Australian Professional Standards for Teachers

Graduate Standard 2.6

“Implement teaching strategies for using ICT to expand curriculum learning opportunities for students” (AITSL, 2014).

​

I concur with Prensky’s (2001, p.1) sentiments that “today’s students are no longer the people our education system was designed to teach.” We, as educators, must now communicate in the digital language and style of our students, in order to successfully engage a new generation of learners (Prenski, 2001). However, whilst much is said of the fantastic individualized learning opportunities of ICT, I believe that many fall into the trap of overlooking the critical importance of good pedagogy in every successful ICT-based teaching strategy.

During my time at La Trobe P-12 College, I have adapted a broad range of ICT teaching strategies into my lessons, in order to expand learning opportunities for students.

For instance:

Situation:
Year 7 Humanities at La Trobe P-12 College in 2016.

Task:
The intended learning outcome of this task was for students to understand why water resources are so difficult to manage, and the various methods of managing those resources.

Action:
In order to achieve the said outcome, I adapted an online water-management quiz to the conclusion of my lesson, in order to expand learning opportunities. The online quiz required students to navigate a Pac-Man style maze, answer water management questions to earn points, and thereafter record four newly discovered water-management strategies into their exercise books.

Results:
The outcome of the activity was particularly successful. The students were thoroughly engaged with the activity and eager to earn the highest score. Each student completed the activity to a notably high standard. My mentor teacher was sufficiently impressed with the success of the activity, that I was asked to deliver the same lesson to all year 7 cohorts within the school.

Evidence:
Water sense quiz, Powerpoint slide and lesson plan extract.