Time to get going with Transparent ICT

Time to get going. I'm now in the fourth week of my BEd Primary Teaching course at Plymouth Uni so I thought this would be a good time to create blog and to get networking, if anyone actually reads this that is. 

Just from the past few weeks of being at university I can definitely say that I made the right decision in choosing my specialism, ICT. In this short amount of time we have already made a Pecha Kucha presentation featuring software packages for teaching IT skills in the classroom, had a go at making a QR code treasure hunt around an art museum, made films using flip video cameras and experimented with smartbook software, and I've still probably missed a few things off that list! So a really exciting start to the course, which I'm almost sure has filled every one of us ICT specialists with enthusiasm.

I have already learnt a lot, which has influenced me in my thinking of how schools can develop their use of ICT. In my first week here at Plymouth, our ICT lecturer, Pete Yeomans took the group to a local school to meet Russell Prue.  We heard about all the work he is currently doing, alongside his varied opinions on how ICT should be used in primary schools. I think from this moment onwards I was engaged in what the course was all about. In fact, it was the perspective on ICT suites that interested me at first. 

Within my school experience, before starting university I had seen use of ICT suites in every single building, but had never even thought to question their use. Russell Prue's opinion was that they resembled Victorian classroom formats with their layout, which didn't link particularly well to modern technology. Last week when reading 'Transforming Primary ICT' I read about the idea that ICT should be transparent and should be an almost invisible aspect of professional practice. This definitely links back to Russell Prue's criticism of traditional ICT suites. He mentioned at the time that they are mainly used once a week by each class in order to carry out a specific ICT lesson. However, I feel now that if the subject was to become transparent, teachers would be using ICT to benefit them throughout school across the curriculum.'Transforming Primary ICT' finishes that section with the thought that "ICT should be like a wrist watch - you forget you are wearing it and can't remember how many times you consult it in a day but if it's missing you soon notice." Definitely a quote to remember!

So far within my groups I have tended to be the slightly invisible one (as in everyone seems to forget me/my name) so hopefully in starting to blog about my life as a trainee teacher I will share some thoughts worth noticing or generally share how I'm getting along on the course. 

@HannahSheltonTT