Module 10: Activity 2 - How to achieve the Vision of the School ICT policy

Every school should have a vision for ICT and ICT integration. It should be an integral part of the whole education vision of the school and should fit into its ethos, beliefs and values.
Developing an ICT policy involves collaboration of a number of stakeholders in order to benefit from their contribution and gaining their support for the process. The stakeholder groups could include:
     Staff (teaching and non teaching)
     Parents
     Students
     Corporate citizens
     Policy makers (politicians)
     Local voluntary and community groups
     Academics.

To have an effective policy, the school must constantly reflect on the successes and failures of the policy and to revise it accordingly thus making the document a living and dynamic one as it will be constantly changing to benefit the teaching and learning process.

Module 10: Activity 2 - Policies and ICT

From carrying out this activity it is quite clear that it is of paramount importance to have a sound ICT policy which consists of a set of guidelines which are clearly stated. This policy  serves as a road map to: 

    1. guide the appropriate use and day-to-day practices of ICT use in the school's curriculum 

    2. ensure the e-safety of staff and students.

For this to be effective, the school must have an ICT vision which should focus on the developing a curriculum in which ICT is integrated into all learning areas so that both the learners and educators can confidently use ICT collaboratively to critically evaluate, manage and use information.

The school's vision for ICT must also sit well with the school's general policy (its ethos, beliefs and values) in order for it to be effectively implemented.

Module 10:Activity 1: The Phase of ICT use at my School

Currently my school is in the  Applying phase of ICT integration and even though the majority have been using some aspects of the technology to assist them in their teaching, we are still operating in a teacher centered environment and there needs to be a paradigm  shift to a student centered learning environment. It is my intention that with the hope of all  teachers on board that we can forge ahead to the next phase and the next phase until we reach the integrating and transforming phases. However for this to happen, in addition to the development of a strong ICT vision, mission statement and ICT policy and having all staff members on board, there is a need for training and continuous professional development of all teachers as well as the mentoring and support from all the other stakeholders so that this paradigm shift of achieving full ICT integration as well as a student centered learning environment can be achieved.