Topic outline

  • General

    • KICTCFT Competency

      The principal and/or head teacher to plan and manage the school's ICT policy.

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

      1. Identify common challenges of ICT adoption at schools;
      2. Develop a comprehensive ICT plan for the school;
      3. Set feasible measures to ensure sustainability of the school's ICT.

  • Education, ICT and Leadership


    • Recommended time: 120 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency

      The purpose of this sub-unit is to give principals/headmasters, school deputies and head teachers information on how best to manage school ICT systems.

      But first introductions! We can learn a lot from the collective experiences of the class participants.deploy and manage school ICT resources so that they enhance teaching and learning, administration processes and communication. It expands on work done previously in the ICT Integration in Primary Education course particularly Sub-module 1.4 (p27-29). 

    • Activity 1: Introductions

      We will use the chat room facility below, entitled 'Introductions', to introduce ourselves to each other. Please also identify your role in the school and where you are in terms of using ICTs in the school's daily operations. The chat room will be open for class participants on Monday 5th December 2016 from 16h00 to 17h00 EAT. Keep an eye on the WhatsApp group as this time might change. The facilitator will provide the exact date and time.

    • Activity 2: Readings on African Leadership, Digital School Leadership and ICT issues in Kenya

      The first video, a TED talk by Fred Swaniker, looks at how leadership at national and grassroots levels can transform Africa, Fullen presents a case where he calls for leaders to usser in education transformation, Pellissier's practical article 'Instructions to Leaders in a Digital Age' introduces the new role school leaders need to play when ICT is introduced to a school. Rotich's video looks at Kenya and issues on the adoption of ICT specifically in Kenya and how we need to be innovative in our approaches. Access the resources below.

    • Activity 3: Leadership Challenges

      Reflecting on what you learned in the resources above and based on your own experiences post in the forum below, entitled 'Leadership Challenges', what you consider to be the leadership challenges within your school.

  • Understanding the Stages of ICT Adoption

    • Recommended time: 75 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency - Taking Stock

      In this sub-unit you will explore all aspects of the school you lead and manage and evaluate each areas of the school. Your evaluation should be based on where the school is now. As a leader, you won't be able to take the school forward unless you know where you are now. On completion of this sub-unit you will have assessed your school's current status.

    • Activity 4: Where is Your School Currently?

      1. Examine this whole school diagram using the link below called Thinking of the Whole School. This diagram, originally developed for South African schools, helps you to rate your school's current performance in various areas. Print out the template and mark the appropriate square: Red = good quality, green = almost good quality and brown = poor quality.
      2. Do an overview of your selection and assess how ICT integration will affect each of these areas of the school.
      1. Of the issues identified in the previous activity where might ICT actually offer opportunities to improve? Whatch the video prepared bu IICD that covers a number of areas where ICT can play a positive role in Kenyan Schools.
      1. Write notes on your present assessment of your school in the course blog. (Select 'Add an entry about this course' in the Blog Menu on the left hand side of the screen). In your post identify those areas you want to focus on, what your vision is for them and how you believe ICT integration can change the way things are being done.

    • Activity 5: Stages and Models of Technology Change

      1. Access the reading entitled Modeling ICT Development in Education below and consider the diagram on page two illustrating the four different ICT adoption developmental stages in a typical school. Read on to find out more about each level. Then have a look at the reading on Professional Development phases for educators.
      1. Which of the levels identified in the readings identify where your school and staff are situated currently and what might be done to move the school on wards? Use the course blog to record your reflections.

  • Ascertaining e-Readiness

    • Recommended time for this block: 40 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency: Ascertaining e-Readiness

      Now that we have an overview of the school's current position vis-à-vis ICT let us start to dig deeper to find out what ICT competencies our staff have and will need. We will also need to consider what training options are possible in our local area to plug competency gaps.

    • Activity 6: Ascertaining Competencies and Training Needs

      1. Open the questionnaires and templates below and make a selection of those that could work at your school.
      2. Work through them and adapt them using a word processor so that they are ready for distribution to students and staff.
      1. Assuming you have determined the training needs of your wider school community, what options are available in terms of training solutions? We will use the forum below to pool our expertise. Open the forum below entitled Local Training Solutions and identify which ICT training options you are aware of.

  • Creating a Shared ICT Vision for Your School


    • Recommended time: 85 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency: A Shared ICT in Education Vision

      Is everyone within the school community on board? In this sub-unit we will investigate a step by step process to construct a 'shared' ICT in education vision for the school where the potential benefits of using technology for each group, students, teachers, administration, parents, management, community etc. are expressed.

    • Activity 7: Developing a shared ICT vision

      1. Access the reading below; Chapter 5: How can a School Build a Shared Vision for ICT Use?
      2. Read and reflect on the process described on p54-59.
      1. We use the forum below, entitled 'Vision Creation Simulation, to work together as a class and simulate the discussions you might experience when you try this at your school. We will pay particular attention to identifying 'destination', 'purpose' and 'core values' as discussed on p.59
      2. Finally see if you can draft a vision statement and then look at examples generated by others in the class and provide feedback.

  • Developing a Technology Plan for Your School


    • Recommended time: 120 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency: School Technology Plan

      Your school community has helped you develop a vision but how do you go about implementing the vision? In this block we will investigate developing a school technology plan. We will also start thinking about how we might use the introduction of technology to transform other areas of the school.

    • Activity 8: ICT Integration Plan

      1. Access the reading below; School ICT Integration Planning Template - Section A.
      2. How much of this can you complete on your own and where will a team of school stakeholders add value? Do your best to complete the document as you will need to submit as part of your portfolio assignment.

    • Activity 9: ICT as a Change Agent

      1. Access the reading below; School ICT Integration Planning Template - Section B
      2. Read and reflect on how this template suggests you could plan to use ICT as an agent of change in the area of pedagogy, administration and communications? Do your best to complete the document as you will need to submit as part of your portfolio assignment.
      1. Is this a viable proposition in your school? Share your ideas, concerns and inspiration with your course colleagues in the Forum below, entitled 'ICT as a Change Agent'.

  • Considering Sustainability Issues


    • Recommended time: 80 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency: Issues on Sustaining ICT in Schools

      In this sub-unit we will look at practicalities of sustaining the investments made in the school ICT platform and what strategies could be implemented to ensure this. We will look at the establishment of school maintenance units, budgeting for ICT repairs and upgrades and how we might raise additional funds specifically to support and grow the school's ICT.

    • Activity 10: Computer System Sustainability Toolkit

      1. Access the reading below; Computer System Sustainability Toolkit.
      1. In the forum below, entitled 'Sustainability Strategies' provide insight how Rusten's suggestions might, or might not, work in your school environment. Look at and comment at your colleagues' suggestions.

  • Identifing What Comes Next


    • Recommended time for this block: 20 minutes

    • Sub-unit Competency: Take-Away Activities

      In this final sub-unit we will work together to determine an activity list to take back to our schools. Some of the activities you might have already implemented during the course but if not now is the time to take stock of what needs to happen on the ground. It will also be an opportunity to say good-bye, at least formally, to your class colleagues and the facilitator.

    • Activity 11: Devising a Checklist

      1. Access the chat room below entitled, Checklist, and as a group let us attempt to devise a list of things to set in motion at school... tomorrow!
      2. The chat room will be open for all class participants on Friday 16h00-17h00 on Friday the ??th September.

    • Portfolio Assignment: The School Plan

      Its time to submit all the documentation you have been assembling during the course of this unit. We want to know what you are planning! Use the assignment upload tool below, entitled 'Portfolio Item #15: School ICT integration Plans' to submit these documents:

      • School ICT Integration Planning Template - Section A
      • School ICT Integration Planning Template - Section B

  • Conclusion and Summary

    • Facilitator Feedback: Final Farewell

      Once you have completed this unit and all the activities access the audio summary prepared by the facilitator who will provide a summary of the salient points covered.

  • Attribution

    •  Open Education Resources

      The following Open Education Resources (OER) have been adapted to create this School ICT Management unit:

      1. Bialobrzeska, M. and Cohen, S. (2005). Managing ICTs in South African Schools: A Guide for School Principals. SAIDE. - Available online here
      2. Commonwealth of Learning. (nd). CCTI: ICT Leadership in Schools. COL/SchoolNet SA.  - Available online here
      3. Fullen, M & Langworthy, M. (2014). A Rich Seam: How New Pedagogies Find Deep Learning. Pearson.  - Available online here
      4. Ministry of Education, Antigua and Barbuda. (2011). School ICT Implementation Planning.  - Available here
      5. Ministry of Education, St Vincent and Grenadines. (2010). Basic ICT Readiness Observation Checklist and Evaluation Report.  - Available here
      6. Rotich, J. (2013). Meet BRCK, Internet Access Built for Africa - TED Talks.  - Available online here
      7. Swaniker, F. (2012). The Leaders Who Ruined Africa, and the Generation Who Can Fix It - TED Talks  - Available online here

      Images have been adapted from:

      1. OER Africa. (2014). Flickr Photostream. - Available online here
      2. Ipapun. (2014). Divine Icons. Free for non commercial use - Available online here

      The following references are also acknowledged:

      1. IICD. (2014). ICTs in Education. YouTube Video. Available online
      2. Majumdar, S. (2009). Modelling ICT Development in Education. UNESCO
      3. Rusten, E. (2010). Computer System Sustainability Toolkit. AED. Portions of this book may be quoted and used for educational purposes, with standard attribution to AED - Available online here
      4. KICD. (2013). ICT Integration in Primary Education.

  • Credits and License

    • 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:

      Rotich, J. (2013). Meet BRCK, Internet Access Built for Africa - TED Talks. 
      Swaniker, F. (2012). The Leaders Who Ruined Africa, and the Generation Who Can Fix It - TED Talks

      Full Copyright (C)

      IICD. (2014). ICTs in Education. YouTube Video.
      Majumdar, S. (2009). Modelling ICT Development in Education. 
      Rusten, E. (2010). Computer System Sustainability Toolkit.
      KICD. (2013). ICT Integration in Primary Education.

      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. 

  • Feedback

    • The KICTCFT Course is in its pilot phase. Please provide feedback to help us improve this unit.