Influence of Information Technology in the Nationa

1InfluenceofInformationTechnologyintheNationalCurriculum(aimsandimplementation)BernardCOUAPEL29April1999AbstractInformationtechnologyisamajorissueforthesocietyofthe21stcenturyandthereforeforeducation,astheaimofteachingistopreparestudentstomatchtheneedsofemploymentandeverydaylifeinthefuture.Thereismuchdiscussionanddebateaboutthischallengebyphilosophers,politics,sociologistsandofcoursethoseresponsibleforeducation.TheaimofthisessayistoaddresstheimpactofthisnewtechnologyoneducationinUKafterconsideringtheglobalperspectiveonthemeansofcommunicationinthe21stcenturyworldandtheireffectsintermsoftheglobalvillageconceptandthenadventofanewworldconsciousnesstopeople.BritishgovernmenthasmadeapriorityinitseducationpolicytoimprovetheuseofICTinschoolsandtogiveaminimumofknowledgeandunderstandinginICTtopupilsbyembeddingthisactivityintheNationalCurriculum.TheofficialDepartmentforEducation&EmploymentanditsindependentcounterparttheBritishEducationalCommunicationandTechnologyAgencyhaveechoedthemessageofTonyBlair,“tobuildthebiggestpartnershipinanyeducationsystemanywhereintheworld”.ThisresultedintheUKNetYearin1998whichhadforobjectivetogive75%ofteacherand50%ofchildrenanemailaddressbytheyear2002,andtoboasttheuseofICTintheNCactivities.Thisessaymakesapointatthebeginningof1999ofthishugeproject,andtheweaknessesthatappearatthisstateoftheproject.TheschoolsministerCharlesClarkeandthechiefexecutiveofBECTA,OwenLynchstatedrecentlythatthegoalwhichhadbeenfixedfor1998havenotbeencompletelyreached,andthatthedevelopmentofICTstructuresanduseintheNCwasabitoutofsteam.Theircontributionstothegeneralevaluationarequotedinthisreport,astheyarethesourcesoffuturedirectivesandinvestmentsinordertoachievethegoalthathasbeenfixedbythegovernment.Themainweakpointsofthepresentsituationaretheco-operationbetweentheeducationsectorandthebusinesssectorononehand,butalsothereluctanceorincapacityofmanyteacherstochangetheirhabitsindeliveringtheirteaching.ThestudyofoneimplementationofICTinanewtechnologycollegeinDidcot,intermsofmaterial,ICTteaching,andICTcrosscurricularactivitiesgivesevidenceofthedifficultiesofthenewagerevolutionthatthegovernmentistryingtoputintogear,evenifthisexampleseemstobesuccessful.Allthiseffortfromdirectors,teachers,managers,andotherexecutivesseemsveryfarawayfromtheeasethatyoungstersshowtoenterthenewageoflearningandcommunication.Buttheobservationofchildrenplayingwiththeirplay-stationsandothervideogamesshouldnothidethefactthatthereneedsaglobalframeworkfortheBritishsocietytoenterintothenewage,eveniftheco-operationbetweenschoolsandbusinesscouldseemstrangetosomeobservers.Inallchangesinsociety,thereisaminimumdelaythatremainsinspiteofwhatforcesagovernmentbringstohastenthemovement.Thiscanbeconsideredlikealimitto2theflexibilityofman,butalsolikeaproofofcontinuityinhumanity.Anywaythisissomethingthatshouldbetakenintoconsiderationiftheexecutiveswanttoavoidthenegativereactionthatcouldresultfromtoomuchpressure.Thiselementwillhopefullybetakenintoaccount,sothatthetargetsarereachedinreasonabletime.IntroductionInformationtechnologyisamajorissueforthesocietyofthe21stcenturyandthereforeforeducation,astheaimofteachingistopreparestudentstomatchtheneedsofemploymentandeverydaylifeinthefuture.Thereismuchdiscussionanddebateaboutthischallengebyphilosophers,politics,sociologistsandofcoursethoseresponsibleforeducation.TheaimofthisreportistoaddresstheimpactofthisnewtechnologyoneducationinUKafterconsideringtheglobalperspectiveonthemeansofcommunicationinthe21stcenturyworldandtheireffectsintermsoftheglobalvillageconceptandthenadventofanewworldconsciousnesstopeople.HowdoestheUKmanagetoimplementthenewtechnologyintheNationalCurriculum?Whatistherelationshipbetweengovernmentpolicyandthemarketforcesthatarenowmoreandmoreinfluencingthetrendsofeducationinthiscountry?Ontheotherhand,howdoestheimplementationofthesedecisionshappenintheeverydayrealityofschools?Whatexperimentsaremadeincrosscurricularteaching,embeddingITintraditionalschoolsubjects?Howcanweassesstheseinitiatives?ThisdissertationpresentsofficialdocumentsandinformationthathavebeengatheredonInternetaboutthenewtrendsinteachingthatincludetheuseofIT.VeryfewrecentbookspresentthissubjectandITspecialistsadmitthatalthoughthisdomainisincompleteevolution,theyhavenotyetmuchinformationaboutwhatisdoneonageneralbasis.Mostteachersexperimentcrosscurricularteachingbythemselvesandintheirownways…Areviewandareflectionaboutthesetrendsarethereforeofgreatinterest,as,fromthisbubblingfieldofeducation,newstrategieswillsoonemergeforthefuture.Thisistheaimofthisdissertation,tosummarisegovernmentdirectivesandtheirechofrommarketforcesononehand,andtheexpectationsofnewpupils,borninthiscyberworld,andtheresponsesofteachersontheotherhand.AfterpresentingtheplaceofITintheNationalCurriculum,thisessaywilltrytoreflectonthischallengebysearchinginformationandresultsintheliteratureprovidedonthissubject,andbyobservingITandcrosscurricularteachinginStBirinusSchoolofDidcot.Someexperienceswillbepresentedandweshalltrytoemphasistheproblemsrelatedtothisnewapproach.1)Towardaglobalperspective.T