In 1997 our main focus is on skills development and the application of information technology in higher level learning.
1. Skills Development The main focus is on children from R-7 acquiring a progressive set of skills in the use of ClarisWorks. We have made the mistake in the past of assuming that general competence from a class is sufficient. The result was that while some children were very skilful, some had a patchy collection of skills and quite a few had very little skill at all. Many of this latter group had been the passive partners in pairs using computers. Computing skills need to be systematically taught like any other set of skills. Without a solid base of skills children are not able to work independently on the higher level tasks. Younger children will also be learning to use Kidpix Studio and from Year 3-7, Netscape Navigator Gold for web authoring and all are learning how to access appropriate reference CD-ROMs.
2. Application of I.T. in open-ended, extended and integrated learning activities. This is the justification for all the hard work and expense in information technology. After children have acquired basic skills in using the applications, have had lessons using the skills in a structured manner, they may do tasks like these: a. Year 2s create a story using KidPix Studio with illustrations and their own recorded sound-track. b. Year 4s draw a plan of their house in ClarisWorks and open a spreadsheet window to calculate which floor coverings they can afford with a given budget. c. Year 3s construct a ClarisDraw slide show to tell their own fable with text and illustrations.d. Year 5s use Netscape Gold to prepare in teams of four, chapters for a school intranet presentation on the capital cities of Australia, using CDs and the WWW for resources.School Intranet The school intranet promises to be a major resource for learning as well as providing a genuine audience for childrenÍs work. Most high quality children's work is displayed for a short time and then put away. The intranet provides a site for the best student work to be kept for short periods or indefinitely for the benefit of other students, providing a very powerful motivation for student authors.
The school network will also provide a means of sharing other student and teacher products that are not in Web format.
Copyright (c) 1998, Ms. Jenny Aland, All rights reserved Permission to reprint on Child Research Net
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