The need for training teachers in IT

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Over the years the government has adjusted the national curriculum to respond to the changes that have taken place within society; the educational system is now having to educate children on a far wider range of topics. It is now possible to learn about anything from environmental studies, ethnic cultures, sex and family life to substance misuse.

One of the main changes that have taken place within society and especially within the educational sector is the development of technology in particular the computer. Although computers have been in the school environment for some years, unless the teacher was teaching some aspect of IT then it would be unlikely that they would have used these machines.

However, as the computer industry expanded more companies and households were purchasing computers. Computers were becoming involved in all aspects of business and personal life.  The children entering into nursery and primary school were already proficient in basic computer application and by the time they reached secondary schools and colleges, they often knew more than the teachers.

Curriculum reforms have been slow to respond to the changes within IT, although some schools do have computers, they are often “incompatible with each other, not powerful enough to run up-to-date software and lack storage capacity”1.  All of these issues along with the fact that teachers have not been kept up-to date with training have resulted in a shortage of people being employed within the IT field. New business methods are placing demands on the educational system to change and introduce new subject areas. Computer literacy has become an important issue in finding employment and many companies are now requesting this form of education.

The government has now realised that in order to fill these gaps within the IT employment industry they must educate the teachers in IT. After all it is these teachers that educate the children, and if the teachers are lacking in IT knowledge, how are they supposed to transmit the skills to children.

Over the last few years the government has initiated plans to enable teachers to “ share ideas of good practice, to improve their skills and training and get involved in discussions on induction and training opportunities via an interactive website”2. Within these plans the government proposed that teachers would benefit from laptop computers and also teacher training, which will assist them in delivering lessons, gaining wider knowledge both with IT and their own specific subject. However these plans have been both criticised and praised.

The initial development into the plan began in 1998, when Mr David Blunkett announced “£235million programme to prepare teachers for the information age”3. It was within this announcement that plans were being made to train 450,000 teachers in IT with the funding coming from the National Lottery. This main plan was aimed at helping teachers raise the standards by providing them with personal computers; the scheme would allow a subsidy of “50% towards the cost of a PC, up to the maximum of £500”4. It was with this plan that “50000 teachers benefited”5 and “47000 computers have been provided”6.

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In January 2002 Estelle Morris announced the laptop for teacher’s initiative; this was the follow up to the ‘computers for teachers plan’. This plan was allowing a further £100million to be allocated towards the purchase of laptops for teachers.

One of the main developments of the new plan is that ownership of these laptops remains with the school; the older method meant that the government give a percentage of money to the teachers to assist them in purchasing their own PC. Which meant that the initial money was lost if these teachers left the teaching profession. Within the ...

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