Year 3 Literacy with ICT Lesson Plan templates and Strategies

What’s Inside

How to use this book?..........................................................................................................1 Curriculum Connection......................................................................................................3

How to interpret the curriculum maps.........................................................................................................3 Determining student progression.................................................................................................................3 What you need to know..............................................................................................................................4 Sharing information with other Teachers....................................................................................................4 ICT Capability in LANGUAGE..................................................................................................................5 LITERATURE.............................................................................................................................................6 LITERACY..................................................................................................................................................7

What you should know - Teacher competence..................................................................9

Exploiting the available technology in the Australian Curriculum.............................................................9 The Application of ICT Capability.............................................................................................................9 TPACK Needs and Challenges for English/Literacy Teachers...................................................................9 Teacher Knowledge of ICT Resources and Tools.......................................................................................10 Literacy and ICT capability........................................................................................................................10 How to develop an integrated approach to teaching ICT capability in the English curriculum?...............11 Key ICT Terminology highlighted in Year 3 English..............................................................................11 Word Processing in the English/Literacy Curriculum.................................................................................11 What is the expected level of development for Year 3 students?............................................................12 How will Word Processing impact in the classroom?.............................................................................13 Thinking outside the Word Processing box – Exploring options................................................................13 Collaborative Tools: Using Blogs and Wikis to create Multimodal text in the Literacy Curriculum.....13 Using Email in a Literacy Context..............................................................................................................16 What are the concepts involved?.............................................................................................................16 ICT Techniques learnt..............................................................................................................................16 Class Integration......................................................................................................................................17 Web Design..................................................................................................................................................17 Concepts involved...................................................................................................................................18 Information Literacy skills and the WWW.................................................................................................18 Using Coding programs for Literacy learning.............................................................................................19 Presentation Software..................................................................................................................................20 Guidelines for presentation software.......................................................................................................21 Publishing Programs (DTP) .......................................................................................................................22 What is the expected level of development for students in Year 3?........................................................22 Concepts Involved...................................................................................................................................23 How to develop Digital Fluency..................................................................................................................23 Summary of Key Teaching Points...............................................................................................................24

Teacher Reflection Activity..................................................................................................25

ICT in Subject Areas....................................................................................................................................25 Implications for ICT functions in Curriculum Areas...................................................................................25 Developing ICT Capability.........................................................................................................................26 Planning For ICT.........................................................................................................................................26 Potential for ICT..........................................................................................................................................26 Using ICT to Support Teaching and Learning.............................................................................................26 National Curriculum....................................................................................................................................27 Research.......................................................................................................................................................27

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ICT Teaching Strategies......................................................................................................28

Determining a Starting Point – How to assess existing capabilities?..........................................................28 Planning Technology-Literacy Integration..................................................................................................29 Introducing new software and techniques to students.................................................................................30 Student Planning and Evaluating (Higher Order Skills).............................................................................30 Building on experiences from home............................................................................................................31 Stimulating and Structuring Activities........................................................................................................31 Monitoring Student Progress.......................................................................................................................31 What should you monitor?..........................................................................................................................32 Teacher Intervention....................................................................................................................................32 Scaffolding and Affordances........................................................................................................................33 Assessing ICT capability.............................................................................................................................33

Overcoming Difficulties in the Classroom..........................................................................34 Organising the Classroom...................................................................................................34

Low Resource Settings................................................................................................................................34 High Resource Settings...............................................................................................................................35

Teacher Reflection Activity..................................................................................................36 Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning.........................................................................37 Providing an Inclusive Learning Environment.................................................................39

Managing the inclusive classroom .............................................................................................................39 Matching ICT activities and Tasks to Student Abilities, aptitudes and interests.........................................39 Features of a good lesson.............................................................................................................................39 Developing ICT activities............................................................................................................................40

Classroom Management .....................................................................................................41

Developing self-supporting ICT activities..................................................................................................42 Planning appropriate Literacy activities for ICT.........................................................................................42 Classroom management strategies for laptops............................................................................................42 Tips for managing the iPad Classroom........................................................................................................43

Teacher Reflection Activity..................................................................................................44 Curriculum Activities..........................................................................................................45

Literacy Development.................................................................................................................................45 Literacy Development with ICT..............................................................................................................45 How to use the Activity Planning Sheets....................................................................................................46 Delivering the Lesson.................................................................................................................................46 Structuring the Literacy-Technology Learning.......................................................................................46 Summary of Key Teaching Points ..............................................................................................................50 Talking Tech in Literacy Lessons................................................................................................................51 Activity 1: Response to Visual Text: Using the Callout shapes tool...........................................................51 Activity Planning Sheet...........................................................................................................................59 Activity 2: Informative Text: Redrafting written work...............................................................................60 Activity Planning Sheet...........................................................................................................................67 Activity 3: Narrative text: Creating a Sequential Narrative from Pictures..................................................68 Activity Planning Sheet...........................................................................................................................74 Activity 4: Narrative text: Describing Emotions and Body Language........................................................75 Activity Planning Sheet...........................................................................................................................81 Activity 5: Narrative Story Writing with PowerPoint.................................................................................82 Activity Planning Sheet...........................................................................................................................89 Activity 6: Persuasive text with PowerPoint...............................................................................................90

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Activity Planning Sheet...........................................................................................................................96

Cross-Curricular Literacy activities..................................................................................97

Media Arts: Creating news images .............................................................................................................97 Science & HASS: Class excursion..............................................................................................................99 LOTE: The Fluent use of Language............................................................................................................101

Information Literacy activities...........................................................................................103

Effective Searching......................................................................................................................................103 Collecting and downloading information....................................................................................................105 Website Authenticity....................................................................................................................................107 Cross-Curricular Activities.........................................................................................................................109 HASS ......................................................................................................................................................109 HASS 2....................................................................................................................................................111

Emails activities....................................................................................................................112

Example: Using Video Technology and Email to enhance writing skills....................................................114

Web-page creating activities...............................................................................................116

Creating an Information Website.................................................................................................................117 Ideas for using Web Design in the Classroom.............................................................................................119

Conclusion............................................................................................................................120

The teacher as change agents in the Literacy-technology learning environment........................................120

Works Cited..........................................................................................................................121 appendices.............................................................................................................................124

Appendix A - Year 3 Internet skills..............................................................................................................125

Appendix B - Technology integration strategies for English .....................................................................125 Appendix C - ICT Activities to support the teaching of Literacy..............................................................127 Appendix D - Student ICT Capability Record sheet...................................................................................129 Appendix E- Activity Planning Sheet Template..........................................................................................130

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NOTE TO THE READER

Integrating ICT into teaching and learning is not straightforward.

Today, it is not sufficient enough for teachers to simply expose students to ICT in the classroom in order to develop their ICT capability or ICT literacy. To effectively integrate ICT into classroom practices is not to wait for the next big technological development to come around. In fact it has nothing to do with technology itself. Teaching strategies are the key behind every successful integration of ICT. ICT capability comprises of five crucial components and research has indicated that in successful schools teachers pay careful attention to these elements in a variety of contexts. Curriculum Connect will help you to prompt students to thing for themselves about how to apply ICT to a task, rather than dictating the ideas they are expected to employ.

As ICT integration is predominantly featured in the Primary levels of progression of the Australian Curriculum, the teaching strategies embodied within this resource will help Primary teachers ensure that their students progress confidently and competently to the level expected.

Literacy teaching in primary education plays a key role in the development of ICT capability. Through the use of generic ICT tools such word processing literacy can be enhanced if the teacher makes effective use of the provisionality inherent in ICT. There are close links between the ICT capability of a teacher to that of a student in literacy and numeracy teaching.

We have included these strategies in our NESA (formerly BOSTE) accredited online PD course “Primary Classroom Strategies: Develop Student ICT Capability Today”. This is our most popular course with enrolments being taken every month. It is aligned with the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers 2.6.2 and 3.4.2 towards maintaining Proficient Level teacher accreditation and will contribute to 4 hours of PD. This teaching resource comes FREE with any enrolment!!

Your professional learning will not end here though. By subscribing to our monthly newsletter and visiting our website, you will be able to keep up-to-date with the latest news, ideas and strategies all to do with integrating ICT in the classroom. As a subscriber, you will enjoy loyalty rewards such as discounts to our online PDs. This teaching resource is unique because it was written for YOU: • YOU want to enhance student literacy with ICT; • YOU are someone who sees the potential of students in your classroom; • YOU want practical and immediately actionable advice on strategies; • YOU want to meet the requirements of your National curriculum; • YOU want to ensure progression in student capabilities in ICT; • YOU integrate ICT a lot in your classroom practice; • YOU would like to create opportunities for learning in lessons and; • YOU are committed to following through with what you are about to learn.

This is why YOU are here!

We hope you enjoy this teaching resource and we look forward to helping you continue your professional learning in the future.

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HOW TO USE THIS BOOK? The contents and strategies encompassed in this book support the Australian Curriculum Year 3 English context where ICT capability as a general capability or 21st century skill is encouraged to be taught alongside Literacy learning in the classroom (see table below).

Sub strands

Description

Language

ACELA1790 - Identify the features of online texts that enhance navigation.

Literature

ACELT1791 - Create texts that adapt language features and patterns encountered in literary texts, for example characterisation, rhyme, rhythm, mood, music, sound effects and dialogue.

Literacy

ACELY1677 - Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key details in logical sequence.

ACELY1682 - Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print, and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose.

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

The Australian Curriculum general capability – ICT – lies within key Learning Areas and teachers are encouraged to teach this 21st century skill to the extent that is incorporated. This book was developed in order to help Primary teachers exploit the full potential of ICT in literacy teaching by effectively using key ICT teaching strategies to teach ICT capability.

Research (Kennewell et al., 2000) indicates that the extent that to which ICT has been used effectively to support the development of literacy and numeracy, depends to a large extent on the teacher’s own capabilities in ICT and in literacy and numeracy teaching. The ICT teaching strategies included in this teaching resource have been derived from the most ICT capable classrooms today and are there to boost the ICT capability of the teacher.

Therefore, this book begins by highlighting what the teacher competencies in ICT are for the particular lessons provided for the year level and ICT activities. Teacher knowledge of ICT resources plays a crucial role and it is imperative that before embarking on implementing the included lesson plans, to read through this section first in order to ensure that you are fully prepared and capable to integrate ICT in the lesson.

As the title of this teaching resource suggests, the lesson plans are based on the context of the Australian Curriculum that connects to ICT capability development. For your convenience, curriculum maps are provided so to enable you ease in linking the activities appropriately to the national requirements for student learning.

The background information on the ICT teaching strategies should provide you with practical and immediately actionable advice on the best teaching practices for your classroom and are incorporated into the lesson plans and the procedures provided on delivering the lesson.

Suggestions for student ICT activities covering the above requirements have been made. However, they may be adapted to suit the learning needs of the students in the class.

As stated by Kennewell et al. (2000, p14) “the issue of ICT capability development is best seen as part of a holistic, continuous approach to improvements in teaching and learning.” The ideas set out in the context of this book in relation to ICT capability development may be adapted and extended for the curriculum as a whole. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Classroom management strategies should also be noted when delivering a lesson that involves the use of ICT. Many classrooms today use laptops, tablet computers such as iPads and have at their disposal two or more computers. Literacy classes may also be undertaken in computer labs so there is advice on management student use of these ICT tools and resources.

ICT is a great resource that allows for the full inclusion of the classroom. Special education needs students represent a significant part of the ICT capable classroom. Your responsibility should be to provide an inclusive technology-rich learning environment so we have informed you about the implications for ICT provision.

The organisation of a classroom can contribute to the development of student ICT capability. So it is essential that computers and other ICT tools and resources are placed in a room to maximise the opportunities for curriculum activity. If the ICT activities are well planned, good ICT work can be achieved with even or two computers per class.

In the appendices, there have been added formative method assessment recording sheets to be of aid to you when determining the ICT capability of students throughout this process.

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CURRICULUM CONNECTION The Australian Curriculum Learning Continuum for ICT Capability encompasses a wide range of capabilities for students to progress through in Primary education. In the context of the English learning area, ICT capability is developed when students use ICT to “interpret and create print, visual and multimodal texts.

They use communication technologies when they conduct research online, and collaborate and communicate with others electronically” (General Capabilities, 2018).

How to interpret the curriculum maps

The curriculum maps included in this teaching resource features two levels of student progression based on the LC from Level 1 (end of Foundation Year) to Level 2 (end of Year 2). As such I have included the following symbol to represent a student’s progress in ICT capability. It is important to note that a student may or may not be still at Level 1 at the end of Year 2 or may be somewhere in between and could even have reached or surpassed Level 2 capabilities at the end of Year 2.

Symbol indicating possible student progression.

Determining student progression

The above points highlight how crucial it is that student progression is accurately determined by teachers of each year level. A student may have progressed in their capabilities if: • They develop greater autonomy and confidence in their selection and use of information sources and tools; • They develop into discerning users of ICT, with an increasing awareness of the benefits and limitations of the systems they use; • They become able to present their ideas in an increasing variety of ways with a developing sense of audience; • They use ICT-based models of growing complexity for increasingly complex lines of enquiry involving progressively greater decision making and personal autonomy and; • Their ability to evaluate their own work grows, and they become progressively more able to discuss and appreciate social, economic, political, legal and ethical issues.

Therefore, what is required is an understanding of the ICT potential of situations. Progression involves the student solving “increasingly sophisticated and abstract problems, constructing an increasingly rich and viable conceptual framework and developing fluency in the use of a widening range of techniques” (Kennewell, Parkinson, & Tanner, 2000, p. 38).

An ICT capable student must be someone who can construct ICT solutions to problems which are appropriate the Literacy contexts and are based on the knowledge of the opportunities and limitations offered by the hardware and software available.

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It is important that teachers in various year levels proficiently determine a student’s capabilities in ICT in order to help the student progress throughout the progression grid.

What you need to know Each component of ICT capability will require a different assessment strategy as followed.

• ICT Techniques – can a student perform an ICT technique after having seen a whole-class or small group demonstration?

• Routines – know and describe how an ICT technique was executed. For example, was the student hesitant, steady or fluent?

• Concepts – did a student have any misconceptions? Student’s conceptual understanding can also be assessed by the use of effective questioning and discussion; • Processes and Higher Order Skills – You will need to judge the decisions a student made in order to create a finished product. Determine if a student was able to make a decision about, for example: 1. Which media to combine, and in what way, in order to present some particular information to a specific audience; 2. Which series of techniques to use in order to follow a line of enquiry to prove or disprove a hypothesis; 3. Which techniques to use in a graphics program in order to produce a portrait that visually represents feelings?

(Potter & Darbyshire, 2005, pp. 191-193) Sharing information with other Teachers Student progression in ICT capability in Literacy learning throughout the whole school can only be achieved if each teacher proficiently determines how a student has progressed in their capabilities in ICT. In addition, helpful information needs to be shared amongst teachers of different year levels once a student has completed it. For example, for a student who has just completed Year 2, that teacher will need to inform the Year 3 teacher more than just if a student could use ICT tools safely to share and exchange information with appropriate local audiences. They would need to know in which media they had experienced in doing this. Was it with text as in a word processor, with text and graphics as with a DTP program, with an image manipulation program (and if so with a painting and/or drawing program)? It would also be helpful to the other teacher which programs they had used.

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ICT CAPABILITY ELEMENTS

CONTENT DESCRIPTION

Communicating with ICT Understand computer mediated communications Understand that Understand that computer mediated computer mediated communications may communications are be received later by the directed to an audience receiver. for a purpose.

Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software Identify and Identify and safely independently operate operate a selected range a range of devices, of appropriate devices, software, functions and software, functions commands, taking into and commands when consideration ergonomics operating an ICT system and attempt to solve a when operating problem before seeking appropriate ICT systems, help. and seek solutions when encountering a problem.

ICT Capability in LANGUAGE Text structure and organisation Identify the features of Online texts that enhance navigation (ACELA1790).

Elaboration Becoming familiar with the typical features of Online texts, for example navigation bars and buttons, hyperlinks and sitemaps.

Level 2

STRAND Sub-strand

Level 3

List Assessment Activities here:

Web creation/design techniques: Use of navigation bars and buttons, hyperlinks, frames, tables and forms; Use of audio and visual effects.

ASSESSMENT/ACTIVITIES

ICT CAPABILITY ELEMENTS

CONTENT DESCRIPTION

Creating literature Create texts that adapt language features and patterns encountered in literary texts, for example characterisation, rhyme, rhythm, mood, music, sound effects and dialogue (ACELT1791).

Elaboration Creating multimodal texts that combine visual images, sound effects, music and voice overs to convey settings and events in a fantasy world.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks Experiment with ICT as a Create and modify creative tool to generate simple digital solutions, simple solutions, creative outputs or modifications or data data representation/ representations for transformation for particular audiences or particular purposes. purposes.

LITERATURE

Level 2

STRAND Sub-strand

Level 3

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List Assessment Activities here:

Designing for the user; Structuring their site; Visual design; User experience and; Audio visual techniques.

Multimodal techniques using one or more of the following programs – blogs, wikis, web creation/design

ASSESSMENT/ACTIVITIES

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ICT CAPABILITY ELEMENTS

Sub-strand CONTENT DESCRIPTION

ICT CAPABILITY ELEMENTS

Interacting with Others Plan and deliver short presentations, providing some key details in logical sequence (ACELY1677).

Elaboration Drawing on relevant research into a topic to prepare an oral or multimodal presentation, using devices such as storyboards to plan the sequence of ideas and information.

Creating with ICT Generating solutions to challenges and learning area tasks Experiment with ICT as a Create and modify creative tool to generate simple digital solutions, simple solutions, creative outputs or data representation/ modifications or data representations for transformation for particular audiences or particular purposes. purposes.

Creating with text Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print, and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose (ACELY1682).

Communicating with ICT Understand computer mediated communications Understand that Understand that computer mediated computer mediated communications are communications may directed to an audience be received later by the for a purpose. receiver.

Creating with ICT Generating solutions to challenges and learning area tasks Create and modify Experiment with ICT as a simple digital solutions, creative tool to generate creative outputs or data representation/ simple solutions, transformation for modifications or data representations for particular purposes. particular audiences or purposes.

Generate ideas, plans and process Use ICT to prepare simple Use ICT to generate ideas plans to find solutions or and plan solutions. answers to questions.

LITERACY

Level 2

STRAND Sub-strand CONTENT DESCRIPTION

Level 3

List Assessment Activities here:

Additional techniques: Editing text using the mouse, Delete or Backspace keys; Use of Shift key (for capital letters); Altering font size and colour; Resizing graphics.

Word processing techniques listed in this resource for the appropriate Year level.

ASSESSMENT/ACTIVITIES

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ICT CAPABILITY ELEMENTS

CONTENT DESCRIPTION

STRAND Sub-strand ICT CAPABILITY ELEMENTS

Level 2

Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements (ACELY1685).

Elaboration Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts.

Creating with ICT Generate ideas, plans and processes Use ICT to prepare simple Use ICT to generate ideas plans to find solutions or and plan solutions. answers to questions.

Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks Create and modify Experiment with ICT as a creative tool to generate simple digital solutions, simple solutions, creative outputs or modifications or data data representation/ transformation for representations for particular purposes. particular audiences or purposes.

Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software Identify and safely Identify and operate a selected range independently operate of appropriate devices, a range of devices, software, functions software, functions and and commands when commands, taking into operating an ICT system consideration ergonomics and attempt to solve a when operating problem before seeking appropriate ICT systems, help. and seek solutions when encountering a problem.

LITERACY (cont.)

Creating with text (Cont.)

Investigating with ICT Locate, generate and access data Locate information from Locate, retrieve or a given set of digital sources generate information from a range of digital sources Level 3

List Assessment Activities here:

Information Literacy techniques: Practical skills – Boolean operators and truncation; knowing how to read URLs; searching techniques – how to limit the results via the use of ‘site:’ or “ “.

ASSESSMENT/ACTIVITIES

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW - TEACHER COMPETENCE Teacher competence in ICT plays a crucial role in the development of student ICT capability. Studies have indicated that the “extent to which ICT was effectively to support the development of literacy and numeracy depended to a large extent on the teacher’s own personal capabilities in ICT and in literacy and numeracy teaching” (Kennewell et al., 2000, p.105). It is important to note that in such studies it was also revealed that where teacher’s capabilities in ICT were lacking, in most cases there was a haphazard effort in the development of student ICT capability.

Integrating ICT into teaching and learning is not straightforward. The following information will help you build on your own ICT capability in terms of providing you with key knowledge to do with what you need to know about specific ICT tools and resources in addition to the level of progression students are expected to achieve in this year level. All can be implemented in the spirit of structured literacy teaching.

Exploiting the available technology in the Australian Curriculum

Integrating ICT into teaching and learning is about exploiting the here and now of the available technology in the classroom and not waiting for the next big technological development to come along and solve your ICT problems. The Australian Curriculum encourages Primary teachers in particularly to implement this key strategy into their teaching practices.

According to the Australian Curriculum (2018): “ICT capability is an important component of the Australian Curriculum: English. Students use ICT when they interpret and create print, visual and multimodal texts. They use communication technologies when they conduct research online, and collaborate and communicate with others electronically. In particular, they use ICT to access, analyse, modify and create hybrid, digital and multimodal texts, using digital publishing.”

“As students interpret and create digital texts, they develop their capability in ICT including word processing programs and other software, navigating and following research trails and selecting and evaluating information found online.”

The Application of ICT Capability While there are many other ICT tools and resources it is vital to note that the above resources are more suitable for the development of ICT capability. The reason is such that they provide students with a tool for learning. Tool software can be used in many different ways, but the most important part about them is that they provide the students with almost complete control and are intellectually challenging. As a result, the level of decision-making which builds on their higher order skills is high. This has implications on you as a teacher in planning work and organizing ICT activities. Therefore, it is important that you have a clear idea as to the ways in which the skills and techniques are developed.

TPACK Needs and Challenges for English/Literacy Teachers

With the arrival of the ‘new literacies’ such as digital literacy and information literacy, it will be important that you are up-to-date about knowing how and when to use ICTs that help guide the development of reading and writing skills in all current digital formats. To implement your TPACK planning, consider how ICT tools enhances and help accomplish the goals and objectives of writing. For example, if you were teaching a lesson about writing stories you could consider having the students use a digital medium, such as a video, audio or presentation software, to tell their stories. Here is what you need to challenge yourself to do: © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Content Knowledge • Must now think in terms of graphic and visual literacy as well as reading and writing literacy: Students today and the future will need to be proficient in using ICTs that allow them to read and search content in documents. They also need to know how to interpret and produce communication in video and images in addition to text form; • Ensure that you are familiar with these new skills.

Pedagogical Knowledge Acquire new pedagogical knowledge and skills in addition to being able to create new strategies to meet the special needs of an increasingly diverse population.

Technological Knowledge • Become proficient in the new ICT tools and resources that both help define literacy in the 21st century.

• Make possible strategies to teach these new literacies.

Teacher Knowledge of ICT Resources and Tools

It is more important for you to be knowledgeable about one program that your students will use than it is to have an acquaintance with a large number. This won’t hamper their development in ICT capability as it is better for them to work with a small number versatile programs and to progressively develop their skills and confidence in these through carefully structured ICT activities. Being familiar with a program will help you to identify when students may encounter a problem and enable you to plan for strategies to overcome them.

Also, it will allow you to identify when students are ready to move onto a new feature or to use the software for a more demanding task (Kennewell et al, 2000).

Being familiar with a program should take you beyond just knowing how to use the program for a variety of tasks. ICT capability for a teacher is the same as it is for a student – it is about developing an understanding and judgement about how to use those ICT techniques appropriately. Therefore, it is important that you reflect on the “processes it helps the user to carry out and the ICT techniques with which particular effects can be achieved” (Kennewell et al., 2000, p. 97). Consider then how you will introduce the program to the students along with what ideas need to be clear before they start.

Literacy and ICT capability The extent of how effectively ICT will be used in your literacy teaching will ultimately depend on your own ICT capability. It is imperative that you avoid the haphazard development of ICT skills by facilitating effective lessons that support the development of literacy through the use of ICT. By drafting and redrafting student work, you will be making effective use of the provisionality inherent in ICT. This can be achieved by effectively using the Spell and grammar check to improve the text.

By developing advanced ICT skills, you will be more willing to explore teaching approaches that integrate your use of ICT in the spirit of structured literacy teaching. Additionally, all adults you assist you in your literacy teaching also need to be sufficiently confident in ICT to help students appropriately. Teaching assistants or parents should be encouraged to find out about the ICT in the classroom along with having an attitude of play and experiment alongside the students. It is not necessary to know everything about the ICT, but be knowledgeable and have the confidence required in them. As Rudd and Tyldesley (2006, p.18) state “without this knowledge, the ICT experiences offered may rapidly become repetitive and without challenge.

The most vital knowledge is that which enables the practitioner to guide a child into the most appropriate ICT activity to extend their learning – the best next step”. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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How to develop an integrated approach to teaching ICT capability in the English curriculum?

If you are to integrate ICT effectively into the curriculum, rather than add at it as an extra activity, then it is important that you develop a good understanding of ICT concepts and their relation to the English curriculum. The following approach will ensure that you will become an ICT capable teacher, foster learning strategies that emphasise higher order skills and provide an effective foundation for the challenges of a disjointed secondary curriculum: 1. Plan to develop students’ ICT capability prior to using ICT in the subject so that students can focus on the literacy objectives. This is one of the most important contributions that ICT can make in supporting learning in literacy; 2. Shift your focus between the ICT objectives and the literacy learning objectives during the course of an activity by planned teacher interventions.

Key ICT Terminology highlighted in Year 3 English • Online text e.g. navigation bars and buttons, hyperlinks and sitemaps; • Multimodal text e.g. visual images and sound effects, music and voice; • Digital resources to gather information about a topic; • Using software including word processing programs to construct and edit texts.

Such ICT terminology could possibly indicate the use of these ICT tools and resources for the creation of text throughout Year 3 literacy learning: • Word processors - both online and offline programs such as MS Word, Pages for iPads, Google Docs, edublogging, email, wikis and web development and design; • Presentation or multimedia authoring - MS PowerPoint, Keynote and Prezi; • World Wide Web and Information literacy skills (web searching); • Publishing programs such as MS Publisher and; • Coding programs like Scratch Junior.

Word Processing in the English/Literacy Curriculum

In the Australian Curriculum, students in Year 3 are encouraged to use word processing programs “with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts” (Australian Curriculum, 2018). Word processing has a range of features that support literacy activities. A good example of how this program can develop both literacy and ICT capability is by using the editing features as it can be structured in ways that it can achieve both of these.

There are three specific areas where word processing can be used in literacy activities in the national curriculum. The first is in Text structure and organisation in the Language sub-strand followed by Creating literature in the Literature sub-strand and then Creating text in the Literacy sub-strand. Within these word processing programs can be used for sentence-level literacy activities for example, when students can highlight direct speech from a prepared speech. This could be done through the use of the word processor or even by using a highlighter on a printout. Additionally, word-level activities would be carried out when students insert punctuations into a continuous narrative to produce sentences or making use of the Search and Replace feature to substitute alternatives for a word. Interactive whiteboards provides a great medium for text-level literacy activities where you can field suggestions and act as scribe while the whole class or group looks on.

Generic Word Processing and Desktop Publishing activities include: © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• ‘Always on’ use of a word-processor for routine tasks: a computer in the classroom, a wireless laptop or Dreamwriter, or free access to a corridor cluster of computers or other network space.

• ‘Always on’ use of a word-processor for SEN support, namely whenever children need the supported writing environment of a word-processor, they can go and use it as an alternative to paper.

• ‘Always on’ use of a word-processor for the extension and support of gifted and talented pupils, namely whenever children need the extended writing environment of a word-processor, they can go and use it as an alternative to paper.

• Use of a word-processor for everyday collaborative writing tasks or publishing by a small group.

• Publishing ‘job’ – use a DTP program to make a poster or similar publication for any area of the curriculum. Publishing ‘job’ – use a DTP program to present a story for publication, create a book.

(Rudd & Tyldesley, 2006, p. 108)

How do students develop as digital content creators?

How do students develop as technological innovators?

How does WP aid digital fluency?

They develop skills in producing text-based digital artefacts that can be shared, uploaded or printed.

They apply new skills to creating artefacts that are beyond the task description or in new formats.

Core skills will be used throughout schooling and will be built upon as students become more experienced in the software program.

Table 1. Benefits of Word Processing (Howell, 2012, p. 148) Being proficient in word processing skills is something which students will continually use and build on throughout their school career. Programs such as this can be actively used to encourage students to draft and redraft their written work. Interacting with text is just part of what it can allow students to achieve, but it also has other features like spell and grammar checker which structured carefully can used by teachers to develop a student’s spelling and grammar. Such features can be used to enhance a student’s presentation and because of its editing features it facilitates a stronger engagement with text by students.

What is the expected level of development for Year 3 students?

By the end of primary school, students are expected to know the following word processing and skills: • • • • • • • • • •

Changing font, font size, bold, italics, highlight and font colour; Justifying, changing spacing, indenting; Setting up bullets and numbers, re-starting numbered lists; Inserting and modifying a table; Inserting a blank page and understanding whit this is used (not just hitting Enter multiple time); Inserting a picture - embedding it tightly with text, understanding how to re-size and re-position it; Inserting graphics, tables, smart art, symbols; Inserting hyperlinks, setting how the link page opens; Understanding how to set up a header, footer and page numbers; Setting margins, knowing which the standard setting is, changing page orientation, and setting up columns; • Using templates.

Children in Year 3 are expected to edit text using the mouse, delete or backspace keys; to use the shift key; to alter font, font size and colour; to resize graphics. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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How will Word Processing impact in the classroom?

According to Potter et al. (2007, p. 103), using the word processor in the classroom will impact the classroom by: • Selecting appropriate opportunities – in which word processing software can facilitate, enhance or extend children’s learning, such as the importance of presentation in communication. In some instances the focus will be on teaching and learning in ICT (how to enlarge text, make newspaper type columns or add a border to a poster), in others ICT will be used as a resource in the teaching and learning of another curriculum area (writing for a specific audience); • Making explicit links between related knowledge, skills and understanding – word processing is closely associated with literacy and language work at all levels, and as a consequence has a contribution to make across the primary curriculum; • Modelling appropriate use of ICT – for instance, scribing and amending shared writing with the whole class or a group using the interactive whiteboard; • Demonstrating or intervening – for example, inserting an image into a word processing document, cutting and pasting, or deciding how and when to use the spellchecker. Explicit teaching of word processing knowledge, skills and understanding requires demonstration and intervention as with any other curriculum topic.

Children may gain word processing skills by themselves, but without the guidance and direction of their teacher the acquisition of such capability will be haphazard.

Thinking outside the Word Processing box – Exploring options It is important that you explore and consider other word processing programs besides the software that you use on a daily basis. Try and test out other word processing software and make comparisons. Here is some other information to get you started.

Collaborative Tools: Using Blogs and Wikis to create Multimodal text in the Literacy Curriculum Classroom Blogs The term blog is short for “web” “log” and is supposed to be updated with new content from time to time.

When a student enters any text, it is usually displayed in reverse-chronological order. A good quality blog is interactive that allows a visitor to leave comments and even a message via a widget. Blogs are also commentary on a particular subject, but some also serve as a personal diary. They would combine text, images and links to other blogs, web pages and other media related to it topic.

Why blog?

Blogging motivates students to tackle writing, supports storytelling, allows collaboration, supports the development of visual literacy and promotes quality writing (Constanti, 2018). Teachers use blogs in literacy lessons as it means that students will have the knowledge that they are writing for an authentic audience and therefore, will work on their writing more than when the teacher is the only reader.

Benefits of Blogging Literacy development The very fact that students need to write a blog post highlights its potential for literacy learning and development. When you think about it, a blog is simply just an online word processor, except that what you write goes public. In fact, word processors such as MS Word have a feature that allows people to blog from its program when they have registered. Blogs also resemble personal journals and supports students developing language by building community. The key literacy skills which students will learn include: © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• • • •

Writing for an audience; Writing to entertain; Writing regularly or to a deadline and; Writing clearly and competently.

ICT Capability development By creating their own blog, students will learn web design skills as they decide how their site is going to look, how it will be structured and how users will interact with it (McCollin, 2018). Students will learn the following ICT skills: • • • • •

Designing for the user; Structuring their site; Visual design; User experience and; Audio visual techniques.

How do students develop as How do students develop as How does blogging aid digital fluency? digital content technological creators? innovators?

Students are creating digital online journals that are shared publically.

The format and content of the blogs are able to be changed, personalised, added to - there is a lot of room for innovation.

Students gain familiarlity with a common digital tool. Students gain experience in creating digital content that is shared online.

Table 2. Benefits of Blogging (Howell, 2012, p157) Classroom Integration Let’s face it! We aren’t all as fortunate as each other when it comes to computer to student ratios. Despite this, blogging can be still be quite achievable. Of course, if there is a ratio of one computer per student then every student can blog together. If your classroom has 4 to 5 computers, then students can either work individually or in pairs. Then if there is only one or two computers around, then a rota system needs to be set up where students can be allocated time and access to the computers to work on their blogs.

A good way to start is to incorporate 10-20 minutes of blogging into your literacy teaching (Morris, 2013).

Use literacy rotations where students can read their own or another student’s blog post and write a quality comment whilst practicing their literacy skills. In the end, their collection of blog posts can be added to their digital portfolio.

Further tips include: • Follow your school e-safety guidelines: Set your students’ blog in a way that will keep them safe and at the appropriate age level; • Make it easy: Don’t make the process of setting up a blog too complicated; • Avoid a narrow focus: Don’t expect students to just learn about computing or writing. Identify opportunities for students to learn about all the aspects of blogging; • Make links with the curriculum: In Year 3 English, there are connections to the curriculum as it uses the words ‘online text’, ‘multimodal text’, and ‘word processors’.

(McCollin, 2018) From the start: © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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1. Orientation: To begin with you may like to read the blogs of other educators or blogs on topics that interest you. Finding blogs is as easy as doing a Google search for the term ‘educator blogs’.

2. Dabbling: Get involved by posting comments on blogs that you read.

3. Getting your feet wet: Set up your own blog. This will help you get comfortable with the blogging application and how it works and will also give you an insight into what it is like writing for a blog.

4. Jumping in: To start blogging with your students you simply need to start a blog. A class blog is the simplest blog that you could maintain and if your students are new to blogging, a class blog is a good way to start.

5. Explore and experiment: Let the students lead the learning. After gaining experience you will find that students will be keen to start their own blogs.

(Constanti, 2018) Allow students the chance to construct their own learning journey as they blog and you will find that there will be teachable moments where literacy learning will need to take place. It will be important for you to provide students with directed context for blogging. As well as this, ensure that there is quality writing criteria in place and have students proofread their work before putting it into the blog. This process can be achieved by either using the teacher but it is more effective if their peers conduct this. If the blog is going to be public, then it is essential that a wide audience reads it first before it is published.

Blogging is an interesting way to create opportunities for your class to be digital content creators and learn literacy at the same time.

Wiki (What I Know Is) Wikis are an innovative social technology that supports the collaboration and interaction of students in the classroom. Students build on and read each other’s work in these collaborative learning environments. This type of technology enables students to cooperate to attain learning goals as they construct their own knowledge. At the same time, they are simultaneously developing their social and cognitive skills.

Wikis are good for several reasons: • They allow people to edit someone else’s work; • They retain previous versions that writers can revert to; • Teachers can invite parents and community to read the work; • If students are marked on the final product, then they share a common goal and; • They keep of everyone’s individual entries and edits.

It will be important for you as a teacher to understand that in order for students to be successful they must develop literacy skills that can be applied to content area learning. Students need opportunities to: • Develop cognitive processes by critically evaluating content area material; • Demonstrate their learning through a digital space; • Identify relationships between concepts and make connections to prior knowledge.

Classroom Integration Consider the following when integrating wikis into the lesson: • Recognise specific curricular considerations; • That students as learners need to understand that what they generate stays on the wiki for everyone to see. They are responsible for their posts; • Decide how students’ work on the wiki will be assessed; © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• Clearly outline the requirements of the work to be done; • Develop rubrics to evaluate students’ content and originality to help provide feedback for students; • Recognise that these technologies can take on many forms. The success or failure depends on the way you will structure and design student activities; • Consider if the wiki activity is appropriate for the literacy objective and if the students will benefit from the integration of ICT. Follow these guidelines once you have chosen your wiki to use: • Set clear expectations – as with blogs, ensure that you consult with your school’s ICT policy; • Start small – don’t try to do too much in the early stages. Take baby steps. This will help you stay on top of monitoring the classroom wiki, thus remaining in control; • Ask for help – wikis are fairly easy to use, however, there are times when you might get stuck. Ask for help when you don’t understand something; • Read other wikis – as a class and individually, explore other classroom wikis to get ideas and inspiration; • Let wiki work for you – wikis are a great communication tool for teachers. Keep parents informed and post assignments and other class related content; • School-wide wikis – use wikis to showcase field trips, class events and school-wide events; • Pinterest – this site has a wealth of information on wikis; • Collaborate – do lots of group work. Create assignments that require students to work together, continuously communicating as part of team.

Using Email in a Literacy Context For literacy teaching, the asynchronous nature of emails can be a very useful tool. Real written communication can take place in the classroom and the immediacy of feedback from the email can motivate students to write. Today, email and texting have become a highly significant mode of social communication for young people which is why it is important than in school email texts should always be carefully written – a technique which must be taught in literacy lessons.

As children develop their speaking and listening skills much more rapidly than they learn to write (Rudd & Tyldesley, 2006), email aids in the development of writing skills as they learn to write for a meaningful audience.

What are the concepts involved?

As with other programs, conceptual understanding is essential if they are to develop their ICT capability.

The concepts involved in the use of emails include: It is a message comprising of an address and content; Emails are stored on a server until you are ready to read them; There is a sense of audience and etiquette required; Always keep in mind and remember who will be reading the email you send.

ICT Techniques learnt Along with word processing skills, students will learn the following techniques associated with the use of the email program.

• New message; • Send message; • Read message; © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• • • • • • • • • • •

Copy to; Reply/reply to all/forward; Organisation of messages; Filtering/directing; Distribution list; Discussion list; Conference; Attachments; Address book; Signature; Find by send/topic/content.

Class Integration Email safety is very important for students to learn. Here as some guidelines: • • • • •

Don’t give out personal information to strangers in email or chat rooms; People may not be who they claim they are; Bad messages should be reported to a responsible adult straightaway. Don’t respond to them; Remember that what you are doing in writing in an email is public; Open discussion is a great safeguard.

Ground rules for using email projects in literacy lessons may include: • What language is appropriate in emails?

• Names or pen names must always be used, and email should always be addressed to a specific recipient, either an individual or whole class; • When can email be written, sent or received?

• Should email (and any attachments) be printed out or stored electronically?

Finally, Rudd and Tyldesley (2006) give some tips for starting an email project. They believe that it should be planned very clearly and that you need to focus on the content rather than the medium of communication. Email projects work well when there are groups of students who are working on the same topic. Other reasons may include: • The need to communicate without delay; • The opportunity to share draft versions of work and; • The opportunity to exchange materials in different formats such as pictures, text, sound and multimedia.

Web Design

Many of the above ICT tools and resources listed above have close similarities with that of a word processor. Practically, any form of digital tool that allows students to write and create and combine multimedia elements is a great resource for literacy lessons. Creating on the web is similar to that of a creating a multimedia presentation with hyperlinks instead of slide transitions. Students have the choice when completed to publish it on the WWW or onto a web server.

Web creation is valuable for learners for two reasons. Firstly, it is the value of process of producing web pages that is similar to multimedia presentation. However, they have additional features of hierarchical © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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structure and this requires learners to analyse and understand the conceptual structure of the web page. Secondly, it is the ability to publish content on the WWW and reach a greater audience. The fact that they have no control over who sees it means that they need to make decisions about the type of content they intend to publish (Kennewell, 2004).

Certain techniques are used in web design and are in addition to word processing and DTP techniques.

• Hyperlink – any text or graphic object on a page can be clicked on by the reader and the reader is taken to a new specified page; • Frame – enables certain content on a page to remain on the screen in one or more frames; • Table – same as in a word processor; • Form – can be produced for web users to complete in order to send you a response, using familiar types of dialogue box features.

Concepts involved The main concept in web design is hypermedia as it involves images and other objects which may appear on a page. Hypermedia can be hyperlinked which means that when clicked on, the browser loads up another page specified by the author. This is all controlled by a set of codes known as Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). A web page is a hypertext file and can be as long as the author wants it to be.

Web creation is ideal for students when learning literacy for two reasons. Firstly, in a digital age of learning it is essential that students learn the context of literacy whilst developing a web page. As information continues to be uploaded online more these days on the WWW students will be able to understand these valuable concepts. Secondly, literacy is also about reaching an intended audience and therefore, students will begin to understand that by structuring and using appropriate text, word and sentence level work on the web page that they will be able to publish appropriate material intended to reach a wider audience. For you as a teacher, it has the power to combine text, images, audio and video in a sequence controlled by the user.

How do students develop as How do students develop as How does web design aid digital fluency? digital content technological creators? innovators?

A website is a sophisticated digital artefact.

How it is designed, what is included, colour, structure, contents all can be opportunities for innovation.

The production of a website is demonstration of high levels of digital fluency. Students gain familiarlity with HTML coding, programs and hosting.

Table 6. Benefits of Web design (Howell, 2012, p164)

Information Literacy skills and the WWW

The individual needs and expectations of society in a knowledge society require individuals to continue to learn throughout life – lifelong learning! Students have to acquire the knowledge and skills to search for information, to analyse, synthesize, evaluate, channel and present it to others (Semenov, 2005). These skills are the individual’s needs and expectations of the society. The ability to search for information critically is an aspect that is well accepted by many (Howell, 2012). Practical skills are needed along with this to assist in searching efficiently for information.

The World Wide Web (WWW) boast a tremendous source of information and this is what makes a valuable resource in education. Students can browse particular webpages for information. However, particular © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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techniques are required in order for students to acquire the correct information they need and avoid any misleading data which may be irrelevant, out-of-date or not accurate.

On a web browser, students will need be made aware of the following ICT techniques: • Hyperlink; • URL (web address); • Search; • Change text size; • Bookmark; • History; • Homepage; • Cookies; • Security options.

Practical skills for advanced web searching include: (Howell, 2012, p150-151) • Boolean operators and truncation – higher level truncation skills need to be taught that move the students beyond the use of ‘’ and +. Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT; Truncation symbols such as *, “”, #, +, & and the use of synonyms for search engines. Students can turn sentences or questions into keywords and then synonyms; • Knowing how to use URLs – what the difference is between ‘http’ and ‘https’; what ‘www; means and ‘W2’ means; • Searching techniques – how to limit the result via use of ‘site’.

As Howell (2012) states, these information literacy skills are a combination of practical and critical learning.

The Internet will continue to be used considerably throughout a student’s life and therefore, are essential for them to learn. It will be important for them to be efficient in these skills.

The critical skills include: Understanding domain names and what they mean; knowing which are the most trustworthy; knowing which are the most useful for information research: • ‘.gov’ government agencies; • ‘.edu’ educational institutions; • ‘.org’ organisations (non-profit); • ‘.com’ commercial business; • ‘.net’ network organisations; • ‘.mil’ military; • ‘.int’ international; Critical literacy skills include being able to evaluate the quality of websites and the information they present – understanding bias and subjectivity (Howell, 2012, p151).

The skills noted above are indispensable to ICT-supported and non-ICT learning environments.

Using Coding programs for Literacy learning

Coding programs implemented correctly is a fantastic way to develop literacy alongside of ICT capability in the primary classroom today. Programs such as Scratch Junior are ideal for students to develop literacy skills. When they use coding programs such as this they learn ICT techniques such as: • Computational thinking; © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• • • • • •

To use logic; Problem-solving; How things works; Structural thinking; Algorithmic thinking; Perseverance and much more.

Scratch Junior is a great way of extending literacy skills for students as they can record phoneme sounds, design interactive book reports, create autobiography music videos just to name a few.

Useful resources include: https://www.literacyfromscratch.org.uk/ https://www.literacyfromscratch.org.uk/teaching/

How do students develop as How do students develop as How does Information Literacy skills (web searching) aid digital digital content technological fluency? creators? innovators?

Students acquire the ability to locate sources of information, dowload, understand the mechanics of various sites.

They develop skills in searching for information, learn short cuts and gain understanding of what they see.

Efficient information searching, knowledge of search engines, truncation, boolean operations, evaluating websites are all skills that aid students’ fluency and make efficient information users.

Table 4. Benefits of Web searching (Howell, 2012, p152)

Presentation Software

With the use of a digital projector, multimedia programs such as MS PowerPoint, Prezi or Apple’s Keynote can present literacy ideas and concepts in more engaging ways. These programs are effective in education as they encompass tremendous value in supplementing and supporting oral presentations by showing visually the structuring of ideas. They also aid the student’s identification, development and sequencing of the points to be made.

As a whole-class teaching program, they are ideal for demonstrating the teaching of literacy and ICT capability.

What is the expected level of development for Year 3 students?

In addition to word processing techniques, presentation programs involve a number of techniques that include: • • • • • • •

Slide format – each new slide can have a different format; Master slide – a similar idea to a Master page in desktop publishing; Views – choose whether to see various version of the slides; Insert movies or sounds – this is in addition to text, images; Add notes – students can create notes to be printed; Timing – the slide show can be set to play with each slide/object given a specific timing for display; Transitions and animation – various effects can be applied to both transitions between slides and animations; • Action buttons – an object can be set to trigger another event when clicked, such as jumping to another © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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slide.

Students are expected to know the following ICT techniques in Year 3: • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Enter text in a text box; Highlight text, change font, font colour, size and alignment; Use the Undo button on the Standard toolbar; Navigate from slide to slide using the scroll bar; Insert pictures from file; move, and resize; Insert, move and delete clip art; Insert clip art from MS Office from Online Clip Art; Use Print Preview, print a document; Print handouts two, three or six a page; Take photos with a digital camera; Open a document, Save As; Insert, size, and move a text box; Copy a picture from a drawing program and paste it onto a slide; Layer or order pictures and drawings; Format slide background; Right click a hyperlink and open it; Use the task bar to move between a PowerPoint document and a Web browser; Copy a picture or text from a web page and paste it into a PowerPoint document; Enter information in the Outline pane, details on the slide; Use the Increase Font or Decrease Font buttons to change font size; Add or remove bullets in text boxes; Delete a slide; Insert and format WordArt; Use the line and arrow tools; Select more than one piece of clip art at a time; Run spelling checker, right click words that are spelled incorrectly to get help with correct spelling.

In addition to the above skills, students also need to learn how to: • Save documents both to the hard-drive of a computer and a USB stick; • Keyboard effectively using typing skills.

According to Howell (2012, p. 155) the presentation skills students need to exit primary school include: • How to select a layout, insert new slides, slide format; • How to change font, font size, colour, bold, italics, justify, insert bullets, numbered lists, indenting, slide orientation; • How to insert a table, image, clip art, smart art, graphic, movie, sound file, and hyperlink; • How to design you own slide design; • How to use animations – selecting these carefully so that they support the presentation and not distract from it; • How to create handouts and notes pages.

Guidelines for presentation software Use the following guidelines listed by Howell (2012) to help you avoid long presentations and overuse of © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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particular aspects such as transitions or animations.

• • • • •

Maximum of five slides; One image per slide; Only two animations in total; Text must be black, but background colours are up to you; No audio files or film clips.

How do students develop as How do students develop as How does presentation software aid digital fluency? digital content technological creators? innovators?

Students are creating a digital artefact, the presentation itself.

The format and multimedia used in the presentation provide multiple opportunities for innovation.

As group and individual presentations become more common and are assessment tasks, students using presentation software for these tasks become more fluent in key skills needed in school.

Table 3. Benefits of Presentation software (Howell, 2012, p.156)

Publishing Programs (DTP)

A great example of a publishing program commonly used in schools today is MS Publisher and like many others, it provides teachers and students with an extremely useful tool for learning in Primary schools. Much of its capabilities fits perfectly into the national curriculum learning outcomes such as enabling students to produce newsletters, flyers and brochures. The presence of templates makes it very easy to use for students and the results are highly professional and polished outputs.

What is the expected level of development for students in Year 3?

The skills learnt throughout their use of publishing will build on those which they had acquired in the use word processing. There are many skills associated with publishing, however, according to Howell (2012) students need to learn the following: • Save documents and learn about the format documents are saved in such as ‘.pub’ which means that only that program can open the file; • Typing skills; • Printing finished products.

Others include: • Selecting a publication type – from template list, then the different formats and variations of each template; • Terminology of publishing. For example, ‘perforation’, ‘template’, and ‘flyer’.

• Determining the best layout – strengths and weakness of each design; • Selecting from schemes – no longer a simple task of selecting one font type; • Selecting a colour scheme; • Understanding page objects – For example, mailing lists, logos sign up forms, order forms and response forms; • How to insert images; • How to change the template. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Key features of publishing programs like MS Publisher are: • Master page – allows features which will appear on every page to be laid out on a single page which is then provided as a ‘background’ on each page created; • Templates – prepared designs of many standard types of publication such as letterheads, three-part brochures, advertising flyers and newsletters; • Rulers and guides – help control precisely where the features of the page are positioned; • Frames – each object, including text, is placed in a specified area of the page called a frame which must be created first; • Manipulation of frames – control over the positions, size and orientation of frames is flexible.

Concepts Involved The key features of publishing programs lend itself to the authenticity of the finished products. They have a professional look which gives it an advantage over word processing programs. Publishing programs provide formats and designs that are structured and encourage students to contribute high quality content.

How do students develop as How do students develop as How does DTP aid digital fluency? digital content technological creators? innovators?

Students learn more proficiency in While the formats and templates provide scaffold for students, the skills that are beyond basic word processing. actual content, visual design and finished product have enough scope for innovation.

Table . Benefits of desktop publishing software (Howell, 2012, p.161) Producing digital content such as electronic newsletter – the potential is quite broad.

How to develop Digital Fluency

According to Howell (2012, pp. 177-178) there are four paths which you could draw from in order to develop digital fluency in your classroom. These include the following where your ‘list’ of skills and understanding will come from.

• English Syllabus and Curriculum: These skills are quite explicitly stated over each phase of learning.

Make sure you are familiar with the documents pertaining to your class. An organisational tool would be to compile a list of the technology objectives you need to achieve and consider this to be your minimum.

• School expectations: Different schools have different expectation. If you are working in the private school sector, you might be teaching a class of students that each have a laptop with them every day at school. Or you might be working in a school that has a particular quota or expectation regarding technology. If you don’t have any of these to consider, set yourself some. Think about your students – put yourself in their shoes. How often would you like to use technology if you were in their place? Examine unit plans and make sure there are enough opportunities for technology to be included.

• Student and parent expectations: There is a growing sense of digital expectation from students and their parents. Students expect to learn using digital technologies and parents expect their children to exit the school with higher levels of digital experiences and abilities than when they entered.

• Your expectations: What are you hoping to achieve this year with your class? Have a clear map of where you are going with regards to technology. Have milestones; for example, by the end of the term, students can create a Word document, by the end of March students can edit digital images. Think about ICT capability learning outcomes – formalise them into a list of achievable attributes.

Following this, Howell (2012, p177-8) suggest you undertake these next steps. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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1. Construct your list of technology skills and experiences; 2. Consider the most suitable way to cover the list. Where can it support or contribute to the other content that needs to be covered?

3. Map the list into your units of work; 4. Highlight the technology aspects so that you can see at a glance where they are and how often they occur. Do you need to move anything around? Is it balanced?

5. Consider your own skill set. Is there anything you need to seek help with or training?

6. Is there any equipment you need to purchase or burrow?

7. At the end of each term, do a short audit: • What have the students learnt with regard to ICT? • What are they able to do better?

• What have they learnt that was new?

• How have they demonstrated fluency?

• Are there any gaps that need filling? Is there anything you need to go back to and cover again?

• What would you do differently next time?

Summary of Key Teaching Points • • • • • •

Word processing is closely associated with literacy and language development at all levels; Word processing is commonly used throughout the English Learning Area; Common word processing programs include MS Word, Pages for iPads and Google Docs; Teachers can use online word processors such as blogging websites, web page creators and wikis; The concepts behind every ICT technique will be important for teachers to know; Teacher knowledge of these ICT resources will determine how effectively ICT will be used in the literacy lesson and; • There are a number of paths to digital fluency for students.

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TEACHER REFLECTION ACTIVITY Complete the following tables to determine your own ICT capability needs.

ICT in Subject Areas Can you use the following which are relevant to your work?

Understand the key features and functions of ICT relevant to the subject area Use ICT to produce material for student use Incorporate information form CDROMS, the Internet, into teaching materials Use graphics packages Use scanner Use sequencing software Use dynamic geometry software Use subject specific software Use Integrated Learning Systems Use web page authoring tools

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Implications for ICT functions in Curriculum Areas Do you demonstrate the following in your classroom practice?

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Use ICT effectively Avoid unnecessary ICT use Prepare ICT equipment, content and methodology Value content over presentation Refine searches Have high expectations Expect students to evaluate and improve work Link ICT use and subject matter Link ICT use to everyday applications

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Developing ICT Capability Can you do the following?

Teach ICT skills Use ICT terminology Demonstrate good ICT practice

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Planning For ICT Can you do the following?

Knowledge Relate ICT use to teaching and learning.

Direct students’ learning when using ICT Assess and record students’ progress in ICT supported work Distinguish ICT and subject progress Ensure ICT work is at students’ level

Potential for ICT Can you do the following?

Adopt and differentiate materials using appropriate media to present data Recognise the potential to target special education needs

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Working Knowledge

Beginner

Using ICT to Support Teaching and Learning Do you apply the following in your professional practice?

Use the speed and automatic functions of the media Measure and record events which would otherwise be impossible e.g. through simulations Link sensing of events with the control of actions e.g. through robotics Access and handle large amounts of information Change time scales and remove barriers of distance Use the range of forms in which ICT can present information Use ICT to gain access to expertise outside of school Make use of the ability to change things easily Evaluate and improve text, etc

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National Curriculum Do you understand or Can you do the following?

Know the requirements of the NC for ICT Know the level of ICT capability to expect of students when using ICT Understand the ICT requirements of the NC for students working in specific curriculum areas Collaborate with ICT specialist

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Research Do you understand or Can you do the following?

Know about current classroom-based research in ICT Know about inspection evidence Know about the application of ICT to your specialist subject Know where such information can be found Know how locate sources of help and support Know how ICT can support your continuing professional development

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ICT TEACHING STRATEGIES In the classroom today, teachers need to do more than just expose students to ICT tools and resources in order to develop student ICT capability. Throughout the curriculum, there are ample opportunities for teachers to accomplish this. As a 21st century skill, ICT capability is best created when ICT is sitting transparently in the background of a subject context and is used to enhance its learning in a purposeful and meaningful context. It is essential that you intellectually challenge students in their use of ICT. Here are some points to remember: • Progression in ICT capability is facilitated through the broadening and elaborating context and ICT environments; • Use more sophisticated software in response to the demands of the task – the aim is to broaden and elaborate contexts and use more sophisticated software as a consequence of the increasing elaboration of curriculum context; • The student must find and overcome difficulties for learning to occur and; • Maintain an appropriate balance between the factors according the objectives of the activity.

Determining a Starting Point – How to assess existing capabilities?

Assessment is closely linked to forward planning and so if you intend to plan for the progression of ICT capability with students, it is vital that you have an appreciation of where the children are, where they ought to be and where they might be heading next.

In order to help your students develop their ICT capability begin by determining their starting point followed by accurate directions that will enable them to plot a course for success.

The assessment of ICT capability is vital as it will allow you to track progress and to plan appropriately for students to achieve their capabilities. Proper assessment will provide you with real evidence and knowledge of where the students are up to. Without it any planning conducted would be worthless.

Being able to determine the starting point of a student’s ICT capability is vital if you are to plan effectively for progression. Already we have discussed how planning and assessment are closely linked. When a new student comes into the classroom like literacy and numeracy their existing ICT capability needs to be determined. However, unlike other areas this may not be as straightforward as students rarely have a complete understanding but instead a series of connected ideas (Beauchamp, 2012).

As with pre-teaching assessment in Science (Summers et al., 1998 as cited in Beauchamp, 2012) a useful framework can be equally applied. When trying to establish an existing understanding with students you could look for: • Preconceptions – either a misconception, that is, a technical incorrect idea, or a partially understood technical idea; • Missing – a technical idea for which there was no evidence of any knowledge or understanding; • Knows – a technical idea of which the child demonstrated knowledge and understanding.

An idea would be to use a range of practical activities with no ICT and identify the level of the student’s understanding using questioning, written tests or practical tasks. In addition, you may also be able to decide the level of capability through class discussion. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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It might also be a good idea to plan for a practice lesson so that you can observe and monitor their capabilities.

Planning Technology-Literacy Integration

Before you begin, it is important to set out your to maximise opportunities for learning to occur. The next step is to determine what you are going to teach. In this instance, the example I have provided comes from the portfolio example of the Australian Curriculum. It sets out the standards which you need to know. In addition, you need to determine your instructional objectives and have a clear sense of the ways in which the literacy objectives dovetail with the Australian Curriculum ICT capability objectives.

If you are teaching in a low resource setting in which there may only be one computer in the room. Depending on the nature of the task and of the software, in this case a word processor such as MS Word, you may need to divide a group of six students into two of lots of three and give them 10 minutes each. This could become the working group for the week and the class can be rotated. As a consequence you will need to plan other literacy work for students to do whilst they are waiting away from the computer.

Additionally, if you have access to a data projector and there is access to the carpet area, then students could be preparing small presentations on the learning objectives. An activity like this will further develop their higher order thinking skills.

The following two table may be of further assistance in your planning.

Activity 10 minute onscreen reinforcement of learning objective 10 minute onscreen search and replace, reinforcement of learning objective Collaborative work on presentation for the plenary about a particular learning objective.

Software Tutorial CD, focused aims, revision in a game-style environment.

Word processing

Literacy Vs. ICT potential High Literacy Low level ICT skills High literacy

Presentation software

Low level ICT skills High literacy

Word processing

High level ICT skills

Table 1. Plenary in a low resource setting (Potter, Sharpe, Turvey & Alllen, 2007) Activity Group activity reinforcing learning objective for 20 minutes

Software Three computers, tutorial software or word processing

Literacy Vs. ICT Potential High literacy Low level ICT skills (tutorial)

High level ICT skills (WP) Group activity on search and PDAs or laptops available for High literacy replace, guided writing group High level ICT skills High literacy Collaborative work through- Network room presentation out literacy lessons on learn- software, html editors etc. ing objective, used on the High level ICT skills interactive whiteboard and Word processing software, perhaps published online on Authoring templates providthe school website ed by the online supplier

Table 2. Plenary for a High level resource setting (Potter, Sharpe, Turvey & Allen, 2012) Š ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Introducing new software and techniques to students

The effective use of ICT in activities demands higher order skills and so students need to recognise when the use of ICT might be appropriate for a task. To achieve this, start by discussing what can it do and how it might be achieved. You might want to discuss with them: Where there have seen this software before; how was it used etc.

By implementing this methodology you will be helping them to develop autonomy. It involves giving them the right knowledge they need in order to select the appropriate tools and resources for the solution.

A good example of how to develop autonomous learners would be to discuss with students the different software available. It doesn’t mean to go into great detail but share with them what they are, what they are mostly used for and then go further and explore various key features of them and question students as where and why these features would be used.

In primary education, students love to show their creative side and if given the chance they would choose a particular software that they would think will demonstrate their creativity the most. For example, if you ask to write a report on something some may choose PowerPoint over MS Word. The latter is the one you want them to use as reports are typically documented and Word has the features and functions to enable this better.

It is best teach ICT techniques when the task provided a suitable context. Provide extra practice in routines when necessary to supplement the work in context.

Student Planning and Evaluating (Higher Order Skills) Along with displaying your own enthusiasm towards the use of ICT to help with the development of the students’, they also have to articulate their thoughts about the opportunities, processes and strategies which they have experienced. This could be in the form of verbal, written or email and must be interactive.

Students should consolidate their thoughts in the end through reflecting formally on their ICT learning. If we encourage students to reflect on the use of techniques across contexts and situations, they are more likely to generate principles, ideas and strategies that are widely applicable.

In terms of processes, the particular techniques and the sequence are not fully determined by the goal, and the user needs an understanding of both the goal and the tools available in order to make appropriate choices. Sometimes the choice made will not produce the desired effect, and a different technique will be tried.

Reflection on this mistake will lead to learning which improves the user’s ability to make an appropriate choice in the future.

Concepts are developed through verbalisation of activities and by reflection on experience – particularly experience which is carefully structured. As a teacher it is important that you model the decision making process to students. If you model the techniques of strategic planning by thinking out loud in front of students, you will demonstrate to them the questions that might arise during the process.

Secondly, give students the responsibility of planning a task and coach them by asking focusing questions at intervals to guide them towards a viable plan.

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Finally, involve the students socially in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reflecting through whole-class teaching.

Building on experiences from home

Digital natives such as this generation of students use a computer with increasing confidence and competence in their own homes. For this reason, teachers should build on their ICT experiences in order to gain most from their ICT work at school. Ensure that: • Student activities are interesting to them; • Activities are structured in such a way to stimulate understanding that may be difficult for them to achieve unaided; • You appreciate the nature of children’s ICT work at home; • You provide opportunities both inside and outside of the lesson for children who do not have home access to ICT facilities.

Stimulating and Structuring Activities To capitalise on home use of ICT ensure that: • • • •

You set clear objectives; Activities are structured; You set high expectations of students in terms of ICT use; You have an appreciation of any problems likely to experienced and have planned strategies to deal with them.

Use the following teaching method: • Whole class briefing on the context of the activity; • Detailed explanation to each group when they were ready to work on the activity; • Careful choice of pairs to work on the computer in turn; • A review of the key points with the group afterwards.

Also it is best to work the whole class or group beforehand to clarify your expectations, focus their attention on the activity, and generate ideas and to conduct the demonstration of ICT techniques.

Research (Kennewell et al., 2000) also indicates that it is best to identify to the students when it is the most appropriate to plan their work on paper first so that they had a clear view of what they intended to do. It highlighted how important learning activities need to be introduced by explanation and questioning of students, and then concluded with further questioning and a reflection activity that clearly summarises what they had learned.

Monitoring Student Progress

It is important to monitor student progress on computers for two reasons: 1. It is common for students to appear to be usefully occupied with the activity when in fact they are working very inefficiently and failing to exploit the potential of ICT; 2. Because of the richness of the resource, students may divert from the intended task without it being obvious from their behaviour.

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What should you monitor?

ICT capability is made up of five components that each should be monitored. These include: • Routines – Definition: the ease and speed by which ICT techniques are carried out. For each year level, have a checklist of techniques available that each student should be able to use routinely. Keep this checklist up-to-date according to the software and hardware available. If students struggle with a routine then extra practice is needed; • ICT Techniques – Definition: a skill that has not become a routine yet. In this case, they can be carried out using the affordances on the screen (icons, menus) or with the help of adults or peers (Kennewell et al., 2000). Have a checklist for each class ready in order to keep track of each students’ confidence in ICT techniques – Give students who need help the minimum amount of support and then withdraw the support as soon as possible; • Processes – Definition: made up of several ICT techniques. Students need to have an understanding of the relevant concepts needed in order to make decisions about which ICT techniques are appropriate for the task. It is essential that they are not given step-by-step tasks so that you as a teacher can let them try out their ideas, and intervene when they fail to make the expected approach. As with ICT techniques, the minimum amount of support should be provided. Structure the activity with questioning, prompting and demonstrating if necessary. Then withdraw the support as soon as possible. Note: If a student uses a desktop publisher to produce a poster or a spreadsheet, you cannot use a checklist. Instead, your description of how a student understood a process should include the way a student approached a task and the level of support they received. You could then use the level description that best matches the approach to the task in the ICT capability Learning Continuum and record the level of support given; • Higher order skills – Definition: level of decision-making a student has during a process. There are three ways you can aid their development: 1. Model the techniques of strategic planning by thinking out aloud in front of the students to highlight the questions that might be asked during a process; 2. Give the students responsibility for planning a task and then coach them by asking them focusing questions at intervals to guide students towards a viable plan; 3. Involve the students socially in planning, monitoring, evaluating and reflecting through whole class teaching.

Teacher Intervention

Intervening in a student’s ICT activity can go a long way towards developing their higher order skills.

Ensure that you: • • • •

Use focusing questions in the form of generalisations to help students in the formation of generalisations; Split the task into stages if it is complex or if you are teaching a low-ability class; Only explain the next stage when a number of students have completed the current task; Plan particular points in the lesson when you will stop the class to review what they have done and explain the next stage.

In planning consider – • Planned points to explain or demonstrate something which was not appropriate at the start or perhaps question students about what they are doing; • Unplanned points for when a student has a problem. It would help if you can predict these difficulties; • Intervening to drive the pace of the work forward or even setting more specific targets.

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Scaffolding and Affordances

Affordances in relation to ICT basically means the opportunities provided to the student by the technology is support of the task, the social support provided by the teacher or any other adult and also the contextual support provided by the setting in which the activity occurs (Kennewell et al., 2000).

Scaffolding may also be provided by the technology itself in lessons using ICT. However, there must be a gap to bridge between the student’s abilities and the requirements of the problem situation if learning is to occur. This gap can be reduced if you add to the affordances of the environment e.g. providing an information sheet to assist in the use of the software or a clear demonstration using the data projector.

Arrange the following conditions: • On the basis of the student’s current abilities, the affordances are insufficient for the learner to complete the set task; • Adjust the affordances of the learning environment to reduce the gap sufficiently for the students to be able to bridge it with effort; • Student’s abilities change as a result of the experience.

(Kennewell et al., 2000) To encourage the use of higher order skills and understanding ensure that the affordances of the planning, monitoring and evaluating the activity is not too great.

The predominant source of learning for each ICT capability component are: • Routine – through practice; • ICT techniques – copying a teacher, peer or trial and error; • Concepts – through verbalisation of activities and by reflection on experience; • Processes – supported combination of ICT techniques into multistage procedures in a range of problem situations, with an increasing degree of personal autonomy and active involvement on the behalf of the student; • Higher order skills – developed in an environment which encourages exploration when opportunities are presented to decide which software to use and how to use it, to make plans, to monitor progress through an extended and evaluate and reflect on solutions made by ICT. (Kennewell et al., 2000)

Assessing ICT capability

If you wish to assess your students’ ICT capability I recommend that of which Kennewell et al. (2000, p.99) states: • Devise methods of enabling the students to monitor and record their own progress e.g. self-assessment sheets; • Question students and ask them how they went about a task; • Set occasional prescribed challenges e.g. Can you write a caption and print it out for me?

• Make use of well briefed parent helpers to work exclusively with children at the computer, recording the the amount of help each child received; • Vary pairings to see how children work with other partners; • Encourage children to save their first drafts as well as their final drafts of each piece of ICT work.

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OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES IN THE CLASSROOM

Students don’t need to be sitting on a computer to develop their ICT capability. The first bit of advice is that if you can get a hold of your school technician before the lesson starts, ask the person to check to make sure that all hardware and software in the classroom is operational. It is even a good strategy to request their presence at the beginning of the lesson so that if anything goes wrong they can sort it out for you straight away. What if this isn’t a possibly? What happens then?

It wouldn’t surprise you that the most commonly used software in the classroom is MS Word. Along with other generic software used in schools it presents you as a teacher with a fantastic opportunity to develop student ICT capability. Each program allows students to practice techniques which is part but not all of what makes up ICT capability. The good news is when it comes to facing technical problems in the classroom is that students don’t need to be sitting at a computer to be able to develop their capabilities. Having a contingency plan is essential in this circumstance. Here is what you can do. Firstly, it is important to plan and seek every opportunity to develop each component of ICT capability and there are five of them.

Secondly, as the generic software mentioned earlier comes with many different concepts and techniques, you can plan a whole class or group discussion about the concepts behind the skills. Ensure that you challenge any inappropriate and naïve ideas about using ICT tools. It would also involve planning questions that will help develop their higher order skills. Finally, provide students with the opportunity to reflect on their ICT learning.

ORGANISING THE CLASSROOM

As every school and classroom is different in terms of classroom ICT resources there are a number of ways for you to organise your classroom in order to continue student learning in literacy and language.

Low Resource Settings

I will begin with discussing the best practices of you to use in the weakest of the settings – low resource.

With more and more schools enjoying their rollout of technology in the classroom, this type of setting is becoming far less common. However, they still exist and can also pertain in a school when a network room or set of laptops is out of use or block booked by another teacher!

If your classroom has a single computer in it that is shared by at least 30 students (hopefully not that big!), here is the first strategy you will need to implement. It is a good idea if you can to bring the computer in an area where it can be seen by everyone. Of course, this may not be physically possible and so you can overcome this barrier by borrowing areas big enough to do so elsewhere in the school. Using a whole-class demonstration of the software is essential at this point and it would help if you spend time the software to fully understand it yourself as the students may not have encountered it before.

What you are aiming for here is to allow the computer to become part of the general resource provision.

Research shows that a “question-and-answer” style of teaching lends itself to this type of circumstance.

Students need to be able to contribute in these discussions even if they are providing tips to their peers. As a teacher, discuss with them the difficulties that they may experience with familiarising themselves with the onscreen layout of the particular software. To enhance your whole-class sessions, follow this advice provided by Allen et al. (2012) 18-31: • Ask the children to discover during the session, and then report back on, different ways of doing the same thing. In a writing program for example, how can they make text appear in a different font size or colour?

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• print’, in order to avoid the inevitable heartache which arises when a document gets lost; • As is the case with all good primary practice, and down with the answer (don’t favour the loud over the quiet); • Do not allow one gender or group of children to dominate; • Stress the team-building aspects of sharing strategies so that they/we can all use the computer efficiently and safely. Involve children in a discussion about safety – monitor position, length of time, seating and so on; • Value what children contribute even when it is patently wrong. Help them to discover a better way constructively (e.g. ‘That’s a good suggestion but …’); • Draw on children’s experience of ICT at home or in other community settings; • Along with this you need to ensure that students learn how to take responsibility for their electronic forms of work. Show them how to save and retrieve their work and the importance of backing up their work. This is a significant concept that students make remember and it needs to be done as children progress through school. A strategy like this can be taught from the early age.

Lastly, in a low resource setting establishing and maintaining a rota can be crucial to ensure equality of access and of opportunity in the classroom. Rotas should not be set in stone as the acquisition of ICT skills is a dynamic process that is always changing.

High Resource Settings

High resource settings in schools means of course a lot more ICT tools and resources to choose from. Despite this, it is not surprising that many of the strategies used in low resource settings can be applied here too. So the following is a list of extra strategies to ponder about if needed.

If your school falls within this setting then it is likely that you will able to share the experience of the lesson using a large screen display with children. It could be either in the form of a large monitor, projector, screen or even what most schools double up its use of is interactive whiteboards. However, if your school doesn’t have a display like this then children can sit in front of the monitors. By observing fellow teachers, you may be able to pick up other strategies to overcome any difficulties encountered.

The availability of many computers in a room can also sometimes create problems. To avoid any pushing and shoving in the classroom when children are deciding on where to sit, remind them that they don’t have to sit at the same computer every week. It is great plan of action to proactively do the same about the importance of their passwords. Allen et al. (2012) outlines some other classroom practices: • Whole-class logon with the same username and password into a general area on the network for that class; • Children with a unique username and password.; • Children with group logon names and passwords.

Logging into and out of computers is a very important process and children should be taught to do so by themselves. Index cards can contain all the passwords and usernames and it can be handed to children at the beginning of lessons and collected at the end.

Whole-class demonstrations as I stated earlier in this course is an excellent way to assess student capabilities. So it should always take place and be for a sensible length of time. By doing this it allows the children to make the best use of time available. Children make a significant contribution to the whole-class under © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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standing of ICT skills and its development.

Mobile learning is becoming common these days and so you need to take into account things like battery life, ownership, sharing and storing as some examples. Integrating technology into classroom work can be much simpler in these circumstances.

Regardless of the level of resource you have available at your school it is important that you make the most out of every opportunity. Being a role model in the use of technology in the classroom is vital in primary education in particular as it sets the experience of learning with technology throughout their education.

Remember that the effectiveness of a technology-based unit of work depends on how well you plan.

TEACHER REFLECTION ACTIVITY Write short summary of what you have learnt so far about effectively implementing ICT teaching strategies in Literacy lessons.

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REFLECTING ON ICT TEACHING AND LEARNING Reflection plays a very important part in the development of student ICT capability throughout the integration of ICT in the curriculum. However, for teachers it is all about taking responsibility for the use of ICT in the classroom and their professional growth. It is important that teachers do reflect on practices and take the appropriate steps to improve them.

As teachers you should encourage students to reflect critically and evaluate their own work with ICT, so to must teachers. It must involve determining which parts of the lesson went well and which ones were less successful. From here, they can make the adjustments and plan for better lessons accordingly. For this to occur, they need to look deeper into the practices ask the questions as to why a particular approach was a success or failure. Classroom reflection such as this is said to promote thinking about classroom activities and the beliefs associated with those actions (Kennewell et al., 2000). Clarifying existing ideas about teaching helps to forge new ideas or modify old ones.

A powerful reflection involves carrying out action research. That is, the approach where teachers are required to take a more rigorous look at the quality of their teaching and learning. For judgments here to be made, evidence such as the following in relation to classroom activity needs to be taken into account: • • • • •

Lesson plans and schemes of work; Comments from observing teachers; A diary of classroom activity; The results of students’ class and homework and; The results of examinations.

The following questions can be used as a guide (Kennewell et al., 2000, p189).

• • • • • •

To what extent am I catering for the abilities of all the students in the class?

Are students able to build on prior learning?

Have I considered common misconceptions associated with this topic?

Are the students able to use what they have learnt in new situation?

Did the students appreciate that they were making progress?

Did the students improve their confidence in the subject and the image they have of themselves as a learner of the subject?

• Did the students develop good habits of work, including perseverance and a concern for correctness?

• Did the students use their initiative, exercise imagination and think for themselves?

Other question include: • How was the ICT activity integrated into the normal running of the classroom?

• What skills did I need in order for the ICT activity to succeed?

• How did I ensure that all students had access to the ICT activity?

• What were the learning outcomes for the students in ICT? • What assessment opportunities were there?

• How does this experience add to my understanding of teaching ICT capability in literacy development?

• What will I do next time?

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• required for all the children? Did you find that you talked too much and the children needed more time and more independence in their working?

Learning outcomes: • How far did the lesson achieve the intended learning objectives? Make a judgement based on your identified assessment opportunities. If it is part of a sequence of activities, how much is there still left to do?

• Comment on how the lesson went for the children experiencing difficulty and for those children of high ability.

• How well were you able to meet the needs of those with English as an additional language?

• Did children with special educational needs have full access to the activity and were they able to succeed?

(Allen, Potter, Sharpe & Turvey, 2012, p.36)

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PROVIDING AN INCLUSIVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT An inclusive classroom environment is an area where all students are supported in their individual learning needs. ICT is a vital tool to ensure that inclusion actually happens. However, the use of ICT in the classroom at times can be stressful and it is hard to keep track of what everyone is doing. If you are not careful, the ICT learning environment can become a very sensitive environment for some students who are categorised at SEN. So avoid making assumptions about students’ ICT capability.

Managing the inclusive classroom

Earlier I stated that you must begin to have high expectations of your students’ capabilities in ICT. It is hard to accept this at times. However, a good aspect of an inclusive environment is the sharing of information so it doesn’t hurt to be patronized by the ‘experts’ occasionally. Walk into the room as a learner too because it is impossible to know everything about ICT. Set routines and expectations in the following areas (North & McKeown, 2005, p. 72).

• • • • • •

Gain the students’ attention at the start of the class; Decide where students will sit; Plan groups for different activities; Decide how often students with special needs are left to work on their own; Stop students from fiddling with their computers when you are trying to give whole-class discussions; Manage the end of the lesson when some people have finished practical work and others are still trying to print; • Provide a variety of activities at different levels for different students; • Provide extra work for quick finishers.

Matching ICT activities and Tasks to Student Abilities, aptitudes and interests

Students work I a variety of ways and bring different capabilities in ICT with them. Some can make their work look nice while others are good at manipulating images. The use of MS PowerPoint is a favourite for many students.

Features of a good lesson

There are some common features of a lesson that make a good inclusive learning environment. These include (North & McKeown, 2005, p. 79): • Before – careful planning to cover content; set objectives, plan for additional, supplementary or alternative ICT activities for individual students; resources gathered and set up machines; • Opening the lesson – whole-class activities; plenary discussion; questioning; setting the pace; groups organised at start without too much intervention by students; busy purposeful atmosphere; questioning and discussion; attempt to engage interest and make introduction to activities relevant to students; • Development of lesson – mix of computer and non-computer activities as appropriate; reinforcing the objectives again; a choice and range of purposeful and relevant activities; teacher intervention aware of particular needs; • End – making sure everyone has seen the whole as well as the parts; chance for students to see other students’ work; students with clear understanding of what the objectives were and what they have done as individuals.

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Developing ICT activities

Here are some helpful tips for developing ICT activities for special needs students (Higgins, Packard, & Race, 2004).

1. Before starting to develop ICT activities for specific individuals, look at their IEP (Individual Education Programmes); 2. Consider what minor adjustments could be made existing activities; 3. Look at commercial solutions; 4. Go for adaptable software; 5. Try to make the most of what you have got; 6. For tackling problems with literacy, try talking word processors; 7. Try talking books; 8. Don’t be frightened of what sounds very complex; 9. See if software has built-in differentiation; 10. Do not underestimate the motivation factor.

To stretch more able students Higgins et al. (2004, p. 58) suggests the following: 1. Use the never-ending activity; 2. Use ICT to provide contexts for open-ended investigation; 3. Set them a challenge; 4. Remember, students can often teach themselves better than you can; 5. Keep the handbook handy; 6. Try to keep reference and research material available; 7. Don’t worry about blind alleys – just because they are clever it doesn’t mean they’ll get it right; 8. Let them teach; 9. Let them plan, or at least negotiate, what they might try; 10. Try developing logic and critical thinking.

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CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT The management of ICT in the classroom is becoming increasingly important as classrooms move closer towards the 21st century needs of society and embed more digital technologies in their practices.

Monitoring student use of ICT is important for two reasons. Firstly, students can appear to be usefully occupied with the ICT activity when in fact they are working very inefficiently and failing to exploit the full potential of ICT and not developing their ICT capability. Secondly, it is so easy for students to become distracted with the ICT resource particularly when they are using the Internet, and as they become more tech-savvy with every generation, this might not be obvious from their behaviour.

In a previous section of this teaching resource, I highlighted what you need to monitor in terms of ICT capability. Classroom management when it comes to ICT needs to start with active teacher monitoring and intervening. It is by doing this, that students should begin to realise that their opportunities to become distracted and do something other than the work you had set out for them is very limited.

Teacher intervention, both planned and unplanned, not only helps you to develop their ICT capability but at the same time allows you to observe what they really have been doing instead. An observation that you are witness to might be that the student is not up to place in the work where you would expect to be and this might become obvious when observing other students’ work with ICT. The development of student ICT capability will only occur if students are challenged intellectually with their ICT work. Intervention is the time to question their work and their use of ICT techniques. In the assessment of this ICT activity, you will need to judge the decisions they made in order to complete the finished product/ solution. Have your questions ready to get them thinking about how they might be able to do things better.

Despite this, there is no simple solution for effective management of ICT in the classroom. Make a note to yourself throughout the year to review what you do regularly as things change. The increasing emphasis on focused literacy lessons is undoubtedly going to change ICT use in the short term. However, as Higgins, Packard and Race (2004) point out, the targets for students’ ICT use, especially for email and the WWW means it will have considerable emphasis, too. They advise the following strategies (p. 12).

• Use ICT resources as much as you can and become competent and confident in your use; • Use computers to teach and demonstrate. For example, when using a word processor for demonstrations, try increasing the font size or the magnification to explain ‘copy’ and ‘paste’ or to demonstrate sentence level work; • Be critical. This means ensure that the use of the computer is a good idea for the chosen literacy activity.

The software needs to actually help the students achieve the learning outcome you want; • Be flexible about borrowing and lending equipment. Share the things around and organise your ICT tools and resources to get the best from it; • Decide the best place for the ICT tools and resources; • Maximise the time that computers are in use; • Involve the students in the management of the computers. Train the students to be responsible for switching on and shutting down; • Limit your objectives to what is achievable. Try setting up a record of who used which program on which day, so that the record is completed by the students themselves. You can then concentrate on assessing and recording their ICT capability; • Don’t show your frustration when the equipment goes wrong. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Developing self-supporting ICT activities

It is important to begin your ICT-literacy lessons with high expectations of students in term of ICT use. Why not, of course? Today, they are becoming more tech-savvy than ever and it is only going to increase its presence. So when you begin to develop the ICT activity for the literacy lesson, keep this in mind and develop self-supporting ICT activities. These activities allow you to teach a group effectively and not worry about students leaping across the classroom. Higgins et al. (2004, pp. 14-15) suggests these strategies.

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Keep it simple; Keep in step – make sure that it follows on from what they have done in the previous year; Introduce the activity to the whole class; Use support cards – try using information cards, prompts, wall charts, step-by-step instructions; Teach others to give support; Train students in a system – for example, plan for students to have the responsibility to go and get the person whose turn it is next; Give the students time to play; Change the groupings of students at the computer; Make sure no one dominates; Make sure the students are clear about what they have go to do and why they are doing it; Be explicit about where the students are to get support from; Review each activity with the whole class.

Planning appropriate Literacy activities for ICT Earlier, I highlighted the importance of planning for literacy-technology integration and when it comes to ICT activities, careful planning and consideration also needs to be taken into account. Use the following guidelines to help you to learn from other’s experience (Higgins, Packard, & Race, 2004, pp. 18-19).

• • • •

Use the National Curriculum ICT capability learning continuum to create your schemes of work; Find out what other teachers use working with the same age group of students; Plan a range of activities over the course of the year; Plan and seek to develop every component of ICT capability in your integration of ICT in literacy teaching; • Use the computer for direct teaching; • Don’t get students to copy type finished work into a neat version. It is better to get them to use the computer to redraft and make changes to their work; • Be realistic about how long ICT activities will take.

Classroom management strategies for laptops

Mobile learning is becoming very popular with iPads and laptops being widespread in schools these days.

Laptops being the first of the mobile technologies in the classroom is still in use and depending on the preferences of the school can still encourage students to learn. Unlike desktop computers however, its mobility can create headaches for teachers if not managed effectively with strategies that help students to understand their responsibility in it use.

So here are some useful advice (Livingston, 2006).

1. Always plan ahead and check with the school technician to see if anything was working the way it should. We all know that technology is not reliable so if something can break down, it will. Have the technician on standby even at the beginning of the lesson sometimes waiting at the door to give yourself piece of mind.

2. Room setup is also another important factor when it comes to using laptops in the classroom. Functional © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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desks and seating arrangements that encourage student collaboration is recognised as the best practice as it not only replicates real-world experiences but also helps you manage teamwork more efficiently. Arrange desks in clusters to enable you to circulate the room better.

3. How to stop students from drifting off onto other Internet sites is another question many teachers would like to know? One technique that you can trial is called the “Stick ‘em Up” method. The idea is that whenever you suspect students’ minds are wandering somewhere else they shouldn’t be simply pull out your ‘five fingered six shooter’ and say ‘Stick ‘em Up!” Students would need to know that as soon as you do that must raise their hands in the air and allow you to check their screens. Be sure to check to see if they have tried to hide them as well by minimising them. Believe me I have seen it happen many times.

Another technique is the ‘Lids down’ approach and the name is quite explanatory here. You would simply tell them to close their lids to about fist height which is too low to look at properly without having to scrunch down. In this approach, you will need to be quite vigilant as students might still try to type something.

4. My final bit of advice is about how you would benefit when you continually structure your lessons so that they are student-centred. Through facilitating these kinds of lessons more work can be accomplished and this is because students come to expect the structure of the lesson. A good way to start would be to discuss with the whole class what they are going to do, answer any question they throw at you then send them off to do their work.

Mobile technology in the classroom such as laptops brings with it many challenges particularly if they have Internet access, emails and possibly things that students have installed from their USBs. Classroom management in these circumstances can really test you at times. However, if you plan ahead you can meet these challenges head on and ensure that students ICT capability is learnt alongside subject content too.

Tips for managing the iPad Classroom

For iPads, use the following tips to help you manage them in the classroom (ISD, 2018).

Keep track of which student is using which device if possible: • If something inappropriate occurs with an iPad, this will help with tracking down who was responsible Keep a list of which student uses which iPad in each class.

• Make students aware of which number iPad they use according to the school label on the back, or add your own numbered or coloured sticker to the back of the iPads to help students easily identify them • Let students know they will be held accountable for the condition of their assigned iPad. • Briefly inspect the iPads at the end of each use to check for damage. Look at which apps are open to see if students were staying on task.

Set a routine for how students should get iPads at the start of class and put them away at the end of class: • Part of routine should be making sure all iPads are returned and inspected by the teacher at the end of class.

• Any covers should also be put on the face of the iPads between classes and/or when the iPads are not going to be used for an extended period of time.

Face Down: • Use this instruction to get student attention away from the iPads and on you during instructional time. iPad on the Desk/Table in flat or slightly elevated position when being used: © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• This allows you to see what the students are doing on the iPad at all times; • Do not let students use the iPad in their lap where the desk/table can hide what they are doing.

When not being used, iPad should be on the inside corner of the desk or centre of the table.

Sharing iPads: • Place the iPad between two people or in the centre of the group when sharing.

• Only one student “pilots” at a time or take turns. Two students should not be trying to touch the screen at the same time.

• Assign jobs (or ask students to work out jobs) when sharing the iPad. For example, one student might input text and another might take pictures or video.

Mute: • Teach students how to mute the iPad unless sound is needed for a lesson.

• Keep iPad muted at all times or keep earphones plugged in at all times.

Headphones • Obtain headphones for each iPad or ask students to bring their own headphones.

• Headphone splitters can also be used for sharing the iPad. • Do not share earbuds due to germs.

Volume • Tell students how many sound bars are appropriate for use with headphones and for listening “out loud”.

TEACHER REFLECTION ACTIVITY Write a brief summary of what you have learnt about “Providing an Inclusive Environment” and “Classroom Management”. How might you combine the two in practice?

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CURRICULUM ACTIVITIES The lesson plans which follow are derived from the context of the Australian Curriculum where the general capability - ICT Capability - is located. It is important to note, however, that within the curriculum there are in fact a number of ways to integrate ICT and teach ICT capability. The first is to do as such and use the opportunities presented. Secondly, if opportunities do not arise then teachers can create them themselves so long as the appropriate time arises and that suitable software is selected for student use. Please remember, that students will only develop their ICT capability if they are provided with the opportunities to use more intellectually challenging content-free software such as word processors, coding programs, databases and graphic and graphing programs where the students’ level of decision-making and control is high.

Literacy Development The lesson plans included in this teaching resource only cover the ICT capability context of literacy development. Therefore, it is important that before implementing these in the classroom that you do further literacy activities and development based on the context provided in the Australian Curriculum. Lesson plans here can be implemented to further develop student literacy with the use of ICT at the completion of previous exercises and only when the teacher deems that the student has progressed to the level required and set by the work program devised.

Literacy Development with ICT To conduct effective literacy lessons which are supported by ICT you will need to make effective use of the provisionality inherent in ICT. Provisionality is the the non-permanent nature of ICT, the potential to change work easily. Writing text with a word processor is a classic example of provisionality.

Word processors are a useful tool for presenting work neatly and they are great for drafting, re-drafting and editing. Editing offers powerful possibilities, and may be structured in ways that develop both literacyand ICT capability. It is through these processes that students will be able to develop further literacy skills alongside their capabilities in ICT. The curriculum activities set in this resource are aligned with these processes and teachers should learn to use word processors to their full potential by becoming familiar with its features and functions in terms of how they can be implemented in the context of literacy learning.

The paper versions which you had prepared earlier for the students can be used for planning. For example, each of the paper work samples provided in the Work Sample Portfolio on the national curriculum website, can be used as part of their planning stage and then transferred onto the use of a word processor.

Included in these activities are opportunities for teachers to implement the following word processors: • MS Word; • Google Docs; • Pages for iPads; • Email (school intranet); • Blogs; • Wikis; • Web creators.

Other software which may be used in these curriculum activities are as followed: • MS PowerPoint and • Desktop publishers (MS Publisher). © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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How to use the Activity Planning Sheets Planning and assessment are so closely related that is best that they are addressed together. As assessment is closely linked to forward planning, we have put together activity planning sheets that will not only save you time in your planning but also ensure that each aspect supports the other.

An activity planning sheet sets out what to look for in a student’s work as well as specifying the nature and purpose of the activity. Records like this can be used: • By principals, deputy principals and ICT coordinators to monitor the implementation of ICT across the school; • To assist the teacher in future planning; • To inform the teacher of the next year group of what has been covered; • To inform supply teachers; • To show any discrepancies between what was taught and what was actually planned.

Delivering the Lesson A range of teaching strategies should be employed to meet the different needs of individuals. This means that you must use a range of teaching and learning approaches both effectively and with confidence. These strategies have already been planned for you in your lesson plans, however, they will stand as an example for you to implement in any future planning which you may do. Eventually, they should all become second nature to you in your teaching practices.

To be an effective literacy-technology integrator, you must first plan and seek to develop every component of ICT capability. You must also always remember that as much as ICT may be used in the lesson, it is still a literacy focused lesson and should remain as such.

Structuring the Literacy-Technology Learning It is important that to build on a student’s learning at home that you set clear objectives, have structured activities and have high expectations of all students. The teaching strategies you will use to successfully integrate ICT in the literacy lesson are very similar. Use the following sequence: Whole class briefing on the literacy context and ICT activity; Detailed explanation to each group when they are ready to work on the ICT activity; Careful choice of pairs to work on a computer in turn; Review the key points with the groups afterwards.

Work with the whole class or group beforehand to clarify your expectations and focus their attention on what they are going to do. Then generate ideas about how they might go about it and demonstrate any new ICT techniques involved.

The ideal structure of a typical literacy lesson is based on a three part lesson. These should include an introduction, Practical section and the Conclusion/plenary.

INTRODUCTION

Literacy activities even with ICT represent important learning objectives and therefore, you need to introduce it by way of questioning of students. If your students are new to the software or the ICT techniques they are going to use, start by discussing what it can do and how this might be achieved. Do not demonstrate a fixed sequence of ICT techniques. This will help develop student autonomy in the selection of ICT tools and resources. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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It is in this section that you will typically demonstrate ICT techniques by using whole class teaching. Whole class teaching can also be used when presenting text, explaining ICT concepts, simple presentations and linking literacy and ICT ideas together. When demonstrating ICT techniques, ensure that the students associate the actions involved with the effect it achieves. This is very helpful and should be seen as a means of communicating and thinking about the action and its effect. Use this strategy especially if the name is used in menu options as well as for mouse movements, buttons or shortcuts.

When you are explaining ICT concepts it is a good idea to discuss examples and non-examples of a concept, both with and without ICT, in order to emphasise the important features of the concept. This example provided by Kennewell et al. (2000) should be kept in mind: A poster is not a ‘message’, as it is not communicated to a particular person. Other examples include: ICT concept Examples Non-examples & analogies Powerpoint presentation, Handwritten transparencies, Electronic document word processed report, poster printed book, drawing on produced by DTP. paper.

Message

An email.

Phone call, letter, poster.

Hypertext

Webpages, multimedia authoring.

Electronic document, printed book, videotape.

Model

Spreadsheet.

Table in document, printed accounts.

Database

Student record system.

Spreadsheet, card file.

Database query

Finding all Year 2 students who are studying ICT.

Visually identifying students in ICT classes.

Table 5. Representing ICT concepts (Kennewell et al., 2000, p.143) Remember to challenge naïve ideas about handling particular ICT techniques. This should also be done when monitoring the progress of the individual student. Examples of this include the following: • When students use spaces to spread out text on a line or page, the teacher could show the effect of adding extra text so that the spaces move to a different position in the line; • If they use the Backspace key to delete back to an earlier mistake and re-type, the teacher could set a task requiring the editing of previously composed text to achieve a different goal.

Once you have finished explaining these concepts you can then set them to task.

PRACTICAL SECTION (BODY) This part of the literacy lesson represents a significant proportion of the learning that will take place. It is here where you will effectively teach ICT capability alongside literacy learning. In the introduction, you used whole class teaching to demonstrate ICT techniques. Later when assessing student progress, you will need to determine if students were able to carry out these ICT techniques throughout the lesson after being shown the demonstration. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Throughout the practical section of the lesson, it will be important that you provide a range of support for the students in your class. Kennewell et al. (2000, p. 143) advises that when focusing on ICT techniques, the following may be used successfully in appropriate situations: • Demonstration with descriptive or explanatory commentary – mainly used in introducing the ideas to a group or the whole class; • Monitored instruction – the teacher gives instructions step-by-step and checks that the students are following; • Monitored repetition – the students try to repeat the ICT technique, with the teacher filling in what the students can’t do; • Guided discovery – the student tries to work out the steps, with the teacher providing questions/prompts to help them recognise relevant cues, concepts and familiar ICT techniques; • Guided repetition – the student tries to repeat the ICT technique, with the teacher providing questions/ prompts to help the student recognise relevant cues and concepts; • Quick fix – the teacher solves a problem without explanation to enable the student to focus on the intended objectives.

There are five principles that you must adhere to throughout the literacy lesson if you are to achieve this.

These include: • Establishing a community of learners by being attentive to grouping strategies and classroom management techniques that will build, maintain and enhance the learning circle; • Make sure that you expect, model and teach productive ways of communicating. Encourage students to talk as a means of exploring new ideas and working collaboratively; • Connect literacy and content area instruction by using a thematic approach to foster in-depth learning; • Monitor and observe to ensure that you meeting individual student needs and; • Become an active decision maker.

(Watts-Taffe & Gwinn, 2007) It is important to remember that just providing exposure to ICT is not in itself sufficient to ensure that learning occurs in Literacy lessons. If you fail to challenge to students intellectually by using just focusing on ICT techniques then you will not be developing their ICT capability effectively. Instead, this may constitute little more than the development of further computer-situated techniques.

Your aim must be to maintain an appropriate balance between the factors according the objectives of the literacy-ICT activity. In other words, a student must find, and overcome, difficulties for learning to occur.

But if the ICT interference factor is too large, the student will have little processing power left to use for the application of the software to the problem.

In this section, students are best to work either independently or in pairs on the literacy-ICT activity. At certain intervals in the lesson, you may discuss with students what it is they are doing at the process level.

Avoid simply identifying the next ICT technique. It may be helpful to draw on relevant images and analogies in order that students gain an understanding for the whole process. Afterwards, they should be able to identify useful ICT techniques themselves.

For higher order skills, you will initially manage the planning, monitoring and evaluation of students’ work whilst involving students in the process through whole class teaching.

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How to monitor and intervene?

Throughout the practical part of the lesson, it will be important for you to monitor student use of ICT for two reasons. First, it is common for students to appear to be usually occupied with the task when in fact they are working very inefficiently and failing to exploit the full potential of the ICT tool and resource. Secondly, because of the richness of the ICT tools which they may use they can divert very easily from the intended task without it being too obvious from their behaviour. You will need to monitor and intervene in the appropriate ways.

By monitoring, you will also be able to provide feedback and support to students and this will in turn stimulate learning at important moments.

Developing all the components of ICT capability also involves actively monitoring these components throughout the lesson.

• Routines needs to be monitored by using an up-to-date checklist of the ICT techniques that students the students should be able to use routinely. The checklist needs to have the latest hardware and software available. In addition, make note how a student was able to carry out the ICT technique. For example, were they hesitant, steady or fluent? There will need to be a checklist for every individual student.

• ICT techniques is monitored similarly to routines except you will need a class checklist which will help you keep track of student progress in terms of who is confident in using the ICT techniques. It is important to provide the minimum amount of support and then withdraw it as soon as possible.

• For processes, as they are made up of several ICT techniques it will be important that they have an understanding of the relevant concepts needed in order to analyse a situation and identify the particular ICT techniques required to reach the desired goal. As such, the task you set must NOT be set out step-by-step so that you can let them try out new ideas, observe their approach and intervene when they fail to make the expected progress. As with ICT techniques, the minimum amount of support must be provided and then withdrawn as soon as possible.

• Higher order skills is just as important as the other components and you can use one of the following teaching strategies to aid its development.

1. Model the ICT techniques of strategic planning by thinking out loud in front of the students to show the questions which might be asked during the process; 2. Give groups of students responsibility for planning a task and coach them by asking questions at intervals to guide students towards a viable plan; 3. Involve the students socially in planning, monitoring and evaluating and reflecting through whole class teaching.

CONCLUSION OF LESSON At the end of the lesson it will be important that you provide enough time for students to be able to reflect on their ICT learning. This will help with their concept development and can be carried out either with a write-up activity to focus students’ thinking on principles they have met. Research or discussion activities in groups can also be used and be reported in a presentation.

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• • • • • • • • •

Plan and seek to develop every component of ICT capability; Prepare structured ICT tasks and activities; Use whole-class teaching to demonstrate new ICT techniques; When introducing new software and ICT techniques start by discussing what it can do and how it can be achieved; Clarify your expectations beforehand and focus their attention on what they are going to do; Provide a range of support for the students; Monitor the components and intervene at the appropriate time to promote their higher order skills; Use a checklist of the ICT techniques to track student progress; At the end of the lesson, ensure that you provide ample time to allow students to reflect on their ICT learning.

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Talking Tech in Literacy Lessons

Talking tech in literacy lessons is to do with ensuring that you are giving students the fundamental knowledge they require to become ICT capable. When they use ICT in literacy lessons it will be important they: • • • • • • • •

Recognise when the use of ICT might be appropriate or effective; Plan how ICT resources, ICT techniques and processes are to be used in a task; Conjecture, discuss and test the strategies and data to be used; Monitor the progress of the problem-solving activities in the literacy learning tasks; Make and test hypothesis; Evaluate the outcomes of using ICT for a task; Explain and justify the use of ICT in producing solutions to literacy problems and; Reflect on the learning that might have occurred during the literacy task.

Therefore, you should present the problem statement that will help them develop autonomy in the selection of ICT tools and resources, encourage them to articulate their thoughts about the ICT techniques offered in various programs available and develop their confidence and enthusiasm about ICT. To achieve this you will need to include ICT terminology in the statement you are presenting to students and obviously, the higher up the age level the more terms you should incorporate.

• Think of terms which will direct students’ thoughts towards the appropriate selection of the ICT tool or resource you would like them to use; • If possible, include ICT techniques or features of the program that are specific to it only; • Don’t forget to mention what you want them to achieve – the ICT solution to the problem!

This highlights how important that teacher knowledge of ICT tools and resources is. Here is an example:

Activity 1: Response to Visual Text: Using the Callout shapes tool

Curriculum connection: (ACELY1680) Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features Lesson Description Look at an image from a book and compose open questions about it either directed towards the author or the characters.

Requirement: Teacher to create a template on a word processing document (MS Word or other) with a scanned image from the book with the reference and instructions for students.

Possible ICT terminology: • Text document; • Template; • Word processing; © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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• File location; • Document size.

It will be important that you will have discussed these terms with the students beforehand.

Problem Statement: Look at an image from the book and write open questions addressed to either the author or the characters in the book. The name of the file is ‘Into the forest.doc’.

Select the appropriate software to open the template in a text document and use the Shapes tool to insert Callouts for your questions. You may choose any you wish to use. The document size is .

What’s Next?

The problem statement should be displayed on the screen for everyone or on an activity sheet for students to use. Go through the problem statement as a whole class and discuss the ICT terminologies that may indicate the appropriate selection of the ICT tools and resources available in the classroom.

Achievement Standards (English) • Students understand how content can be organised using different text structures depending on the purpose of the text; • Understand how image choices are used for different effects; • Identify literal and implied meaning connecting ideas to different parts of a text; • Select information, ideas and events in texts that relate to their own lives; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabularly and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning.

Assessment (see next page)

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Higher Order Skills Analysis: Students edit the text.

ICT Techniques Insert text

Application: Students type their questions.

Saving file as a .doc in the correct ICT Capability LC: location Managing and Operating; Creating with ICT. Opening a word processor.

Synthesis: Students rewrite their paper-based work.

Curriculum Context English (ACELY1685)

Opening a template document.

Evaluation: Students compare and conclude their work.

Use of spell and grammar checker.

Use of Shift key or Caps lock.

Use of Font style – bold, italics, underline Insert the Callout shape.

MS Word Activity 1. Students are to open the word document template which has been created for them and located in the student access shared folder.

2. Students to Save As their name and the name of the book. The word document must saved in the appropriate English folder.

3. Students to read the instructions to write questions directed to the author or characters by inserting the Callout shape and typing their question in the callout. They may choose anyone they wish to use, but it indicate the link to picture appropriately by directing tail of the callout towards the image.

4. Work is to be Saved at the end of the lesson.

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DATE:

Literacy – Creating text

SUBJECT: ENGLISH AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINK

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

Elaboration: Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software By the end of Year 2 By the end of Year 4 The student can use a camera, microphone and The student can use page layout software for posters, a mouse, USB flash drive, printer, digital printer or slideshow software to create a presentation. They robot when supervised by a teacher. They take initial can adjust the placement and orientation of the steps in coping with the unexpected and then seek mouse, keyboard and screen to ensure ease and comfort when using. They attempt to solve a techhelp. nical problem.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks The student can use basic functions of selected soft- The student can edit text, images, audio and video ware to manipulate text, images, audio and numbers. for presentations and story-telling. They can transThey can represent data numerically or graphically form data between numerical and graphical digital representation as well as apply editing strategies. and edit their own work and that of others.

Generate ideas, plans and processes The student can draw simple mind maps using The student can use tables, photos and sketches in conceptual mapping software. They can draw using planning documents. software to show steps in a sequence.

PREVIOUS LESSON

LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will explore illustrations in a book and compose open questions about it which could be directed at the author or the characters in the book. I will create a word document template for the students which will contain an image from the book. By teaching students how to insert the ‘Callout’ shape, they can attach these questions to the template. Students will need to Save As they own name and the name of the book e.g. Fred Into the Forest. They can choose the shape they wish to use in addition to using editing features such as the Backspace key, Delete key and the mouse.

LEARNING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS For ICT: Most students will already know their passwords and usernames in order to log into the computer. They will need experience in opening a word processor, saving files and accessing their files, practice using a keyboard (touch typing skills) and using Shift keys and spell checkers. They will need to know about where to obtain file sizes. They may need to know where to find the Callout shapes and inserting text into them.

For English: The aim of the lesson is to back up literacy lessons by learning about writing open questions on visual text. The students need experience in typing in text into a Callout shape directed at either the author or characters.

They will also use key editing features of word processing such as Deleting, Backspace, punctuation such as question marks (use of Shift key) as well as capital letters.

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GROUPING OF STUDENTS

Decide if this lesson is for the whole class, a group, a pair or an individual. Will the group work on the activity all week? Or will different groups of children work on it throughout the week?

RESOURCES

The computer suite or use of classroom laptops.

THEORTICAL CONTEXT

The benefits of using ICT to support the processes of improving writing extends across the curriculum.

The major benefit of word-processing is the possibility of redrafting. While text is on the screen it is fluid and malleable and it can be changed in any way without leaving a trace. This presents a zone of possibility to the writer, and has already had enormous impact on the way a writer operates in creating texts. The most obvious implication for teaching and learning is that children can benefit most from this ‘creative space’ of the word-processor in the initial stages of writing – when they are collecting and shaping ideas.

YOUR OWN LEARNING NEEDS Preparing text in a word processor for the children to work on. Making sure that I know how to save the work in the children’s user areas as a template to work on. Understanding the context of the work on grammar and punctuation in the English scheme of work.

ORGANISATIONAL MEMORY JOGGER Can I get into the network room during the lunch hour to make sure that the pre-prepared file is in the right area on the network? Do I have the appropriate access rights to the network in order to do this? Do all children know how to log on? Are there spare USER IDs in case of emergency?

INFORMATION FOR TEACHER AIDES/ADULT HELPERS • Listen to what students to say and encourage them to share their ideas; • Help the children to understand that it is acceptable to try out their ideas and make mistakes; • Give the students time to work out their answers; • Take every opportunity to praise students’ success when completing the activity or developing a computer skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, I will expect most of the students to achieve the following: • Access a template file on MS Word; • Save a file using appropriate filenames; • Edit text using a mouse; • Delete or Backspace keys; • Alter font, font size and colour.

What do you expect different members of the class to achieve in terms of their different ability levels?

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DIFFERENTIATION How will I help children who are experiencing difficulties with ICT?

How will I develop further the skills, knowledge and understanding of the most able in the class?

How will I ensure an appropriate level of challenge for all ability groups? How will you support specific needs?

LEARNING NEEDS – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE The strategies that I will use include: - Partnering the children appropriately according to the language needed to access the activity; - Allow some pairs to work at the same computer if they are experiencing difficulties; - Check and re-check understanding of task.

LEARNING NEEDS – SEN STUDENTS How will you support any children in the class with SEN? Possible strategies include: • Peer tutoring; • Use printouts to help with the sequence of events; • Make step-by-step cards; • Enlist the help from other students; • Consider any minor adjustments to the existing activity; • Use the never-ending activity e.g. beebots.

• Set challenges.

ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ICT Capability:

English:

• Backspace and Delete key; • Using Shift key or Caps Lock to create capital letters; • Opening a template document; Insert Callout shape and inserting text into shape; • Understanding of file sizes for word documents; • Understanding of ICT terminology; • Inserting the Callout shape and inserting text into it.

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KEY QUESTIONS Questions will be asked when it comes time to intervene and they will be in the form of focusing questions to assist students in the formation of generalisations. Possible structured questions that focus on the process used: • Why is there a squiggly line under the word?

• What key do you press to leave a space between the words?

• What have you discovered? Tell me about it.

• Why do you think you have got those results?

• What would happen if……?

Remember to focus on the language being developed for ICT, i.e. shift, space bar, return/enter, insert, backspace, delete. For English, refer questioning to texts and units currently under study.

Some questions for ICT development, differentiated according to ability, might include: Which keys do you use to delete or rub out words? (Lower) How do you change letters from lower case to upper case?

(Lower/Middle) How do you move around in the text and/or how do you place the cursor where you want it to go? (Middle) Do you know a quick way to locate the word ‘and’ in the text? (Higher) LESSON FORMAT 10 minutes: Opening with demonstration at the IWB. Invite some participation from the children. Ask questions. Check and re-check understanding of the task. Share the learning objectives with the children.

Complete the desired format below allowing time for whole class reflection on their ICT learning which may be conducted through discussion or as a reflective writing task.

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TEACHER REFLECTION Refer to the section on Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning for the appropriate questions to complete this section.

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Activity Planning Sheet

Year 3

ICT Capability LC Elements

Subject: English/ICT/literacy

Creating with ICT

Topic: Response to visual text

Managing and Operating ICT

Activity: Students will use a MS Word template which I have set up that includes a scanned image from the book. They are to use the Callout shape to attach questions directed towards either the author or characters. They will Save As their name and the name of the book. If not completed by the end of the lesson, then they are to Save As a different version of the work every time. Questions will be inserted into the Callouts and appropriate use of punctation, spelling and grammar will be checked.

Grouping: For students who are EAL or SEN that may work better as a pairs otherwise students can work individually.

Assessment: Independent management of work. Appropriate use of Shift keys. Appropriate use of font/ style/colour of text. Use of Delete and Backspace key. Ability to insert Shapes/Callouts and insert text.

In addition, use of Spell and Grammar checker. Able to open a word document template and Save As the appropriate name in the correct file location.

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Activity 2: Informative Text: Redrafting written work Curriculum Connection: (ACELY1682) Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose.

Lesson Description Students will redraft their information report about a topic they were interested in. They will use a word processor to write this report.

The redrafting of their work will have strong emphasis on the content and quality of their writing as opposed to bold and italic text.

Problem Statement Using the example provided in previous activity write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Students understand how content can be organised using different text structures depending on the purpose of the text; • Understand how image choices are used for different effects; • Understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas; • Text includes writing and images to express and develop in some detail; • Create text for familiar audiences; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning.

Assessment (see next page) The ICT techniques listed in the below table represent the typical skills students may use. It is recommended that a pre-lesson be planned with a similar ICT activity to determine what the students may already know. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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This will help you to challenge the students intellectually by including other ICT technques they could use and that may be added onto the assessment list.

Assessment Higher Order Skills Synthesis: Students redraft their report.

Evaluation: Students conclude their work and select and judge the appropriateness of the ICT technique.

ICT Techniques Insert text

Curriculum link English (ACELY1685)

Alter font, size and colour

ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Save As from a word document template

Editing tools such as Backspace, Application: Students demonstrate Delete or mouse how to use ICT techniques Shift key for capital letters and punctuations e.g. colons.

Use of Heading styles MS Word Activity 1. Students to open a blank word processing document in MS Word.

2. Students to Save As the name of their topic. If not completed by end of the lesson, students are to Save As a different version of their work every time.

3. Students are to rewrite their draft plan of their report in the word document and have to click Save every few minutes (preferably after every 10 minutes or after a major piece of work has been completed).

4. The same format is to be used as in the draft on paper.

5. Students must have clear headings and titles.

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DATE:

Literacy – Creating text

SUBJECT: ENGLISH AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINK

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

Elaboration: Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software By the end of Year 2 By the end of Year 4 The student can use a camera, microphone and The student can use page layout software for posters, a mouse, USB flash drive, printer, digital printer or slideshow software to create a presentation. They robot when supervised by a teacher. They take initial can adjust the placement and orientation of the steps in coping with the unexpected and then seek mouse, keyboard and screen to ensure ease and comfort when using. They attempt to solve a techhelp. nical problem.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks The student can use basic functions of selected soft- The student can edit text, images, audio and video ware to manipulate text, images, audio and numbers. for presentations and story-telling. They can transThey can represent data numerically or graphically form data between numerical and graphical digital representation as well as apply editing strategies. and edit their own work and that of others.

Generate ideas, plans and processes The student can draw simple mind maps using The student can use tables, photos and sketches in conceptual mapping software. They can draw using planning documents. software to show steps in a sequence.

PREVIOUS LESSON In the previous lesson, students wrote an information report about a topic they were interested in. They used the school library and the Internet to research (see Appendix for lesson plan on Information Literacy skills and WWW). They then wrote it in their own words.

LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will redraft their report on the topic they are interested in. They will use a word processor namely MS Word to carry out this learning area task. I will demonstrate any new ICT techniques which the students will need to know and they will need to use others such as Shift key for punctuation and capital letters, altering font size and colour, Spell checker, and using various Heading and Title styles.

LEARNING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS

For ICT: Most students will already know their passwords and usernames in order to log into the computer. They will need experience in opening a word processor, saving files and accessing their files, practice using a keyboard (touch typing skills) and using Shift keys and spell checkers. They will need to know about where to obtain file sizes.

For English: The aim of the lesson is to back up literacy lessons on improving drafts of writing by looking at changing writing containing too many long sentences (deleting ‘and’ and replacing with full stop and capital letter of the next word). © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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GROUPING OF STUDENTS

Decide if this lesson is for the whole class, a group, a pair or an individual. Will the group work on the activity all week? Or will different groups of children work on it throughout the week?

RESOURCES

The computer suite or use of classroom laptops.

THEORTICAL CONTEXT

The benefits of using ICT to support the processes of improving writing extends across the curriculum.

The major benefit of word-processing is the possibility of redrafting. While text is on the screen it is fluid and malleable and it can be changed in any way without leaving a trace. This presents a zone of possibility to the writer, and has already had enormous impact on the way a writer operates in creating texts. The most obvious implication for teaching and learning is that children can benefit most from this ‘creative space’ of the word-processor in the initial stages of writing – when they are collecting and shaping ideas (Rudd, 2006) YOUR OWN LEARNING NEEDS Preparing text in a word processor for the children to work on. Making sure that I know how to save the work in the children’s user areas as a template to work on. Understanding the context of the work on grammar and punctuation in the English scheme of work.

ORGANISATIONAL MEMORY JOGGER Can I get into the network room before the lesson to make sure that the pre-prepared file is in the right area on the network? Do I have the appropriate access rights to the network in order to do this? Do all children know how to log on? Are there spare USER IDs in case of emergency?

INFORMATION FOR TEACHER AIDES/ADULT HELPERS Inform teacher aides or parent helpers of the following strategies: • Listen to what students to say and encourage them to share their ideas; • Help the children to understand that it is acceptable to try out their ideas and make mistakes; • Give the students time to work out their answers; • Take every opportunity to praise students’ success when completing the activity or developing a computer skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, I will expect most of the students to achieve the following: For ICT: The key idea that ICT can be used to improve text and make a message clearer by means of onscreen editing. Learning deleting and inserting text to improve readability. The focus will be on the content and quality of their writing.

For ENGLISH: The key concept of full stops, colons, capital letters to create sentences and improve sense and understanding of writing.

What do you expect different members of the class to achieve in terms of their different ability levels?

What do you expect the majority of the class to achieve by the end of the lesson?

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DIFFERENTIATION How will I help children who are experiencing difficulties with ICT?

How will I develop further the skills, knowledge and understanding of the most able in the class?

How will I ensure an appropriate level of challenge for all ability groups? How will you support specific needs?

LEARNING NEEDS – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE Possible strategies include partnering the children appropriately according to the language needed to access the activity; Allow some pairs to work at the same computer if they are experiencing difficulties; Check and re-check understanding of task.

LEARNING NEEDS – SEN STUDENTS How will you support any children in the class with SEN? Possible strategies include peer tutoring; Use printouts to help with the sequence of events; Make step-by-step cards; Enlist the help from other students; Consider any minor adjustments to the existing activity; Use the never-ending activity e.g. beebots; Set challenges.

ICT Capability:

ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES English:

• Editing tools: Backspace and Delete key or mouse; • Shift key or Caps Lock to create capital letters; • Understanding of ICT terminology; • Appropriate use of Heading styles.

Advanced techniques (ICT techniques you have set as challenges to individual students or groups):

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KEY QUESTIONS (ICT CAPABILITY) Questions will be asked when it comes time to intervene and they will be in the form of focusing questions to assist students in the formation of generalisations. Possible structured questions that focus on the process used: • Why is there a squiggly line under the word?

• What key do you press to leave a space between the words?

• What have you discovered? Tell me about it.

• Why do you think you have got those results?

• What would happen if……?

Remember to focus on the language being developed for ICT, i.e. shift, space bar, return/enter, insert, backspace, delete. For English, refer questioning to texts and units currently under study.

Some questions for ICT development, differentiated according to ability, might include: Which keys do you use to delete or rub out words? (Lower) How do you change letters from lower case to upper case?

(Lower/Middle) How do you move around in the text and/or how do you place the cursor where you want it to go? (Middle) Do you know a quick way to locate the word ‘and’ in the text? (Higher) LESSON FORMAT 10 minutes: Opening with demonstration at the IWB. Invite some participation from the children. Ask questions. Check and re-check understanding of the task. Share the learning objectives with the children.

Complete the desire format below allowing time for whole class reflection on their ICT learning which may be conducted through discussion or as a reflective writing task.

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TEACHER REFLECTION Refer to the section on Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning for the appropriate questions to complete this section.

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Activity Planning Sheet Year 3 Subject: English/ICT/literacy Topic: Informative text

ICT Capability LC Elements Creating with ICT Managing and Operating ICT

Activity: Students will use a word processing program such as MS Word or an online processor to redraft their work on informative text. They will develop their ICT capability when they use ICT techniques such as Shift key, Backspace key, Delete key and Spacebar. However, advanced skills will be determined by use of a similar lesson and these skills will be included in their assessment. It may include learning how to insert images and formatting them appropriately.

Grouping: For students who are EAL or SEN that may work better as a pairs otherwise students can work individually.

Assessment: Independent management of work. Appropriate use of Shift keys. Appropriate use of font/ style/colour of text. Resizing graphics and use of Delete and Backspace key. In addition, use of Spell and Grammar checker. Use of WordArt. Inserting text boxes - resize and moving; Highlighting text; Open a document, Save As. Others:

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Activity 3: Narrative text: Creating a Sequential Narrative from Pictures Curriculum Connection: (ACELY1682) Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose.

Lesson Description This activity can be conducted either as a drafting or redrafting exercise. Where the teacher chooses to have as a drafting activity, it will be important to set up a template with the appropriate images required. A redrafting activity would simply require the students to rewrite their work. In this case, it will thus be important to add on some extension work for those who might finish early or get bored too quickly.

Problem Statement Using the example provided in the previous activity write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Understand how language features and vocabulary choices are used for different effects; • Understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas; • Text includes writing and images to express and develop in some detail experiences, events, ideas and characters; • Create text for familiar audiences; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning.

Assessment (see next page) The ICT techniques listed in the below table represent the typical skills students may use. It is recommended that a pre-lesson be planned with a similar ICT activity to determine what the students may already know.

This will help you to challenge the students intellectually by including other ICT technques they could use and that may be added onto the assessment list. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Higher Order Skills Synthesis: Students redraft their work.

Evaluation: Students conclude their work and select and judge the appropriateness of the ICT technique.

ICT Techniques Insert text

Curriculum link English (ACELY1685)

Alter font, size and colour

ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Editing tools such as Backspace, Delete or mouse

Shift key for capital letters and Application: Students demonstrate punctuations e.g. colons. how to use ICT techniques Use of Heading styles Advanced skills:

MS Word Activity (Drafting work) 1. Students to open the word processing template in MS Word.

2. Students to Save As their name and the date. If not completed by end of the lesson, students are to Save As a different version of their work every time. For example, by changing the date and then Save As. 3. Students are to study the pictures and consider the story they are telling.

4. Students to create a sequential narrative dialogue.

5. Students are to click Save every few minutes (preferably after every 10 minutes or after a major piece of work has been completed).

6. Students must have clear headings and titles.

Extension Work: Students who may finish earlier than others can extend their own version of the story by adding onto what they have already written. Images can be added that are appropriate to the text written.

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DATE:

Literacy – Creating text

SUBJECT: ENGLISH AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINK

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

Elaboration: Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software By the end of Year 2 By the end of Year 4 The student can use a camera, microphone and The student can use page layout software for posters, a mouse, USB flash drive, printer, digital printer or slideshow software to create a presentation. They robot when supervised by a teacher. They take initial can adjust the placement and orientation of the steps in coping with the unexpected and then seek mouse, keyboard and screen to ensure ease and comfort when using. They attempt to solve a techhelp. nical problem.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks The student can use basic functions of selected soft- The student can edit text, images, audio and video ware to manipulate text, images, audio and numbers. for presentations and story-telling. They can transThey can represent data numerically or graphically form data between numerical and graphical digital representation as well as apply editing strategies. and edit their own work and that of others.

PREVIOUS LESSON In the previous lesson, students were involved in shared reading of narrative text and discussion of narrative features. In addition, there was also the modelling of more appropriate words to use in narrative writing.

LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will draft their work on narrative text based on a word processing template which I have organised in the program MS Word and located in the student shared access drive on the network. A similar ICT activity was conducted earlier or I used my Individual student profile record to determine the ICT capability progress of students at the current time. Typical ICT techniques that the students are expected to use in this activity will include use of Shift keys for punctuations and capital letters, Spell and grammar checker, editing tools such as Backspace and Delete keys or even the use of the mouse. I will include additional ICT techniques to ensure that students will be challenged intellectually.

LEARNING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS

For ICT: The students will need experience of entering text into a word processor and changing it using the mouse and the keyboard. It may be that students will need to know how to use the Spell and grammar checker. If students already know this, then more advanced editing techniques can be taught such as modifying text at word, sentence or paragraph level or drag-and-drop editing.

For English: The aim of the lesson is to back up literacy lessons on improving drafts of writing by looking at how language features are used to link and sequence ideas in addition to the effective use of grammar.

GROUPING OF STUDENTS

Decide if this lesson is for the whole class, a group, a pair or an individual. Will the group work on the activity all week? Or will different groups of children work on it throughout the week?

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RESOURCES The computer suite or use of classroom laptops.

THEORTICAL CONTEXT

The benefits of using ICT to support the processes of improving writing extends across the curriculum.

The major benefit of word-processing is the possibility of drafting or redrafting. While text is on the screen it is fluid and malleable and it can be changed in any way without leaving a trace. This presents a zone of possibility to the writer, and has already had enormous impact on the way a writer operates in creating texts. The most obvious implication for teaching and learning is that children can benefit most from this ‘creative space’ of the word-processor in the initial stages of writing – when they are collecting and shaping ideas (Rudd, 2006) YOUR OWN LEARNING NEEDS Preparing text in a word processor for the children to work on. Making sure that I know how to save the work in the children’s user areas as a template to work on. Understanding the context of the work on grammar and punctuation in the English scheme of work.

ORGANISATIONAL MEMORY JOGGER Can I get into the network room before the lesson to make sure that the pre-prepared file is in the right area on the network? Do I have the appropriate access rights to the network in order to do this? Do all children know how to log on? Are there spare USER IDs in case of emergency?

INFORMATION FOR TEACHER AIDES/ADULT HELPERS Inform teacher aides or parent helpers of the following strategies: • Listen to what students to say and encourage them to share their ideas; • Help the children to understand that it is acceptable to try out their ideas and make mistakes; • Give the students time to work out their answers; • Take every opportunity to praise students’ success when completing the activity or developing a computer skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, I will expect most of the students to achieve the following: For ICT: The key idea that ICT can be used to improve text and make a message clearer by means of onscreen editing. Learning deleting and inserting text to improve readability. The focus will be on the content and quality of their writing.

For ENGLISH: The key concept of full stops, colons, capital letters to create sentences and improve sense and understanding of writing.

DIFFERENTIATION How will I help children who are experiencing difficulties with ICT?

How will I develop further the skills, knowledge and understanding of the most able in the class?

How will I ensure an appropriate level of challenge for all ability groups? How will you support specific needs?

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71

LEARNING NEEDS – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE Possible strategies include partnering the children appropriately according to the language needed to access the activity; Allow some pairs to work at the same computer if they are experiencing difficulties; Check and re-check understanding of task.

LEARNING NEEDS – SEN STUDENTS How will you support any children in the class with SEN? Possible strategies include peer tutoring; Use printouts to help with the sequence of events; Make step-by-step cards; Enlist the help from other students; Consider any minor adjustments to the existing activity; Use the never-ending activity e.g. beebots; Set challenges.

ICT Capability:

ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES English:

• Editing tools: Backspace and Delete key or mouse; • Shift key or Caps Lock to create capital letters; • Understanding of ICT terminology; • Appropriate use of Heading styles.

Advanced techniques (ICT techniques you have set as challenges to individual students or groups):

KEY QUESTIONS (ICT Capability) Questions will be asked when it comes time to intervene and they will be in the form of focusing questions to assist students in the formation of generalisations. Possible structured questions that focus on the process used: • Why is there a squiggly line under the word?

• What key do you press to leave a space between the words?

• What have you discovered? Tell me about it.

• Why do you think you have got those results?

• What would happen if……?

Remember to focus on the language being developed for ICT, i.e. shift, space bar, return/enter, insert, backspace, delete. For English, refer questioning to texts and units currently under study.

Some questions for ICT development, differentiated according to ability, might include: Which keys do you use to delete or rub out words? (Lower) How do you change letters from lower case to upper case?

(Lower/Middle) How do you move around in the text and/or how do you place the cursor where you want it to go? (Middle) Do you know a quick way to locate the word ‘and’ in the text? (Higher)

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LESSON FORMAT Complete the desire format below allowing time for whole class reflection on their ICT learning which may be conducted through discussion or as a reflective writing task 10 minutes: Opening with demonstration at the IWB. Invite some participation from the children. Ask questions. Check and re-check understanding of the task. Share the learning objectives with the children.

TEACHER REFLECTION Refer to the section on Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning for the appropriate questions to complete this section.

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73

Activity Planning Sheet Year 3 Subject: English/ICT/literacy Topic: Narrative Text

ICT Capability LC Elements Creating with ICT Managing and Operating ICT

Activity: Students will use a word processing program such as MS Word or an online processor to draft their work on narrative text. They will develop their ICT capability when they use ICT techniques such as Shift key, Backspace key, Delete key and Spacebar. However, advanced skills will be determined by use of a similar lesson and these skills will be included in their assessment. It may include learning how to insert images and formatting them appropriately.

Grouping: For students who are EAL or SEN that may work better as a pairs otherwise students can work individually.

Assessment: Independent management of work. Appropriate use of Shift keys. Appropriate use of font/ style/colour of text. Resizing graphics and use of Delete and Backspace key. In addition, use of Spell and Grammar checker. Use of WordArt. Inserting text boxes - resize and moving; Highlighting text; Open a document, Save As. Others:

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Activity 4: Narrative text: Describing Emotions and Body Language Source: Kent (2009)

Curriculum Connection: (ACELY1682) Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose.

Lesson Description Students are to briefly describe the emotions and body language of the main characters involved in the scene. Once this has been completed the students will write a short narrative about what happens to one of the characters immediately following the scene.

The teacher is insert an image of a person within a word processing document and Save As a template.

Problem Statement Using the example provided in the previous activity write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Understand how language features and vocabulary choices are used for different effects; • Understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas; • Text includes writing and images to express and develop in some detail experiences, events, ideas and characters; • Create text for familiar audiences; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning.

Assessment (see next page)

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Higher Order Skills Synthesis: Students redraft their work.

Evaluation: Students conclude their work and select and judge the appropriateness of the ICT technique.

ICT Techniques Insert text

Curriculum link English (ACELY1685)

Alter font, size and colour

ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Editing tools such as Backspace, Delete or mouse

Shift key for capital letters and Application: Students demonstrate punctuations e.g. colons. how to use ICT techniques Use of Heading styles Advanced skills:

MS Word Activity 1. Students to open the word processing template in MS Word.

2. Students to Save As their name and the date. If not completed by end of the lesson, students are to Save As a different version of their work every time. For example, by changing the date and then Save As. 3. Students are to study the images.

4. Students to briefly describe the emotions and body language of the main characters.

5. Students are to click Save every few minutes (preferably after every 10 minutes or after a major piece of work has been completed).

6. Based on these emotions, students are to write a short narrative about what happens to one of the characters immediately following the scene.

7. Students must have clear headings and titles.

Extension Work: Another way to conduct this lesson is to insert a link or video. Students can take photos or videos of each for the activity. Then they can create a number of versions of their narrative. You should encourage students to use the thesaurus feature of the word processor to experiment with language.

Resources Digital camera.

Useful websites www.flickr.com

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DATE:

Literacy – Creating text

SUBJECT: ENGLISH AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINK

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

Elaboration: Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software By the end of Year 2 By the end of Year 4 The student can use a camera, microphone and The student can use page layout software for posters, a mouse, USB flash drive, printer, digital printer or slideshow software to create a presentation. They robot when supervised by a teacher. They take initial can adjust the placement and orientation of the steps in coping with the unexpected and then seek mouse, keyboard and screen to ensure ease and comfort when using. They attempt to solve a techhelp. nical problem.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks The student can use basic functions of selected soft- The student can edit text, images, audio and video ware to manipulate text, images, audio and numbers. for presentations and story-telling. They can transThey can represent data numerically or graphically form data between numerical and graphical digital representation as well as apply editing strategies. and edit their own work and that of others.

PREVIOUS LESSON In the previous lesson, students .

LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will draft their work on narrative text based on a word processing template which I have organised in the program MS Word and located in the student shared access drive on the network.

They will study images and briefly describe the emotions and body language of the main characters involved in a scene. Then they will write a short narrative based on the emotions about what happens to one of the characters immediately following the scene. A similar ICT activity was conducted earlier or I used my Individual student profile record to determine the ICT capability progress of students at the current time. Typical ICT techniques that the students are expected to use in this activity will include use of Shift keys for punctuations and capital letters, Spell and grammar checker, editing tools such as Backspace and Delete keys or even the use of the mouse. I will include additional ICT techniques to ensure that students will be challenged intellectually.

LEARNING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS

For ICT: The students will need experience of entering text into a word processor and changing it using the mouse and the keyboard. It may be that students will need to know how to use the Spell and grammar checker. If students already know this, then more advanced editing techniques can be taught such as modifying text at word, sentence or paragraph level or drag-and-drop editing.

For English: The aim of the lesson is to back up literacy lessons on improving drafts of writing by looking at how language features are used to link and sequence ideas in addition to the effective use of grammar.

GROUPING OF STUDENTS

Decide if this lesson is for the whole class, a group, a pair or an individual. Will the group work on the activity all week? Or will different groups of children work on it throughout the week?

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RESOURCES

The computer suite or use of classroom laptops.

THEORTICAL CONTEXT

The benefits of using ICT to support the processes of improving writing extends across the curriculum.

The major benefit of word-processing is the possibility of drafting or redrafting. While text is on the screen it is fluid and malleable and it can be changed in any way without leaving a trace. This presents a zone of possibility to the writer, and has already had enormous impact on the way a writer operates in creating texts. The most obvious implication for teaching and learning is that children can benefit most from this ‘creative space’ of the word-processor in the initial stages of writing – when they are collecting and shaping ideas (Rudd, 2006) YOUR OWN LEARNING NEEDS Preparing text in a word processor for the children to work on. Making sure that I know how to save the work in the children’s user areas as a template to work on. Understanding the context of the work on grammar and punctuation in the English scheme of work.

ORGANISATIONAL MEMORY JOGGER Can I get into the network room before the lesson to make sure that the pre-prepared file is in the right area on the network? Do I have the appropriate access rights to the network in order to do this? Do all children know how to log on? Are there spare USER IDs in case of emergency?

INFORMATION FOR TEACHER AIDES/ADULT HELPERS Inform teacher aides or parent helpers of the following strategies: • Listen to what students to say and encourage them to share their ideas; • Help the children to understand that it is acceptable to try out their ideas and make mistakes; • Give the students time to work out their answers; • Take every opportunity to praise students’ success when completing the activity or developing a computer skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, I will expect most of the students to achieve the following: For ICT: The key idea that ICT can be used to improve text and make a message clearer by means of onscreen editing. Learning deleting and inserting text to improve readability. The focus will be on the content and quality of their writing.

For ENGLISH: The key concept of full stops, colons, capital letters to create sentences and improve sense and understanding of writing.

DIFFERENTIATION How will I help children who are experiencing difficulties with ICT?

How will I develop further the skills, knowledge and understanding of the most able in the class?

How will I ensure an appropriate level of challenge for all ability groups? How will you support specific needs?

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LEARNING NEEDS – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

LEARNING NEEDS – SEN STUDENTS

ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ICT Capability:

English:

• Editing tools: Backspace and Delete key or mouse; • Shift key or Caps Lock to create capital letters; • Understanding of ICT terminology; • Appropriate use of Heading styles.

Advanced techniques (ICT techniques you have set as challenges to individual students or groups):

KEY QUESTIONS (ICT Capability) Questions will be asked when it comes time to intervene and they will be in the form of focusing questions to assist students in the formation of generalisations. Possible structured questions that focus on the process used: • Why is there a squiggly line under the word?

• What key do you press to leave a space between the words?

• What have you discovered? Tell me about it.

• Why do you think you have got those results?

• What would happen if……?

Remember to focus on the language being developed for ICT, i.e. shift, space bar, return/enter, insert, backspace, delete. For English, refer questioning to texts and units currently under study.

Some questions for ICT development, differentiated according to ability, might include: Which keys do you use to delete or rub out words? (Lower) How do you change letters from lower case to upper case? (Lower/ Middle) How do you move around in the text and/or how do you place the cursor where you want it to go?

(Middle) Do you know a quick way to locate the word ‘and’ in the text? (Higher) © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

79

LESSON FORMAT Complete the desire format below allowing time for whole class reflection on their ICT learning which may be conducted through discussion or as a reflective writing task 10 minutes: Opening with demonstration at the IWB. Invite some participation from the children. Ask questions. Check and re-check understanding of the task. Share the learning objectives with the children.

TEACHER REFLECTION Refer to the section on Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning for the appropriate questions to complete this section.

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80

Activity Planning Sheet Year 3 Subject: English/ICT/literacy Topic: Describing emotions & body language

ICT Capability LC Elements Creating with ICT Managing and Operating ICT

Activity: Students briefly describe the emotions and body language of the main characters involved in a scene. They will then write a short narrative about what happens to one of the characters immediately following the scene.

They will develop their ICT capability when they use ICT techniques such as Shift key, Backspace key, Delete key and Spacebar. However, advanced skills will be determined by use of a similar lesson and these skills will be included in their assessment. It may include learning how to insert images and formatting them appropriately.

Grouping: For students who are EAL or SEN that may work better as a pairs otherwise students can work individually.

Assessment: Independent management of work. Appropriate use of Shift keys. Appropriate use of font/ style/colour of text. Resizing graphics and use of Delete and Backspace key. In addition, use of Spell and Grammar checker. Use of WordArt. Inserting text boxes - resize and moving; Highlighting text; Open a document, Save As. Others:

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Activity 5: Narrative Story Writing with PowerPoint Curriculum Connection: (ACELY1682) Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose.

Lesson Description (Lewis, 2008, ) Students are to examine a story they have read and enjoyed. Help them identify and express the elements of a good story. Read excerpts from the book or from an online site that allows you to project the cover page, illustrations, and excerpts.

Create a PowerPoint template to help students identify the sequence of events and the elements of the story.

The sequence should be placed in the Outline view so that it will help students determine the setting; characters problem; solution to problem; and the ending (see example below).

Students are to think up an original story and use coloured crayons to make a picture that will tell the tale.

Strongly encourage them not to use television characters or stories, but to invent their own. Before they write, students get together with a partner and share the story orally.

Students are then to open up the template which the teacher created to write up and revise their first narrative.

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Problem Statement Using the example provided in the previous activity write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Understand how language features and vocabulary choices are used for different effects; • Understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas; • Text includes writing and images to express and develop in some detail experiences, events, ideas and characters; • Create text for familiar audiences; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning.

Assessment Higher Order Skills

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Curriculum link

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Analysis: Analyse a familiar story, Insert text identify the parts.

Alter font, size and colour Synthesis: Predict the events in a story; invent an original story.

Editing tools such as Backspace, Delete or mouse Evaluation: Evaluate a story, select the parts that appeal to the Shift key for capital letters and reader. punctuations e.g. colons.

English (ACELY1685); (ACELT1791) ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Use of Heading styles Insert image Use the arrow key to move the insertion point.

Advanced skills:

PowerPoint Activity 1. Have students open the story building template which you have set up.

2. They need to replace the words already on the slides with their own words. To do this, they7 click on a slide to select it in the Outline pane, then click on the text box they want to change.

3. Students need to click so that the cursor is showing, highlighting the words they want to change, then enter the new words.

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DATE:

Literacy – Creating text

SUBJECT: ENGLISH AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINK

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

Elaboration: Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts Managing and operating ICT Select and use hardware and software By the end of Year 2 By the end of Year 4 The student can use a camera, microphone and The student can use page layout software for posters, a mouse, USB flash drive, printer, digital printer or slideshow software to create a presentation. They robot when supervised by a teacher. They take initial can adjust the placement and orientation of the steps in coping with the unexpected and then seek mouse, keyboard and screen to ensure ease and comfort when using. They attempt to solve a techhelp. nical problem.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks The student can use basic functions of selected soft- The student can edit text, images, audio and video ware to manipulate text, images, audio and numbers. for presentations and story-telling. They can transThey can represent data numerically or graphically form data between numerical and graphical digital representation as well as apply editing strategies. and edit their own work and that of others.

PREVIOUS LESSON In the previous lesson, students .

LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will examine a story which they have read and enjoyed. They will then identify the elements of a good story. They will be encouraged not to use television or story characters, but to invent their own. I will have created a story building template in MS PowerPoint for which students can open and structure their story. The ICT skills which students are expected to learn include inserting text into a text box, using the arrow key to move the insertion point, press the Insert key, highlight and delete text, inserting images. However, they may be advanced skills that students may wish to use if these skills are already known to students. This will be determined by using my student Individual profile form that contains a list of the capabilities each student has in ICT. LEARNING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS

For ICT: The students will need experience of entering text into a presentation program like MS PowerPoint and changing it using the mouse and the keyboard. It may be that students will need to know how to use the Spell and grammar checker. If students already know this, then more advanced editing techniques can be taught such as modifying text at word, sentence or paragraph level or drag-and-drop editing.

For English: The aim of the lesson is to back up literacy lessons on improving drafts of writing by looking at how language features are used to link and sequence ideas in addition to the effective use of grammar.

GROUPING OF STUDENTS

Decide if this lesson is for the whole class, a group, a pair or an individual. Will the group work on the activity all week? Or will different groups of children work on it throughout the week?

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RESOURCES

The computer suite or use of classroom laptops.

THEORTICAL CONTEXT

Using multimodal programs such as presentation software, students can add details to written phrases and sentences. The Title and Text slide layout lends itself to writing a topic sentence and details. Students can make and outline and use keywords to brainstorm ideas. They can use clip art and text boxes to make a visual plan or graphic organiser. The teacher can make templates with writing prompts for students. Photographs and pictures help stimulate ideas for writing.

MS PowerPoint offers various ways of viewing the hierarchical structure. Each slide has its main idea in the title and details in the text box. Outline view helps writers remember the big picture as they work on the details of each slide. Student writers can also switch to Notes view to view more details. Using these features, students do not need to proceed in linear order and can easily move from slide to slide. The act of writing is often a nonlinear experience and PowerPoint can assist students in understanding the dynamics of the writing process (Lewis, 2008, p6-7).

YOUR OWN LEARNING NEEDS Preparing text in a word processor for the children to work on. Making sure that I know how to save the work in the children’s user areas as a template to work on. Understanding the context of the work on grammar and punctuation in the English scheme of work.

ORGANISATIONAL MEMORY JOGGER Can I get into the network room before the lesson to make sure that the pre-prepared file is in the right area on the network? Do I have the appropriate access rights to the network in order to do this? Do all children know how to log on? Are there spare USER IDs in case of emergency?

INFORMATION FOR TEACHER AIDES/ADULT HELPERS Inform teacher aides or parent helpers of the following strategies: • Listen to what students to say and encourage them to share their ideas; • Help the children to understand that it is acceptable to try out their ideas and make mistakes; • Give the students time to work out their answers; • Take every opportunity to praise students’ success when completing the activity or developing a computer skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, I will expect most of the students to achieve the following: For ICT: The key idea that ICT can be used to improve text and make a message clearer by means of onscreen editing. Learning deleting and inserting text to improve readability. The focus will be on the content and quality of their writing.

For ENGLISH: The key concept of full stops, colons, capital letters to create sentences and improve sense and understanding of writing.

DIFFERENTIATION

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LEARNING NEEDS – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

LEARNING NEEDS – SEN STUDENTS

ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ICT Capability:

English:

• Inserting text into text boxes; • Highlighting and deleting text; • Inserting images; • Press the Insert key; • Use the arrow key to move the insertion point.

Advanced techniques (ICT techniques you have set as challenges to individual students or groups):

KEY QUESTIONS (ICT Capability) Questions will be asked when it comes time to intervene and they will be in the form of focusing questions to assist students in the formation of generalisations. Possible structured questions that focus on the process used: • Why is there a squiggly line under the word?

• What key do you press to leave a space between the words?

• What have you discovered? Tell me about it.

• Why do you think you have got those results?

• What would happen if……?

Remember to focus on the language being developed for ICT, i.e. shift, space bar, return/enter, insert, backspace, delete. For English, refer questioning to texts and units currently under study.

Some questions for ICT development, differentiated according to ability, might include: Which keys do you use to delete or rub out words? (Lower) How do you change letters from lower case to upper case? (Lower/ Middle) How do you move around in the text and/or how do you place the cursor where you want it to go?

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LESSON FORMAT Complete the desire format below allowing time for whole class reflection on their ICT learning which may be conducted through discussion or as a reflective writing task 10 minutes: Opening with demonstration at the IWB. Invite some participation from the children. Ask questions. Check and re-check understanding of the task. Share the learning objectives with the children.

TEACHER REFLECTION Refer to the section on Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning for the appropriate questions to complete this section.

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Activity Planning Sheet Year 3 Subject: English/ICT/literacy Topic: Story building (Narrative writing)

ICT Capability LC Elements Creating with ICT Managing and Operating ICT

Activity: Students will use the story building template created by the teacher to think up an original story and use coloured crayons to tell the tale. They will open MS PowerPoint to construct their story.

They will develop their ICT capability when they use ICT techniques such as Shift key, Backspace key, Delete key and Spacebar. Other ICT skills learnt include inserting text into a text box, Insert key, highlighting However, advanced skills will be determined by use of a similar lesson and these skills will be included in their assessment. It may include learning how to insert images and formatting them appropriately.

Grouping: For students who are EAL or SEN that may work better as a pairs otherwise students can work individually.

Assessment: Independent management of work. Appropriate use of Shift keys. Appropriate use of font/ style/colour of text. Resizing graphics and use of Delete and Backspace key. In addition, use of Spell and Grammar checker. Use of WordArt. Inserting text boxes - resize and moving; Highlighting text; Open a document, Save As. Others:

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Activity 6: Persuasive text with PowerPoint

Curriculum Connection: (ACELY1682) Plan, draft and publish imaginative, informative and persuasive texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print,and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose.

Lesson Description (Lewis, 2008) Students are to examine the text of various advertisements in order to understand the strategies that companies use to persuade readers to purchase a product. They then choose an item that they would like to advertise and brainstorm what information should be included in an ad that will contain no pictures. They ask questions such as ‘What will attract the reader’s attention? What can be written to highlight the advertised product’s features?’

They then use a checklist and a template to write a persuasive paragraphs and use fonts, font colours, WordArt and whitespace to create an effective advertisement.

Provide students with online ads that contain large amounts of persuasive text. In groups, students are to select two or three ads and brainstorm how the text in the ad is used to persuade the reader. It is a good idea to have the students to list for each ad the reasons why they might want to purchase the product.

Following this, individual students are to then think of a product or item which they would like to create an advertisement for. It could be something they own or a product they are interested in.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Understand how language features and vocabulary choices are used for different effects; • Understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas; • Text includes writing and images to express and develop in some detail experiences, events, ideas and characters; • Create text for familiar audiences; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Assessment Higher Order Skills ICT Techniques Analysis: Analyse the text of Insert and format text advertisements to recognize Insert and format WordArt the strategies used.

Synthesis: Design advertisements to convey meaning and attract attention; compose a persuasive paragraph to convince the reader to purchase.

Move and resize text boxes.

Advanced skills:

Curriculum link English (ACELY1682) ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT; Communicating with ICT; Investigating with ICT.

Evaluation: Recommend a product and support with persuasive reasons to buy the product.

PowerPoint Activity 1. Students open a new presentation file in MS PowerPoint.

2. After choosing the appropriate layout, they are to click on the text box and enter the text for their advertisement.

3. Students enter the text and then click OK to place on the document. Students can move, reshape and resize WordArt like a graphic.

4. Students can also use the WordArt toolbar to make changes to the WordArt. 5. Students move the text boxes and WordArt on the slide to create a balanced advertisement with effective use of whitespace.

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DATE:

Literacy – Creating text

SUBJECT: ENGLISH AUSTRALIAN CURRICULUM LINK

ACELY1685 - Use software including word processing programs with growing speed and efficiency to construct and edit texts featuring visual, print and audio elements.

Elaboration: Using features of relevant technologies to plan, sequence, compose and edit multimodal texts Communicating with ICT Understanding computer mediated communications By the end of Year 2 By the end of Year 4 The student can understand that a blog, for example, An example might be that a student would undermay be viewed by other students. stand that text messages might be sent to one or more people.

Creating with ICT Generate solutions to challenges and learning area tasks The student can use basic functions of selected soft- The student has progressed to the point where they ware to manipulate text, images, audio and numbers. can edit text, images, audio and video for presentations and story-telling. They can transform data They can represent data numerically or graphically between numerical and graphical digital represenand edit their own work and that of others. tation as well as apply editing strategies.

Generate ideas, plans and processes The student can draw simple mind maps, for examA student has progressed to the point where they ple, using conceptual mapping software. They can can use tables, photos and sketches in planning also draw using drawing software like MS Paint or documents.

Paint.net, to show steps in a sequence.

Investigating with ICT Locate, generate and access data and information Here an example might be that a student is able to A student might have progressed to the point where locate information following hyperlinks. They can they are able to locate information by typing in print pages, copy and paste text and images and exsimple URLs, they can save text and images in periment in simulation environment to test decisions. addition to collecting data from a simulation environment.

PREVIOUS LESSON In the previous lesson, students .

LESSON OVERVIEW In this lesson, students will examine the text of various advertisements to understand the strategies companies use to persuade readers to purchase a product. They will then decide on an item which they would like to advertise and brainstorm what information should be included in an ad that will contain NO pictures.

They will use a checklist and presentation software like PowerPoint to write a persuasive paragraph and use fonts, font colours, and white space to create an effective ad. The ICT skills they will use will most likely be inserting and formatting text, inserting and formatting WordArt and Move and resize text boxes and WordArt.

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LEARNING NEEDS OF THE STUDENTS

For ICT: The students will need experience of entering text into a presentation program like MS PowerPoint and changing it using the mouse and the keyboard. It may be that students will need to know how to use the Spell and grammar checker. If students already know this, then more advanced editing techniques can be taught such as modifying text at word, sentence or paragraph level or drag-and-drop editing.

For English: The aim of the lesson is to back up literacy lessons on improving drafts of writing by looking at how language features are used to link and sequence ideas in addition to the effective use of grammar.

GROUPING OF STUDENTS

Decide if this lesson is for the whole class, a group, a pair or an individual. Will the group work on the activity all week? Or will different groups of children work on it throughout the week?

RESOURCES

The computer suite or use of classroom laptops.

THEORTICAL CONTEXT

Using multimodal programs such as presentation software, students can see how advertisers exploit visual messages to influence consumers and sell products or ideas. MS PowerPoint is a great tool to model this and students can learn how to enhance nonverbal communication. They review advertisements and analyse words and visual cues to discover how advertisers persuade the public to purchase products. (Lewis, 2008, p.15).

YOUR OWN LEARNING NEEDS Preparing text in a word processor for the children to work on. Making sure that I know how to save the work in the children’s user areas as a template to work on. Understanding the context of the work on grammar and punctuation in the English scheme of work.

ORGANISATIONAL MEMORY JOGGER Can I get into the network room before the lesson to make sure that the pre-prepared file is in the right area on the network? Do I have the appropriate access rights to the network in order to do this? Do all children know how to log on? Are there spare USER IDs in case of emergency?

INFORMATION FOR TEACHER AIDES/ADULT HELPERS Inform teacher aides or parent helpers of the following strategies: • Listen to what students to say and encourage them to share their ideas; • Help the children to understand that it is acceptable to try out their ideas and make mistakes; • Give the students time to work out their answers; • Take every opportunity to praise students’ success when completing the activity or developing a computer skill.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES By the end of the lesson, I will expect most of the students to achieve the following: For ICT: The key idea that ICT can be used to improve text and make a message clearer by means of onscreen editing. Learning deleting and inserting text to improve readability. The focus will be on the content and quality of their writing.

For ENGLISH: The key concept of full stops, colons, capital letters to create sentences and improve sense and understanding of writing.

DIFFERENTIATION

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LEARNING NEEDS – ENGLISH AS AN ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE

LEARNING NEEDS – SEN STUDENTS

ASSESSMENT OPPORTUNITIES

ICT Capability:

English:

• Inserting text into text boxes; • Format text; • Insert WordArt; • Format WordArt; • Move and resize text boxes and WordArt. Advanced techniques (ICT techniques you have set as challenges to individual students or groups):

KEY QUESTIONS (ICT Capability) Questions will be asked when it comes time to intervene and they will be in the form of focusing questions to assist students in the formation of generalisations. Possible structured questions that focus on the process used: • Why is there a squiggly line under the word?

• What key do you press to leave a space between the words?

• What have you discovered? Tell me about it.

• Why do you think you have got those results?

• What would happen if……?

Remember to focus on the language being developed for ICT, i.e. shift, space bar, return/enter, insert, backspace, delete. For English, refer questioning to texts and units currently under study.

Some questions for ICT development, differentiated according to ability, might include: Which keys do you use to delete or rub out words? (Lower) How do you change letters from lower case to upper case? (Lower/ Middle) How do you move around in the text and/or how do you place the cursor where you want it to go?

(Middle) Do you know a quick way to locate the word ‘and’ in the text? (Higher)

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LESSON FORMAT Complete the desire format below allowing time for whole class reflection on their ICT learning which may be conducted through discussion or as a reflective writing task 10 minutes: Opening with demonstration at the IWB. Invite some participation from the children. Ask questions. Check and re-check understanding of the task. Share the learning objectives with the children.

TEACHER REFLECTION Refer to the section on Reflecting on ICT Teaching and Learning for the appropriate questions to complete this section.

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Activity Planning Sheet Year 3 Subject: English/ICT/literacy Topic: Persuasive writing

ICT Capability LC Elements Creating with ICT Communicationg with ICT Investigating with ICT

Activity: Students will examine text from advertisements to understand the strategies companies use to persuade readers to purchase a product or idea. They will choose an item they would like to advertise, brainstorm what information should be included and only use words so to NOT include images.

Students will use MS PowerPoint as a presentation program to create an advertisement. Simple ICT techniques used will include the use of WordArt, inserting text, formatting text and moving and resizing text boxes.

Grouping: For students who are EAL or SEN that may work better as a pairs otherwise students can work individually.

Assessment: Independent management of work. Appropriate use of Shift keys. Appropriate use of font/ style/colour of text. Resizing graphics and use of Delete and Backspace key. In addition, use of Spell and Grammar checker. Use of WordArt. Inserting text boxes - resize and moving; Highlighting text; Open a new presenation document, Save As. Others:

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CROSS-CURRICULAR LITERACY ACTIVITIES The cross-curricular opportunities for literacy teaching and learning which uses ICT are many and varied and the limit to what is feasible will be determined largely by the access to the software, hardware and the internet which the children have.

The following activity ideas are derived from Kent (2009):

Media Arts: Creating news images

Lesson Description Students are to browse a newspaper or an online news service. They are to choose an article that does not have a picture associated with it.

After this, students are to create an image that relates to an aspect of the article. In constructing the image, students should consider using clip art, digital photographs and appropriate images found on the Internet.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Understand how language features, images and vocabulary choices are used for different effects and; • Understand how language features and images are used to link and sequence ideas.

Hardware Requirements • Computer; • Internet access; • Digital camera; • IWB (optional).

Software Requirements • MS Paint; • Paint.net; • Google Picasa; • PowerPoint; • Internet browser. © ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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Useful Websites www.flickr.com www.abc.net.au Assessment Higher Order Skills Complete this column.

ICT Techniques Curriculum Link Basic graphics (see list in Graphic English (ACELY1680); Art (ACAMAM059) software and Literacy) File open and saving ICT Capability LC: Transferring photos from a digital Investigating with ICT – Locate, generate and access data and camera information.

Internet browsing – Information literacy skills

Internet Activity 1. Students are to browse the newspaper or online news service webpage and choose an article that does not have a picture associated with it. Alternatively, the teacher may wish to choose them for the students and have them listed.

Graphics Activity 1. Students are to open either MS Paint or Paint.net.

2. Students to construct an image that relates to an aspect of the article.

Write any ideas you may have for adapting this activity to your own context.

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Science & HASS: Class excursion

Lesson Description Students are to take a range of digital photos and/or short video clips while on an excursion or field trip.

Once back at school, students will combine the images and videos to make a short newsreel clip on a topic relating to an aspect of the excursion. They can also add a voice narration to the newsreel.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) • Understand how language features, images and vocabulary choices are used for different effects and; • Understand how language features and images are used to link and sequence ideas.

Hardware Requirements • Computer; • Microphone; • Digital camera.

Software Requirements • Photostory 3 for images only; • Moviemaker (images and videos); • iMovie of Mac users only.

Assessment Higher Order Skills Complete this column.

ICT Techniques Copy and paste

Curriculum Link English (ACELT1791); HASS

File open and saving

Science (ACSIS055)

(ACHASSI061)

Transferring photos from a digital ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT – Generate camera solutions to learning area challenges and tasks.

Microphone

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Digital photography Activity Students to take a range of digital photos and/or videos clips while on a excursion or field trip.

Photostory Activity 1. Students to combine images or videos to make a short newsreel clip on a topic relating to an aspect of the excursion.

2. Students are also to add voice narration to the newsreel.

Write any ideas you may have for adapting this activity to your own context.

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LOTE: The Fluent use of Language

Lesson Description Students are to make a digital recording of themselves reading a passage of text of an appropriate reading level.

They will then edit their recordings using audio-editing software removing any ums and ahs or long pauses to produce a more fluent piece of reading.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) Understand how language features are used for different effects.

Hardware Requirements • Computer; • Microphone.

Software Requirements • Audacity; • Quicktime Pro; • Garageband (Mac only).

Assessment Higher Order Skills Complete this column.

ICT Techniques Copy and paste

Curriculum Link English (ACELT1791); Languages

File open and saving

ICT Capability LC: Creating with ICT – Generate solutions to learning area challenges and tasks.

Using a microphone

Audio editing skills Audacity Activity 1. Students to make a digital recording of themselves reading a passage of text of an appropriate reading level.

2. Students are then to edit their recordings using audio-editing software such as Audacity removing any ums, ahs or long pauses so that they produce fluent piece of reading.

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Extension Repeat the above the activity in the context of reading a foreign language. In this case they can delete any words that are not pronounced correctly and insert a recording of the word pronounced correctly.

Write any ideas you may have for adapting this activity to your own context.

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INFORMATION LITERACY ACTIVITIES Curriculum Connection: (ACELY1680) Use comprehension strategies to build literal and inferred meaning and begin to evaluate texts by drawing on a growing knowledge of context, text structures and language features.

Elaboration: Using text features and search tools to locate information in written and digital texts efficiently.

ICT Capability Element: Investigating with ICT - Locate, generate and access data and information.

Effective Searching

Lesson Description Students will use search engines such as Google to search and compile a ‘persuasive writing’ report about the topic of

.

They were pointed to a number of different websites which presented arguments and statistics on both sides of the issue. They were asked to create a smooth, integrated account which drew on the documents but did not merely print them out or stitch them together.

They will conduct research and learn how to find resources that are relevant and valid. Begin the lesson as a whole-class discussion to determine what students already know about searching the Internet and how search engines work. It will be important to point out that the Web is a self-publishing medium, which is not always reliable, and that there are different ways to find information on the Internet.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Searching Guidelines • Keywords: Think carefully about the type of keywords you are going to use before you type them in.

Spelling is crucial and it is important to think about the precise words you are looking for; • Singular: Use singular words as much as possible; • Combining words: Think how to combine words using Boolean operators such as AND, OR, NOT and truncation symbols such as *, “”, #, +, &.

• Quotation marks: When you are searching for an exact phrase or sentence, always surround it with quotation or speech marks. This will return results where the two words are found together. These features can all be combined to build up complex searches, for example, several phrases in speech marks added to a number of key words.

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• Understand how language features are used to link and sequence ideas; • Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; • They demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing; • Use knowledge of sounds and high frequency words to spell words accurately, checking their work for meaning.

Assessment Higher Order Skills ICT Techniques Synthesis: Students identify what Keywords they already know about Internet searching; they explore new ideas Singular and synthesise information about new ways of doing research.

Combining words

Curriculum link ICT Capability LC: Investigating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Quotation marks Evaluation: Students evaluate, summarise and explain new information.

Application: Students apply the new techniques that have learnt.

Analysis: To answer the given questions, students analyse information and compare the value of Internet research and research conducted in a library.

Information Literacy Activity Complete the required steps for the activity here.

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Collecting and downloading information

Lesson Description Students will learn how to collect material from the Internet and use it on their own computer. They will learn that a webpage is not a single item but a collection of different files or objects like a book. A typical web page may include pieces of text and pictures – including logos and navigation arrows or buttons. Each of these can behave independently.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Collecting and Downloading Saving a webpage – when using Google Chrome, for example, click on the customise Google Chrome button (top right), click on ‘More tools’ and select ‘Save Page As’. Then choose ‘Webpage (complete); Saving text from a webpage – Click on ‘More tools’ and then ‘Save Page As’, but this time select “Webpage, HTML only”; Printing a webpage – select Chrome customiser and the Print; Copying and pasting (words and images) into a word processor.

Achievement Standards (English) List the achievements standards this activity is aligned with here:

Assessment Higher Order Skills ICT Techniques Synthesis: Students identify what Saving a webpage they already know about collecting and downloading information; Saving text from a webpage they explore new ideas and synthesise information.

Printing from a webpage

Curriculum link ICT Capability LC: Investigating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Evaluation: Students evaluate, Copy and paste (words and imagsummarise and explain new infor- es) to a word processor mation.

Application: Students apply the new techniques that have learnt.

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Information Literacy Activity Complete the required steps for the activity here.

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Website Authenticity

Lesson Description Students to evaluate certain websites and write a review justifying their criticisms.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Key Question • Who is the author?

• What is their qualifications in this area?

• Does the website have a sponsor? Is this sponsor reputable or biased?

• Is there a link to information about the author or sponsor?

• Should I trust this information?

• Can I verify the information elsewhere?

Achievement Standards (English) They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback; They select information, ideas and events in texts.

Assessment Higher Order Skills Synthesis: Students identify what they already know about website authenticity; they explore new ideas.

ICT Techniques Finding the website author Validating information on other websites

Curriculum link ICT Capability LC: Investigating with ICT; Managing and operating ICT.

Evaluation: Students evaluate and validate information on various websites Application: Students apply the new techniques that have learnt.

Analysis: Students analyse the information by checking other websites of the same topic.

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Information Literacy Activity Complete the required steps for the activity here.

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Cross-Curricular Activities HASS Lesson Description (Kent, 2009) Students will be presented with a range of urban myths and will be asked to choose one myth and find two websites that support the myth and two which contradict the myth. For each website found, students will need to assess the credibility of the information. They are then to decide whether they believe the myth or not, and justify their opinion.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Key Questions • Who is the author?

• What is their qualifications in this area?

• Does the website have a sponsor? Is this sponsor reputable or biased?

• Is there a link to information about the author or sponsor?

• Should I trust this information?

• Can I verify the information elsewhere?

Achievement Standards (English) They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback; They select information, ideas and events in texts.

Assessment Higher Order Skills Synthesis: Students identify what they already know about website authenticity; they explore new ideas.

ICT Techniques Finding the website author Validating information on other websites

Curriculum link ICT Capability LC: Investigating with ICT; Communicating with ICT; Creating with ICT.

Evaluation: Students evaluate and validate information on various websites Application: Students apply the new techniques that have learnt.

Analysis: Students analyse the information by checking other websites of the same topic.

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Information Literacy Activity 1. Present the students with a range of urban myths and legends in Australia. A good website to use may be www.snopes.com 2. Ask the students to choose one of the myths and legends and find: • Two websites that support the myth; • Two websites that contradict the myth.

3. For each website found, the students will need to assess its credibility of the information. They are to use the questions listed.

4. They are to decide if they believe it or not and justify their opinion.

Extension Work You could check information found in their reference books against information found on the Internet. The students can think about how differences between printed information and information found on the Internet could be accounted for by using the questions mentioned earlier. The teacher will need to prompt the students to consider the publication data of the information.

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HASS 2 Lesson Description The students will choose an issue or event that is of national or international significance and then use the Internet to find and summarise the perspectives of at least three different social or cultural groups.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback; They select information, ideas and events in texts.

Assessment Higher Order Skills Synthesis: Students identify what they already know about website authenticity; they explore new ideas.

ICT Techniques Finding the website author Validating information on other websites

Curriculum link ICT Capability LC: Investigating with ICT; Communicating with ICT; Creating with ICT.

Evaluation: Students evaluate and validate information on various websites Application: Students apply the new techniques that have learnt.

Analysis: Students analyse the information by checking other websites of the same topic.

Information Literacy Activity 1. The students are to choose an issue or event that is of national or international significance, for example, a major sporting event.

2. Students are to use the WWW on the Internet to find the perspectives of at least three different social or cultural groups.

3. Students are to summarise their findings in a word processor such as MS Word.

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EMAILS ACTIVITIES As an asynchronous form of communication, emails in literacy is perfect! This is because letter writing is asynchronous as the recipient may not be able to respond for some days or even longer. Real written communication can take place between student and student, teacher and student, class to class or school to school within the school time zone.

The asynchronous nature of emails allows it to be used as an effective collaboration tool for literacy learning.

Why should you teach this?

• It address ACELY1682 where students plan, draft and publish texts demonstrating increasing control over text structures and language features and selecting print, and multimodal elements appropriate to the audience and purpose; • Helps students to become familiar with ICT tools that will enable them to share and exchange information safely; • It compliments and extends their writing skills.

It has already been discussed how literacy learning can be taught by use of email in the classroom. The following activities will help you get started on some email projects being guided by the guidelines provided.

Imaginative Emails Project (Bennett, 2006) ACTIVITY BRIEF DESCRIPTION 1. Project 1: Write email to a Set up an email account for a key character in the story you will be using. For an immediate response, have a colleague on another character in a story (Bennett, 2006). computer who has been briefed about the character. In small groups, ask students to produce three questions they would like to ask the character. They can identify their favourite question which they will send using email to the character.

2. Project 1.2: Communicate with Before the lesson, explain the activity to a colleague in a parallel children in another class over class and synchronise the timing of the lesson. Explain the activity to the students and demonstrate by corresponding with your colcollaborative writing league taking turns to write a sentence in a story. This is sent off by email and your colleague sends the next sentence.

3. Project 1.3: Improve the skele- Show the students the example story which you and your colleague ton stories started. Ask the students to suggest ways in which the first two sentences might be improved. The students can add or change words or suggest a new intervening sentence. Continue with pairs of sentences until you feel the students have understood the task.

4. Project 1.4: Write a review of a Liaise with your colleague to ensure that all the stories have been shared story completed and dispatched. This may take several lessons. It is a good idea to check the email accounts to ensure all groups have received an email. Discuss the criteria they will use to assess the stories and agree on the way feedback will be provided.

5. Project 1.5: Respond to a reRemind students of the previous activity. Explain the purpose and view of their story structure of this activity. In groups, discuss their response. For example, they may decide to change part of the story. The other students comment about the appropriateness of the group’s response and if necessary, suggest amendments.

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Other email activities: The following 6 activities are derived from http://blog.tesol.org/email-writing-10-classroom-activities/ 1. Compose two columns. In one column, write several phrases from different types of emails, and in the other column write the email types. Students will match the phrases with the types.

2. Prepare several phrases commonly used in formal emails, and sentences that express similar ideas. Students will rewrite the sentences by using the target phrases.

3. Prepare several formal and informal phrases for each of the following communicative purposes. Students will identify which phrases are formal and which are informal.

4. Prepare two emails with a similar purpose (e.g., an invitation to a party): one formal and one informal.

Students will compare both emails by discussing: potential audience, email structure, language, tone, and stance.

5. Prepare an email that violates rhetorical conventions (e.g., a formal email written in a sloppy manner or in a rude tone). Ask students to analyse the email, identify the violations, and rewrite the email in a correct manner.

6. Prepare an informal email with a particular communicative purpose (e.g., apologizing for a missed meeting). Give students a list of formal phrases that could be used in a formal email with the same purpose.

Students will rewrite the original informal email to make it formal by using the target phrases.

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Example: Using Video Technology and Email to enhance writing skills Lesson Description Show the students a short video of film especially made for the lesson. For example, it could be of a recent movie such as The Incredibles 2! In it, you could ask a colleague to dress up as a character who would present a problem to the students and ask them for their help.

The students work in groups to come up with a possible solution to the problem. This could either be done in whole-class discussions or group-guided writing sessions all of which you will need to help them to structure the plot of the story by focusing on two major factors: introducing a dilemma and presenting a solution.

At the end of each day, the students will send group emails to the character about ideas on how the mystery can be solved. Using this information, he sends them video updates the following morning, responding to their ideas and informing them of progress on the case.

The shared writing sessions produce a complete story by the end of the week, with involvement from the whole class.

Grouping of Students The students will be grouped according to ability for the writing activities and for the group email sessions.

Each writing session has two focus groups either by the teacher as one and the teacher aide for the other.

Differentiation This lesson will be partly differentiated by task and outcome. Ensure that you provide more structure and scaffolding for less confident student writers and make changes to the questions to meet the needs and abilities of the group.

Problem Statement Write your own problem statement to present to students remembering key use of ICT terminology and features.

Achievement Standards (English) Students create a range of texts for familiar and unfamiliar audiences; They contribute actively to class and group discussions, asking questions, providing useful feedback; Demonstrate understanding of grammar and choose vocabulary and punctuation appropriate to the purpose and context of their writing and; They listen to others’ views and respond appropriately using interaction skills.

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meaning.

Assessment Several assessment opportunities present themselves in this activity In terms of speaking and listening, careful questioning at the whole-class stage should ensure that children are contributing at their own level, and observation of group discussions would allow the adult to consider not only the level of contribution of the participants, but also the extent to which they were able to produce ideas for possible solutions.

Complete the table below: Higher Order Skills

ICT Techniques

Curriculum link

Email Activity 1. Students watch a short film based on a recent movie with a key character on the IWB. 2. Students then work in groups to brainstorm possible solutions. This can be in whole-class discussions or group-guided writing sessions. Sessions will help them structure the plot of the story into two major factors: the problem and the solution.

3. Each group emails the character their ideas as to how the mystery can be solved.

4. Using this information, the character (one of your colleagues) sends them video updates the following morning, responding to their ideas and informing them of the progress.

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WEB-PAGE CREATING ACTIVITIES The process of creating webpage is similar in many ways to a multimedia presentation, with hyperlinks instead of slide transitions. When teaching literacy, teachers can quite easily expand the literacy skills alongside the development of ICT capability for students. The process of producing a webpage is extremely valuable in today’s society. As mentioned earlier, it helps to develop digital fluency with students at the same time.

The benefits for teachers is that it acts as a powerful multimodal program that combines text, images, video and audio in a non-linear sequence.

It will be important that you ensure that you protect students’ privacy and observe copyright rules. Be certain that students don’t incorporate copyright material such as downloaded pictures into their projects and post them on the Internet.

What software to use?

Websites at times can be intimidating, however, there are a number of web-based templates available you can use that will help you to get started quite easily.

If you want to push your students beyond their current levels of digital fluency then one of the best ways to start is create a web page using MS Word! Simply just get them to create a normal word processing document and then ask them to Save As a HTML file. How easy is that?

FrontPage is also another program which is easy for students to use and the best the part is that because it comes from Microsoft, many skills are transferable. For this reason, it has become a commonly used tool in primary classrooms Dreamweaver is another software and perhaps the most professional of the options. For this reason, it can be quite intimidating for the novice user. The language and formatting is new and specific to the program itself. However, once you have used it a couple of times you should be able to find it easier.

Why should you teach this?

• The production of a web-page is demonstration of high digital fluency; • It addresses ACELA1790 about identifying online text that enhance navigation; • Takes students beyond their current level of ICT capability; • It addresses the ‘multimodal’ element of the national curriculum; • It builds on their word processing skills and therefore compliments their literacy learning.

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Creating an Information Website The following project comes from the book Learning ICT in English by Bennett (2006, p.115-126).

Why should you teach this?

• It helps students identify features of online texts that enhance navigation (ACELA1790); • Students will create multimodal texts that combine elements such as video, audio and images (ACELT1791); • Students will plan and deliver a multimodal presentation that contains a sequence of ideas and information (ACELY1677); • The students will gain familiarity with HTML coding, programming and hosting and; • Helps students to become technological innovators.

In this project, the students will: • Gather information about authors and poets; • Evaluate the design of web pages; • Design and produce their own web page; • Present information about authors and poets; • Combine and link their web pages to produce a website; • Evaluate the effectiveness of their website in comparison to others.

Teacher knowledge • How to search the Internet; • How to create and export bookmarks; • How to design and create web pages; • How to create a website with hyperlinked pages.

Challenging more able students • Create the hyperlinks between pages; • Design and create the home page for a website; • Create a series of links portraying different sorts of information about a particular author or poet.

Supporting the less able students • Provide a template document or writing frame for the web page; • Provide a set of bookmark links to websites which have been checked for content; • Provide more support.

• What will the students learn?

• How to search for, access and extract information from books, the Internet; • Background information about authors and poets; • How to replicate the style of a particular author or poet; • How to present information to a particular audience; • How to evaluate the effectiveness of a web page and a website; • How to design and create a web page; • How to hyperlink web pages.

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Resources • Access to the Internet; • A web browser; • A bookmark list of websites and web pages for evaluation; • A program for creating web pages.

Activity 1: Gather information Have a whole class discussion about an author or poet with whom the students are familiar, focusing on information about personal knowledge and the writer’s work. Ask the students to list other poets or writers with whom they are familiar. Then discuss how they might find more information about these writers.

Ask the students to compile a list of questions or headings which will from the focus for their enquiries.

Some example of headings might include: • • • • • • •

Full name; Picture(s); Life story; Likes/dislikes; First book/poem; Overview of work and styles of writing; Your favourite book/story/poem.

Don’t forget to remind the students about how to search for information using books and Internet.

Activity 2: Website evaluation Remind the students about the websites mentioned in the previous activity which they had identified as being particularly useful. Students are to identify the features which they thought make it a ‘good’ web page’ such as content, presentation, design, navigability and audience. They will need to identify also the evaluation criteria they will use to score the websites they bookmarked and other which you have identified.

Activity 3: Design and produce web pages presenting information about authors and poets This activity may take several lessons to complete. Remind them of the websites they have found to be effective and to include the same or similar features in their own. The students will work in pairs to create a web page of information.

Activity 4: Combine and link their web pages to produce a website The organisation of this activity will depend on the availability of computers and the skills and confidence of the students. At some point all the student’s completed web pages, together with accompanying images, will have to be transferred to one ‘master’ computer.

Activity 5: Evaluate the effectiveness of their website in comparison with others Remind the students that criteria they used to evaluate websites in Activity 2 and then explain this activity.

They will need to work in pairs to evaluate their author website. They could be instructed to evaluate at least two other pages and their own page, scoring them on a four-point scale against each criterion.

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Ideas for using Web Design in the Classroom Here are some other ideas for using web design and creation in the classroom: • Class web pages; • Web pages for a particular issues being covered in class; • Individual web pages as an ePortfolio; • Web pages designed partly by the teacher for a particular unit of work; • Historical websites; • Celebratory websites - events, people in the class, local community.

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CONCLUSION The teacher as change agents in the Literacy-technology learning environment The information presented to you in this teaching resource stems from the requirements of the Australian Curriculum by which teachers are expected to teach ICT capability alongside literacy learning. However, teachers with the right knowledge and skills are encouraged to create further opportunities throughout the curriculum.

Key words which teachers should take note of include the use of the terms ‘word processors’ and ‘digital technologies’. As a consequence, it is important that you are sufficiently confident in the use of ICT to help the students appropriately. Teaching assistants also need to be up-to-date in their ICT capabilities. They do not need to know everything about ICT, but does need knowledge and confidence of every available ICT resource in the immediate environment of the setting.

These opportunities to use ICT to enhance literacy allows you as a teacher to become a change agent in the literacy-technology learning environment. Your role as a teacher changes with the integration of ICT in literacy lessons as it become more important in new literacies classrooms. You need to be proactive in determining how the change will effect students and strategic in managing change. Being a change agent has nothing to do with how long you have been teaching, who you teach or where you teach and while having available ICT resources is important, there are many teachers today who are as change agents with very few resources.

If you are to become a change agent, it is about who you as a teacher, what you believe about teaching, and what do you do on a daily basis in your classroom and for your own professional development.

The key attributes that you need to have as an effective change agent include: • Effective instructional decision makers - do not believe that just because it is new technology, it automatically fits with good practice; • Confidence and self-efficacy is an important aspect in any change process – this means that they believe in their ability to design and present meaningful technology-embedded instruction; • Have a vision to design one meaning and engaging learning experience for students – there is no clearcut vision at the beginning, but it is constantly evolving.

The key attitudes of an effective change agent is that: • They believe that new technologies can enhance literacy instruction; • That all students can engage in new literacies; • That their role is to be proactive; • They must collaborate and communicate with others; • They must explore new territories and; • They must persist when faced with barriers.

These are the qualities we hope you draw from the information in this teaching resource. As an effective change agent in the literacy-technology learning environment, remember that you don’t need to know everything about ICT and to walk into every lesson as a learner yourself. Embrace the use of ICT in lessons to further enhance student literacy learning and develop student ICT capability.

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WORKS CITED

ACARA. (2018, July 18). English. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/english/?year=11574&year=11575&year=11576&year=11577&year=11578 &year=11579&year=11580&strand=Language&strand=Literature&strand=Literacy&capability=Information+and+Communication+Technology+%28ICT%29+C ACARA. (2018, July 24). Information and Communication Technology Capability. Retrieved from Australian Curriculum: https://www.australiancurriculum.edu.au/f-10-curriculum/general-capabilities/information-and-communication-technology-ict-capability/ Ager, R. (2003). Children in Control of Computer. In R. Ager, Information and Communications Technology in Primary School (pp. 76-98). New York: David Fulton Publishers.

Allen, J., Potter, J., Sharpe, J., & Turvey, K. (2012). Word Processing and Desktop Publishing. In J. Allen, J. Potter, J. Sharpe, & K. Turvey, Primary ICT: Knowledge, Understanding and Practice (pp. 88-107). Sage Publications.

Beauchamp, G. (2012). ICT in Cross Curricular Teaching. In G. Beauchamp, ICT in the Primary School, from Pedagogy to Practice (pp. 155-156). Routledge.

Bennett, R., Hamill, A., & Pickford, T. (2007). Planning ICT. In R. Bennett, A. Hamill, & T. Pickford, Progression in Primary ICT (pp. 38-57). Oxford: David Fulton Publishers.

Constanti, G. (2018, jluy 18). Why bother blogging? Retrieved from Primary English Teachers Association Australia: http://www.petaa.edu.au/imis_prod/w/Teaching_Resources/PETAA_Papers/w/Teaching_Resources/PPs/PETAA_PAPER_177.aspx English, R. (2006). Using one computer to support whole-class teaching. In R. English, Maths and ICT in the Primary School: A Creative Approach (pp. 35-55). London: David Fulton Publishers.

General Capabilities. (2018, June 6). Retrieved from Australian Curriculum: http://docs.acara.edu.au/resources/English_-_GC_learning_area.pdf Higgins, S., & Packard, N. (2004). Auditing your own skills and understanding ICT capability. In S. Higgins, & N. Packard, Meeting the standards in Primary ICT (pp. 15-24). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Higgins, S., & Packard, N. (2004). ICT for Literacy and the teaching of English. In S. Higgins, & N. Packard, Meeting the standards in Primary ICT (pp. 65-77). Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.

Higgins, S., Packard, N., & Race, P. (2004). Coping with ICT in the classroom. In S. Higgins, N. Packard, & P. Race, 500 ICT Tips for Primary Teachers (pp. 12-13). Oxon: Routledge Falmer.

Higgins, S., Packard, N., & Race, P. (2004). Developing Activities. In S. Higgins, N. Packard, & P. Race, 500 ICT tips for Primary Teachers (pp. 53-55). Kogan Page Limited.

Howell, J. (2012). Developing digital fluency in learners. In J. Howell, Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity (pp. 147 - 181). Oxford University Press.

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Howell, J. (2012). Digital Pedagogy: What is it and Why do we need it? In J. Howell, Teaching with ICT: Digital Pedagogies for Collaboration and Creativity (pp. 6 - 14). Oxford University Press.

ISD, G. (2018, June 8). iPad Classroom Management. Retrieved from Georgetown Independent Schools District: http://www.georgetownisd.org/Page/8662 Kennewell, S. (2004). Developing ICT Capability. In S. Kennewell, Meeting the standards in Using ICT for secondary teaching (pp. 111-114). New York: Routledge Falmer.

Kennewell, S. (2004). ICT Tools and Concepts. In S. Kennewell, Meeting the standards in using ICT secondary teaching (pp. 29 - 57). Routledge Falmer.

Kennewell, S., Parkinson, J., & Tanner, H. (2000). Developing ICT capability. In S. Kennewell, J. Parkinson, & H. Tanner, Developing the ICT Capable School (pp. 36-55). London: Routledge Falmer.

Kennewell, S., Parkinson, J., & Tanner, H. (2000). ICT in the Primary Classroom. In S. Kennewell, J. Parkinson, & H. Tanner, Developing the ICT Capable School (pp. 90-112). Routledge Falmer.

Kent, P. (2009). Using ICT to Create. In P. Kent, Learning with ICT (pp. 19-42). MacMillan Teacher Resources.

Livingston, P. (2006). Classroom Management strategies for Laptops. In P. Livingston, 1 to 1 Learning: Laptop programs that work (pp. 124-128). ISTE. Potter, F., & Darbyshire, C. (2005). Assessing ICT capability. In F. Potter, & C. Darbyshire, Understanding and Teaching the ICT National Curriculum (pp. 186-200). New York : Routledge.

Potter, F., & Darbyshire, C. (2005). The Nature of ICT capability. In F. Potter, & C. Darbyshire, Understanding and Teaching the ICT National Curriculum (pp. 17-24). New York: Routledge.

Potter, J., Sharp, J., Turvey, K., & Allen, J. (2012). Planning for ICT in other subjects. In J. Potter, J. Sharp, K. Turvey, & J. Allen, Primary ICT: Knowledge, Understanding and Practice (pp. 44-63). London: Learning Matters Ltd. Roblyer, M., & Doering, A. (2014). Teaching and Learning with Technology in English and Language Arts Instruction. In M. Roblyer, & A. Doering, Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching (pp. 285 - 304).

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Rudd, A., & Tyldesley, A. (2006). The Effective use of the Internet and Electronic Email. In A. Rudd, & A. Tyldesley, Literacy and ICT in the Primary School: A Create Approach to English (pp. 84-106). David Fulton Publishers.

Semenov, A. (2005). Information and Communication Techonologies: A Handbook for Teachers. UNESCO. Solomon, G., & Schrum, L. (2010). Wikis. In G. Solomon, & L. Schrum, Web 2.0 how-to for educators (pp.

135-150). ISTE. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). (2017, August 21). ICT in Education: Teacher’s role and needs in the ICT environment. Retrieved from UNESCO Bangkok: http://www. Š ICTE Solutions Australia 2018

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unescobkk.org/education/ict/themes/training-of-teachers/guidelines/teachers-role-and-needs/ UNSECO Bangkok. (2017, July 17). Using ICT to support literacy. Retrieved from UNESCO - ICT in Education: http://unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0014/001464/146426e.pdf Watts-Taffe, S., & Gwinn, C. (2007). Teaching effectively with Technology. In S. Watts-Taffe, & C. Gwinn, Integrating Literacy and Technology: Effective Practice for Grades K-6 (pp. 73-90). Guilford.

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APPENDICES

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Appendix A - Year 3 Internet skills

Behaviour Outcome Navigate the Internet

Specific skills mastered

1

Year Level 2 3 4

5-8

Open web browser Use Forward, Back and Close button Identify hyperlinked text Refresh a web page Read a web page and find information Use the View menu to go to a site, Use Favourites to bookmark a site Copy pictures from the Internet Use MS Office Online ClipArt and paste into PowerPoint Copy text from the Internet and Highlight text then copy and paste paste into PowerPoint Acknowledge sources Use the taskbar or Alt-Tab to switch between applications. Paste in the web address.

Search the Internet for good Use a student-friendly search resources engine Select a search engine, use advance search strategies Write text with hyperlinks Save a PowerPoint slide show or Word document as a Web page.

Attitudes and Understanding Understand how the Internet Understand the terms Internet, works network, intranet, extranet, service provider, and browser.

Learn basic HTML Understand legal and ethical Use cybersmart websites responsibilities, netiquette Be aware of Internet safety Maintain privacy information issues while emailing and chatting Be aware of inaccuracies and Evaluate websites, Identify primabiases found on some Internet ry and secondary sources. sites.

Appendix B - Technology integration strategies for English

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TECHNOLOGY INTEGRABENEFITS SAMPLE RESOURCES & TION STRATEGIES ACTIVITIES Support for Word Fluency and Vocabulary Development Online practices in matching letOffers motivating environment for http://www.readwritethink.org ters and sounds. practice.

Online practice in matching words Offers motivating environment for www.brainpop.com and meaning. practice.

Online tools to engage students in Offers motivating environment for www.wordle.net vocabulary learning. engaging students with words. www.wordsift.com www.visualthesaurus.com Support for Comprehension and Literacy Development Using digital text to encourage Allows more flexibility to react Ebooks engaged reading. with text, scaffolds emerging read- Interactive stories. ing skills.

Supported reading with software Devices and software read words Talking word processors such as and portable assistive devices. aloud to students; especially helps Textease. struggling students.

Centre for Digital storytelling Digital storytelling Engages students with language; www.storycenter.org supports digital literacy.

Support for Writing Instruction Strategies for preparing to write.

Helps students organise their thoughts prior to writing.

Strategies to encourage writing Provides environments for modelling, supporting good writing.

Using word processing to produce Offers more flexibility to revise written drafts while writing.

Modelling to support revising and editing written drafts

Provides environments for modelling editing process and offers more editing flexibility Providing feedback with grammar, Provides visual, immediate supspell check and thesaurus features port and feedback during revision needs Providing feedback on student Provides supportive environment writing with editing tools for demonstrating revision needs

Electronic outlining Conceptual mapping Blogs and Wikis MS Word, Pages for iPads, Google Docs and other word processing packages Interactive whiteboards Word processing features: spell checkers and grammar checkers Word processing features like spell checkers and grammar checkers Word processing features like spell and grammar checkers, thesaurus.

MS Publisher www.kidpub.com

Digital publishing of student work Gives students an authentic purpose, audience for their written works Support for Literature Learning Accessing online free copies of Offers students free access to readpublished works ing materials Accessing online background Offers quick access to a wealth of www.famouspeople.co.uk www.poets.org information on authors information on authors Support for literary analysis

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Interactive whiteboards Ereaders

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Appendix C - ICT Activities to support the teaching of Literacy ICT ACTIVITIES Source: (Rudd & Tyldesley, 2006, pp. 107-133) Word Level Work • • • •

Dictionaries; Clicker; Spelling software; Talking word processors.

Sentence Level Work • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

Clicker; Text disclosure Tape recorders Podd Writing Frames Text bank Desktop Publishing Story planning Onscreen dictionaries Information skills Reviews Fiction Word processing Proof reading Drop-down menus

Text Level Work • • • • • • • • • • • •

Word processing activities; Writing Frames; Poetic form; Playscript; Instructions; Note taking; Letters and emails; Poetry ; Extended writing; Newspapers; Recounts; Searching and web skills.

INTERACTIVE WHITEBOARD ACTIVITIES Word Level Work: • Whole class phonics; • Word lists; • •

Spelling lists; E-versions of reading scheme.

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Sentence Level Work: • Flowchart software; • Keyboard punctuation.

Text Level Work: • • • • • •

Text bank; Concept maps as writing frames; Electronic dictionaries; Information finding; Note taking; Text structure.

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Appendix D - Student ICT Capability Record sheet Word Processing and Desktop Publishing Capabilities

1

2

3

Use of a word processor like MS Word and DTP such as MS Publisher to produce documents (layout, suitability for audience) Use of word processor and DTP ICT techniques (cut and paste, spell checking, tables, formatting documents, incorporating text, graphics, sound and pictures) Databases Designing a database for a purpose Compiling a database Using a database to analyse ideas and information Email and WWW Exchanging messages by emails by identified people Accessing information from the Internet Evaluating information from the Internet - credibility Spreadsheets Exploring a spreadsheet model systematically Producing an appropriate graph from a spreadsheet Using formulas in spreadsheets effectively File Management Organising work – saving, printing and retrieving Creates folders with appropriate names and in the appropriate location Names files appropriately and saves them in the correct location Coding Skills Use of a coding program such as Scratch Use of coding ICT techniques such as creating routines and programming Multimedia Use of presentation software such as MS PowerPoint Use of slide techniques Use of presentation ICT techniques (sound, animation, graphics) Other Awareness of uses of ICT in the outside world Awareness of advantages and disadvantages of personal information being held on computer

NOTE: 1 = Student has some experience carrying out this activity 2 = Student is able to accomplish the activity but may require some help 3 = Student is confident at using the activity and can work independently

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Appendix E- Activity Planning Sheet Template Year

ICT Capability Learning Continuum

Subject: Topic: Activity:

Grouping: Assessment:

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