Topic outline

  • General

    • KICTCFT Competency

      The teacher to organise the physical environment to support the needs of the syllabus and the ICT tools.

      Specific Objectives: On completion of this unit you will be able to:

      1. Identify the pros and cons of using computer labs
      2. Use ICT effectively in a classroom setting
      3. Use ICT in a community setting

  • ICT and the Learning Environment

    • Recommended time 45 minutes

    •  Sub-unit Competency

      As facilitators how do we protect expensive technology but also serve the syllabus requirements in the best way possible? In this sub-unit we will look at this conundrum/challenge and also consider what options we have available in terms of shaping our physical environment.

    • Activity 1: Juggling technical issues and lesson objectives

      1. Study the introductory article below entitled 'Learning and ICT Environments'
      1. Access the forum below, entitled 'Kenyan School ICT Deployment Models' and answer these questions:
        • How are ICTs currently organized at your school?
        • Do you consider this arrangement good, poor or an ad hoc set up?
        • In your opinion how might a well-designed physical learning environment affect teaching and learning? Provide examples to support your answer.
      2. Remember to comment on your colleagues' posts.

  • The Computer Laboratory

  • Computers in the Classroom

    • Recommended time: 45 minutes

    •  Sub-unit Comptency - Pros and Cons of the using ICT in the classroom

      Educators have often argued that ICT is a tool that should be utilized when it is appropriate to the lesson's objectives. ICT should not be segregated from classroom activities but integrated into what students are doing. In this sub-unit we will investigate the issues around deploying ICT in the classroom when and where appropriate.

    • Activity 5: Classroom ICT

      1. Read both articles below. Pay particular attention where they suggest teaching and learning strategies where NOT every learner requires access to the computer.
      1. Access the forum below entitled, 'ICT in the Classroom'. How have you deployed ICTs that you consider innovative into the classroom? Share your experience with your colleagues and reply to their posts.

  • Mobile Devices in the Field

    • Recommended time: 90 minutes

    •  Sub-unit Competency - ICT as a learning tool outside the school

      Some argue that ICTs, especially mobile devices such as laptops, tablets and smartphones, should be used to allow students to continue learning outside the traditional school environment and outside school hours. It is also a good way to ensure that learning is contextually relevant when students collect data directly from the community. In this sub-unit we will investigate how to use this approach to learning.

    • Activity 6: Are Cellphones an Educational Friend?

      1. View the first introductory video from Mind Matters that identifies the functions a cell phone could bring to your lesson design.

        1. The second video from PSA looks at what should be the necessary school and class organization to ensure that cell phones are not disruptive. Pay special attention from 2m50s.
        1. The reading from Mindshift looks at some specific teaching methods that employ cell phones. Also think about the concept of 'Digital Citizenship' introduced at the end of the article.

      6. Portfolio Assignment: Acceptable Use Agreement

        What is the ideal set up for a school lab, class or mobile lab?  It depends on the requirements of the syllabus, availability of ICT and also safety and security. The final assignment for this unit is to write a policy brief for your school's senior management that models for them what such as a set up/design should look like.

        1. In MS Word write a 2-page (12 point font size) 'ICT in School' policy brief that will guide the head teacher and deputies on how best to manage ICTs at school. It should contain:
          • advice on how to secure and protect the school's ICT resources
          • a plan of the ideal computer lab configuration
          • a classroom guide on how to use ICTs for teaching but also ideas about how to keep the computers well maintained and secure
          • a cell phone (mobile) at school policy. What they should be used for, what they should NOT be used for, safeguards, etc.
        2. Use the submission upload tool below entitled 'Portfolio Item #11 to upload the assignment.

    • Conclusion and Summary

    • Attribution

      • Open Education Resources

        The following Open Education Resources (OER) have been used and some adapted to create this unit on management and organisation:

        1. Commonwealth of Learning. (nd). Commonwealth Certificate for Teacher ICT Integration (CCTI): Module 8 - Managing Learning and Teaching with ICT. COL/SchoolNet SA. - Available online here
        2. Commonwealth of Learning/Commonwealth Secretariat/Ministry of Education, Guyana. (2012). ICT in Education for Teachers - Physical Learning Environment - Available here
        3. Commonwealth of Learning/Commonwealth Secretariat/Ministry of Education, Guyana. (2012). ICT in Education for Teachers - ICT in the Classroom - Available here
        4. Commonwealth of Learning/Commonwealth Secretariat/Ministry of Education, Guyana. (2012). ICT in Education for Teachers - ICT in the Lab - Available here
        5. Burgstahler, S. (2012). Equal Access: Universal Design of Computer Labs. Do-IT Univ. Washington  - Available here

        Images have been adapted from:

        1. OpenClipart. (2014). Open Clip Art. - Available online here
        2. OER Africa. (2014). Flickr Photostream.- Available online here
        3. Ipapun. (2014). Devine Icons. Free for non commercial use - Available online here

        The following references are also acknowledged:

        1. Arunasridevi Dullipudi (2014). School Computer Lab Design. YouTubePage - Available here
        2. Intel Teach Program. (2012). Classroom Management of Resource and Technology Access - Available online here
        3. Garger, J. (2011). The Four Best Computer Laboratory Layouts for Schools. Bright Hub - Available online here

        4. Trucano, M. (2011). School Computer Labs: A bad idea?. Edutech - Available online here

    • Credits and License

      • This unit was adapted from OER and developed further by Mr. Andrew Moore.
        The unit was revised by Eunice Wambugu.

        Creative Commons License

        All material in this Kenya ICT CFT Course unit is licensed by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, Kenya under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License with the exception of the resources listed below:

        Arunasridevi Dullipudi. (2014). School Computer Lab Design;
        Intel Teach Program. (2012). Classroom Management of Resource and Technology Access; 
        Garger, J. (2011). The Four Best Computer Laboratory Layouts for Schools. Bright Hub; 
        Trucano, M. (2011). School Computer Labs: A bad idea?. Edutech.

        All content not licensed under a Creative Commons license is all rights reserved, and you must request permission from the copyright owner to use this material.

    • Pilot Feedback

      • The KICTCFT Course is in its pilot phase. Please provide feedback on your experiences with this unit to allow us to improve it.