facilities and links to home through a Virtual Learning Environment. Lankshear and Snyder (2000) found that
that the school had an ever-evolving set of curriculum initiatives, and that there was a strong supporting culture
and access for teachers when required.

From the start the school’s approach to ICT use was built around:
• The identification of quality school learning within and across subjects.
• The teacher as the driver of classroom management and change.
• Identified valued learning that all should be able to benefit from.
• The ongoing development of teachers as computer users and classroom managers.
• Systems able to cope with the adaptability demands of ever-changing technologies.
• Subject learning at the core, with valued computer skills and subject learning objectives clearly
identified.
• Systems educationally viable and able to be replicated.
• Systems robust enough to cater for teachers coming and going, through departures from the school or
timetable dictates, and
• Students as digital creators, not consumers, with all middle-school students in managing their own
web folio site.

Moore’s Law highlights the ever-changing nature of digital technologies. The school’s approach pre-dates the
advent of widespread use of the Internet in schools from the mid-1990s, and the changing balance between
school and home use of computers. The school's approach has weathered technology change, teacher change,
changes in student learning requirements and changes in external curriculum demands.

Teachers are a core element for successful use. Teaching teams are used to support teachers. ICT teachers
work with subject teachers. No teachers are excluded from teams, although various strategies are applied
depending on the individual teacher’s needs, aptitude and capabilities. Teachers have been willing to look
objectively at new ways of supporting student learning, take risks in a supported environment, and work with
other teachers.

Timetabling and staffing changes means that new teams are created regularly. New teams enable sharing of
ideas, new ideas and interests to flourish, and a coherent-shared approach to the development of knowledge
creation. The availability and sharing of quality materials is a key component.
TeachIT model

Since the mid-1990s student work and teacher tasks have been made available through a school intranet. With
the availability of new technologies comes new ways of communicating. The multimedia platform package,
Flash was used to establish a multimedia delivery and reporting platform. This platform, teachIT, was
created to:
• bring together the materials (already available) in an easily accessible digital form,
• to provide pre-tests (using Flash ActionScript) for teacher learning,
• to publish and share teacher and student work through a Knowledge Bank, and
• to provide administrative information on support availability and certification.

TeachIT consist of nine sections:

• Knowledge Test: for self-assessment
• Skills Material: purpose driven sheet
templates on particular software skills
• Subject Tasks: Examples of subject specific
tasks to complement skill sheets
• Assessment: Assessment rubric templates
for subject tasks
• Mentor Support: Advice on ICT teacher
support availability
• Knowledge Bank: Library of teacher work
[subject task, student work examples]
• Certification: Advice on levels that
teachers can attain within the system
• Skills Map: An overview of skills covered
with students across Years 7 – 9 Figure 1: teachIT Home Screen
• Theory: The educational frameworks on
which teachIT is based.

TeachIT Sections

TeachIT Theory:
TeachIT reflects the objectives advocated by Phelps et al (2000). It applies Jonassen’s (2000) computer
as mindtools concept to subject learning through teacher inclusion and engagement to join purpose
with reflective processes. It caters for new teachers and the ever-changing nature of technologies.
Tasks are judged against the learning benefits that computers can provide as shown in Table 1:

Learning Goals Software Curriculum Examples Measuring Success

Example
Motivation Dreamweaver Computer Learning and Junior ‘how long can students stay on task?’
Various English: Personal Intranet web
pages
Concentration Dreamweaver Geography: Field Trip multiple ‘when the bell goes are they still
resources working?’
Cognitive Powerpoint Geography and Religious ‘Subject teacher agreement that all
processing Web / Word Education: website analysisn students are benefiting’
Independent Studywiz In all subject areas and topics ‘students accessing, using and
learning various submitting materials without assistance’
Critical thinking Inspiration Religious Education: values and ‘audience (teacher) assessment rubric’
relationships
Teamwork Wiki History: WW2 story development ‘what level peer problem-solving
Web 2 English: book discussion support’
Individual various Religious Education: learning ‘variety of student interpretations of
differences styles task value to audience (teacher)’
Visual literacy Powerpoint History and English: Art, book and ‘audience (teacher) assessment rubric
Word movie scene analyses
Accessing, Using Firefox Religious Education: web site ‘audience (teacher) assessment rubric
and communicating Dreamweaver evaluation
information Geography: Field Trip Reporting
Transferable skills iMovie Junior years cross-curricular use ‘amount of technical input & support
of digital movie skills needed’
Artistic expression Photoshop English: Advertising ‘range of individual interpretations /
Religious Education: development ideas meeting audience (teacher)
of animated story illustrations requirements’
History: Dreamtime Art
Personal learning Web2 Computer Learning: Cyberbullying ‘degree to which students engage in
discussion and reporting’
Global awareness Studywiz Digital Movie Making elective; ‘range of cultural connections between
Web2 Horizon Project students and teachers’
Junior German: wiki with German
school
Value beyond Studywiz Women4IT Project ‘level of access’
school Student messaging 24/7 ‘level of working connections to
resources beyond school’
Access to high-level Web Religious Education: virtual ‘audience (teacher) assessment rubric’
information excursion through websites of
historic sites
Introduction to new iGoogle Computer Learning: Bookmarks ‘completion of task & extension into
digital tools new digital tools’
Productivity and Word Computer Learning: tables to ‘application into new tasks – degree of
Efficiency Powerpoint organise & report re-teaching required’
History: WW2 presentations
Managing learning Dreamweaver Computer Learning and Religious ‘generation of personal web site to
for an audience Education: personal web site folio project to audience’
IT career pathways Students doing VCE studies ‘number of students who go to more
& support ahead of their Year grouping advanced IT and related courses’
Table 1: Matching ICT skills with Learning Benefits

The intention is to develop and support teachers to be:

• Confident to take on new technologies as learners and teachers.
• Willing to use new technologies with their students.
• Able to work with student expertise.
• Able to work with and learn from other teachers.
• Confident as they teach core subject knowledge.
• Developing independent working skills relevant to digital environments.
• Open to challenges and improvement.

The software originally listed in 2006 has been updated as technology changes emerge:
1 Word Processing [Word X]: tables Office X
2 Presentation [PowerPoint X] Word: Word Processing :Tables
3 Desktop Publishing [Word X] Word: DTP
4 Animation [2][PowerPoint X] Powerpoint
5 Basic Spreadsheeting [Excel X] PowerPoint: Animation
6 Graphic Drawing [Fireworks 8] Excel: Spreadsheeting - graphing & simple formula
7 Graphic Animation [Fireworks 8] Multimedia
8 Visual Thinking & Planning [Inspiration] Photoshop CS3: Graphic Drawing
9 Digital Movie Making [iMovie HD] Dreamweaver CS3
10 Web Publishing [Dreamweaver 8] Photoshop: Animation
11 Web Animation - advanced [Flash 8] Inspiration: Visual Thinking
12 Multimedia / Sound [GarageBand 2] iMovie HD: Digital Movie Making
13 Internet Searching [Safari] GarageBand 3: Sound & Music
14 Peripherals - digital camera [Image capture] Web
15 Peripherals – scanner Safari / Firefox: Web searching
16 Peripherals - digital video camera iGoogle introduction
17 Peripherals – printing Advanced
18 Studywiz: VLE Cascading Style Sheets
19 College-wide network InDesign CS3
20 WebMail Flash CS3
21 Email Flash: ActionScript
Final Cut Express: Digital Movie Making
Web 2: iGoogle advanced
Web2: wikis
Web2: RSS
Web2: Google Groups
Web 2: Google Docs and Spreadsheets
Web2: Ning: Social Networks
Peripheral
Scanning
Digital Camera
Web World
Web Threats
Copyright
Plagiarism
Cyberbullying
The inappropropriate Web
Admin
School Network
Studywiz: VLE
School Email

2006 software list 2008 software list

Table 2: teachIT software skills list

TeachIT Knowledge Tests:

Pre-tests for software identified as

of potential learning value were
created to help teachers see what a
basic understanding entails.
Teachers could also learn from the
test to increase their knowledge.
This process provides feedback for
teachers to ascertain how best to
proceed, what curriculum ideas
could be taken up, and the level of
classroom support needed.

Figure 2: Pre-test example

TeachIT Skills Materials:
The skill sheets provided through this section are originally written as simple introductory steps. They are
then adapted as required for subject projects. Skill sheets are published as word documents (rather than
pdf files) to encourage teachers to adapt and take on as their own.

Figure 3: Introduction to Photoshop CS 3 Skill Sheet

TeachIT Subject Projects:

Following the Pre-tests and teacher consideration of the skills material, subject projects are developed by
the teacher. Support is available to assist with implementation if required. Student work is assessed by the
subject teacher with ICT requirements a joint subject teacher / ICT support responsibility.

Figure 4: An example in which Photoshop CS 3 was used

as part of a History project on Aboriginal Dreamtime Art

A recent development has seen self-contained modules created. In these teachers and students alike can
undertake a preliminary task to see what knowledge they can bring to the learning environment. Then
advice is provided to fill in gaps. Finally a second task is undertaken to reinforce the new knowledge.
TeachIT Assessment:
Subject projects are assessed by the subject
teacher against their subject learning goals.
Reflective feedback on the related ICT
learning is provided through assessment
rubrics. Computer Learning Skills (CLS)
reports are provided each semester by ICT
teachers for each Year 7 and 8 student as
feedback on specific ICT skill and learning
development.

Figure 5: A sample Assessment Rubric

TeachIT Knowledge Bank:

Teachers submit examples of
their teachIT supported work
for publishing. Student work
is included. This is an
important inspiration for
other teachers to take up and
build on as a collegial
process.

Figure 6: Example of Student Work Submitted to teachIT

TeachIT Certification:
Different teachers operate at different levels in using ICTs. The recognition of work undertaken should be
identified and celebrated. As teachers increase their understanding the school can also make use of their
expertise to support others and strengthen the overall approach.

TeachIT Skills Map:

Because of the ever-changing nature of ICT software and the emergence of new possibilities, an overview
of what can be expected within the boundaries of expectation is kept and provided through teachIT. This
can show new teachers what is on offer and what students have already experienced. Learning priorities
over choice of software (see Table 1) is the focus.
Using teachIT

The way that teachIT is approached and used in a school tells much about the potential of the school to
take on the challenge of digital technologies for teaching and learning. Most case studies detailing the
use of computers in schools adhere to positive confirmation through case study exposition. There are
concerns about the legitimacy of such insights (Williams 1993, Reeves 2003). To date, the work
described in this paper has been limited to the staff in the Information Technology Department of the
school.

For the ICT teachers and their subject associates teachIT can provide coherency and a medium for
input, team building, recognition and accountability. Student and teacher work can be shared and
quality monitored. Changes to software can be coordinated to ensure value for all students, and new
teachers can be accommodated. Teachers can authenticate worthwhile use of ICTs by their students in
their classrooms. This approach seeks to address many of the shortcomings identified as limiting
previous teacher professional development approaches, particularly regarding ICT use in the classroom
(Turner 2005).

Conclusion

The industrial values that dominate schools are likely to continue unless new models of support for
teacher and student learning are systemised to cater for the changing nature of ICTs and the digital
world. TeachIT provides some ideas and insights into the considerations needed to engage and support
teachers within the current environment. It has the potential to be much more; thinkIT is one example
of an off shoot under consideration. To go further requires leadership from school leaders and the
wider stakeholders. In different cultures different variations may be needed, but the fundamental aims
on which teachIT is based should be pursued: to develop students who are purposeful, adaptable,
collaborative learners, willing to engage in digital experimentation, forge a worthwhile digital identity,
have purposeful, efficient, time management skills, reflect meta-cognitively, are digital literate for
work, use digital communication to good effect, develop appropriate mental models for the world
ahead, can choose and succeed as an IT professional if they wish, and are ethical users of computers.
Do we continue to be content with 'technology champions' in schools with the inevitable burnout
(Snyder 2008), or do we look for a paradigm shift? TeachIT could support the latter.

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