My previous post was within a local education authority school catering for children with severe learning difficulties. The school is located across two sites, with one site in addition housing a week day term time educational residential unit. Originally the two sites operated independently as two separate SLD (Severe learning difficulty) /PMLD (Physical, motor learning difficulty /MLD(Moderate learning difficulty) schools. The schools have since merged and with new leadership function as one school operating parallel classes across two sites. My class teacher role within the school over the previous seven years was predominantly with key stage two aged children who have autism and severe challenging behaviour; mainly excluded children from local MLD and SLD schools. In latter years I taught a range of MLD and PMLD children as the school intake has changed. My role change considerably over this time to become the school ICT Co-coordinator/teacher. I developed and implementing a new ICT curriculum, teaching ICT for half a day to every child in every class across the split-site school.
Computer technology is part of an element commonly referred to as ICT (Information Communication Technology) Tondeur et al., (2008). It involves the use of personal computers, usually networked in schools, laptops, televisions, battery operated and electrical devices to aid learning. Hara (2008). ICT infers that the technology is not a means in itself, it is there to aid other processes Schreyer (2000). Within schools lessons can be made far more interesting and a wider range of learning more accessible through use of word publishing materials and video streaming via the internet Zajda & Gibbs (2009). Tondeur et al., (2008) researched studies related to implementation of ICT within education establishments and argues that governmental and subsequent school policies can reflect to a larger extent what happens in the classroom if teachers share the values and understand the implications of the modified subtle changes surrounding the curriculum content and teaching styles. Mioduser et al., (2003) identify three grades of ICT implementation within schools: assimilation, transition and transformation. Assimilation is described as the first level of innovation when the technology is first integrated as a tool for common learning such as word processing. Midouser et al., (2003) continue to describe the transition phase when ICT supports the schools operational functioning, changing the character of particular activities such as online registers or parental text messaging of daily events replacing home/school diaries. Our recently installed wireless network enables wireless printing and access to resources on the school network from our teacher laptops. The school where I worked was entering this phase at the time of my intervention. The transformation stage described by Miduser et al., (2003) characterises substantive changes in school identity with new contents and teaching methods in the curriculum with the possibility for learning to continue in cyberspace beyond the boundaries of the classroom and school day. At that setting, this may be interpreted through future delivery of increased parental involvement through the use of online continued learning of lesson objectives at home Thompson (2009).
