ICT

The School beliefs that using ICT as a tool to support learning in the classroom would aid in achieving meaningful technological innovations.

It aims to ensure that ICT supports pupils’ achievement in other curriculum subjects and contributes to their personal, social and emotional development. Accordingly, it invests regularly in a wide range of resources to accommodate the learning requirements of various class levels.

The primary objective of teaching ICT at “Handmaids” is to initiate and improve students’ academic achievement, encourage computer literacy, and implement the use of safe technology in the school. This is to enable pupils learn how to utilise various computer software and use current technology to gather information and present it in appropriate modes and formats. These objectives are accomplished in a two phase program: Computer Science Program and Integration Computer Program; Here, pupils participate in a series of core lessons that introduce word processing, keyboarding skills, and the Internet. Formal instruction consists of explanations, demonstrations, and hands-on activities. In addition, pupils integrate computers in classroom and lab learning activities. The application of computer software such as word processing, data management, spread-sheet, desktop publishing, and multimedia presentation software is also learnt by the pupils.

The whole school, including the nursery, is timetabled into the ICT lab which has access to the internet. In the early years, the emphasis is on getting children familiar with the technology to enable them learn to use the equipment, and use the software for isolated tasks. Later, pupils are taught how to use various programs for a particular task and given opportunities to do so. They may present their findings from an investigation using several forms of information – pictures, graphics and text.

At basic 1-2, pupils are able to organise information and interpret their findings. At the highest levels of ICT capability in primary education, which should ideally be reached by the end of Basic 6, pupils would be able to research, develop ideas and implement them, exchange and share information, and review, modify and evaluate work as it progresses.

All staff receive regular training and support in ICT to keep their subject knowledge up to date. They use assessment to help them plan lessons thoroughly.

Teaching Methods

At the various class levels, pupils explore ICT and learn to use it confidently and with purpose to achieve specific outcomes. They start to use ICT to develop their ideas and record their creative work, and become familiar with hardware and software.

Knowledge, skills and understanding, finding things out

At this stage, pupils are taught how to:

1. » Gather information from a variety of sources (for example, people, books, databases, CD -ROMs, videos and TV)
2. » Enter and store information in a variety of forms (for example, storing information in a prepared database, saving work)
3. »  Retrieve information that has been stored (for example, using a CD-ROM, loading saved work)

Developing ideas and making things happen

At this stage, pupils are taught:

1. » To use text, tables, images and sound to develop their ideas
2. » How to select from and add to information they have retrieved for particular purposes
3. » How to plan and give instructions to make things happen (for example, placing instructions in the right order)
4. » To try things out and explore what happens in real and imaginary situations (for example, trying out different colours on an image, using an adventure game or simulation)

Exchanging and sharing information

At this stage, pupils are taught:

1. » How to share their ideas by presenting information in a variety of forms (for example, text, images, tables, sounds)
2. » To present their completed work effectively (for example, for public display)

Reviewing, modifying and evaluating work as it progresses

At this stage, pupils are taught to:

1. » Review what they have done to help them develop their ideas
2. » Describe the effects of their actions
3. » Talk about what they might change in future work

Breadth of study

During the course of study, pupils are taught the Knowledge, skills and understanding through:

1. » Working with a range of information to investigate the different ways it can be presented (for example, Information about the Sun presented as a poem, picture or sound pattern)
2. » Exploring a variety of ICT tools (for example, word processing software, and adventure game)
3. » Talking about the uses of ICT inside and outside school