View source for Effective Use of ICT/Using this resource

'''Suggestion on how to use this resource'''

This set of slides introduces student teachers briefly to the history of school ICT provision and engages them in more detail with ways ICT has been used effectively in supporting science teaching and learning. It is designed to be presented in a teaching room using a data projector to students who are equipped, one between two, with laptops, netbooks or tablets. The internet should be available on both the presenter's and the students' computers and whichever handheld data loggers the presenter has available for the students to trial should be fully charged first.

At the start of the teaching session the slide show is downloaded by the students from the university VLE. As the presenter moves through the slides students are encouraged to follow the links given on their screens and explore the resources on the resulting web pages. The presenter will need to stop the slide show at key points of their choice for 10-15 minutes to allow the students to discuss their ides about the resources found.with the presenter and the rest of the class. Thus the resource can be used to support a teaching session from 90 to 120 or even 150 minutes depending on how much time for exploration and discussion the session leader is prepared to allow. For a shorter session it would be possible to set the exploratory tasks to be completed before or after the session. NB the data logging slide will need to be adjusted to refer to whichever loggers the presenter has available.

Objectives are that student teachers learn about and have the opportunity to explore a range of ways to use ICT in their teaching where,in each case,the properties of the technology match teaching objectives commonly found in science education. Key teaching points are that it is the way that ICT is used that is key to its effectiveness in the classroom and that different ICT tools match the way scientists work: data logging, modelling and communicating results. Current examples of these tools are made available so that the students can explore their function and critically discuss the pros and cons of using them in teaching situations.