Discuss role of ICT in supporting teaching and learning in English, particularly for children with special educational needs

University Degree Education and Teaching

The role of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in teaching English is to help pupils to engage with texts in ways which would not be possible through a paper-based activity, to appreciate the inter-related nature of reading, writing, speaking and listening and to focus on the content of their writing at word, sentence and text level. ICT can also enhance basic reading and writing activities and emphasise the link between the writer and the audience, (TTA 1999). The emphasis within this paper will be on the use of ICT in helping to develop pupils’ writing and in supporting children with Special Educational Needs (SEN).

ICT can be used in all primary subjects to; find, analyse, explore, exchange and present information responsibly, creatively and with discrimination. In English however ICT has the potential to make a significant contribution to a pupils’ learning since it can help pupils to engage with texts in ways which would not previously have been feasible.

One way to do so is to use word processors or now most frequently word processing software. When writing using word processing, pupils can delete words or phrases, try out alternative vocabulary, or move paragraphs around as they reorganise the points they are making. They can do this without having to rewrite their previous work. Over a period of time pupils can craft and refine their writing. Word processing can also be used to facilitate the prediction of language patterns, and to explore, for example, how changing the position of line endings or punctuation in a story might change its impact and meaning on the audience. The refined presentation of their writing in familiar, correct and consistent letter shapes can also help some pupils to use their visual memory more effectively to check spellings, in a way that they may not be able to achieve with their own handwriting.

The clarity, accuracy or creativity of writing can be improved through drafting and redrafting, however a teacher must be aware as to when it is useful (or not useful) to continue to redraft text. For example, the effortlessness of electronic editing may encourage pupils to undertake amendments they wouldn’t do otherwise.

The link between the audience/reader and the writer (normally the pupils themselves) can be highlighted to pupils by allowing the text to be presented in a variety of ways. For example, amending a piece to focus on the views of two different characters, or to change it ...

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ICT provides a wide range of tools that can be used to support the teaching and learning of English by pupils with SEN and pupils with English as an Additional Language (EAL). ICT allows SEN pupils to carry out tasks that they would find difficult or impossible to do by any other means other than by using ICT, such as reading printed learning materials or writing and recording information. For example, by using word processing software, a single text can be adapted for use by different pupils in different ways, just by changing font size or sentence length, or by highlighting key words to support reading.

Word processing enables pupils to concentrate on the process of writing and to edit the content as they write. It encourages them to change and improve their work without the need for tiresome corrections and rewriting. Final versions can be polished and coherent however many times they have been amended. Pupils with poor handwriting, who have low self esteem, emotional and behavioural difficulties and associated literacy difficulties can benefit through the ability to use ICT to produce work of similar value and worth as other children in the class and within the same time-scale.

Research work by the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) concerning the use of the word processor for developing children’s writing, has produced evidence to show that where work has been planned, the better the children’s learning. One BECTA project showed that, if children's writing is unsupported, the work is then limited to just word or sentence level, and the draft and re-draft extended writing is not used effectively. Scaffolding that supports writing (i.e. writing frames or word banks) produce the greatest success. (Mclean, N. 1999)

To conclude, it can be seen that the growing inclusion of ICT within Primary schools is extremely important in supporting the teaching and learning of English and in supporting SEN children. Teachers must however make decisions concerning the use of ICT based only on good practise in the teaching of English. ICT use must be directly related to the current teaching and learning objectives and by using ICT something must be achieved that could not have been done without it, or not as effectively or efficiently. ICT activities that add little value to the teaching or learning of English should be avoided, otherwise the ‘power’ of ICT as a tool for learning could be wasted.

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