ICT Skills Policy. 1. Learning about ICT: teachers and children develop skills and knowledge in the potential uses of ICT to support learning.

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1 ICT Skills Policy The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the Classroom Guidelines for Teachers states three basic aims in the integration of technology in the curriculum. These are: 1. Learning about ICT: teachers and children develop skills and knowledge in the potential uses of ICT to support learning. 2. Learning with ICT: teachers and children use ICT resources to support the classroom curriculum. 3. Learning through ICT: teachers and children use ICT to transform the process of teaching and learning, learning in new ways. Specifically, it states that: learning about ICT will be necessary in order to successfully use ICT tools to support the curricular objectives, and to learn in new ways For this reason, Scoil na mbuachaillí has devised an ICT Skills Policy to ensure that relevant skills are taught to children in our school at an age-appropriate level. Every effort will be made to teach these skills in an integrated way within the context of the Primary School Curriculum. This plan assumes that each classroom has at least one stand alone multimedia computer in fact in many of the classrooms there are many more than this. 1

2 Junior Infants. It is highly recommended that the infant classes have a 17" inch monitor for display purposes in their classroom. Computer Terminology. 1. Children should be taught the correct names for computer parts and equipment from the beginning. 2. Monitor, Hard Drive, Mouse, Keyboard, Speakers, Microphone and Printer are parts they should be able to identify in Junior Infants. 3. Teach the word cursor. Technology 1. Show them how to switch on the computer and wait for Windows to load. Show them that when the cursor is like an egg timer you must wait. 2. They should learn that you cannot shut down the computer by pressing the button on the hard disk 3. Children should be taught to shut down the computer properly. 4. Make a shortcut on the desktop for all the programmes the children will be using and teach them how to double click to open a package. Mouse Control. TIP: Junior Infants can find double-clicking really difficult. To counteract this, slow down the mouse by going to Start: Settings: Control Panel: Mouse. Go to motion and set to slow. Click apply. Typing Skills 1. It could be pointed out at this stage that the keyboard has all upper case letters. 2. At the end of the year teacher could play a game with the class. One child sits at the computer. The other children call out a letter and the child at the computer types it. Child gets a sticker for scoring 5 out of Enter key should be taught. Call it the magic key. Computer Art Go to Paint and let children scribble for the first couple of weeks. Print out one piece of work for each child. Next ask them to draw a definite object e.g. a cat. Type or write the child s name and print out best effort. Next proceed to the child writing his name with mouse. Software for Junior Infants. See attached list 2

3 Senior Infants. All of Junior Infant Skills should be revised in the first couple of weeks. Typing Skills 1. A copy of the keyboard could be given to the children at this stage. 2. Draw attention to number rows, letter rows, number pad. 3. Teach enter, shift and space bar. Word Processing Skills 1. Open Wordpad (because it is a simplified version of word) 2. Get children to write their names and press space bar. 3. Hold down shift and press a letter. Press enter and see what happens. 4. Make changes: Increase font size, colour and style of font. 5. An attractive word processor could be used at this stage. Creative Writer is simple and attractive. 6. Children can type in simple words and add pictures. 7. One page cards can be made at Christmas. Technology Create a class folder on the desktop and create a folder for each child within it. Teacher type a piece of text in Word Pad e.g. I have a teddy called Huggy Save it in each child s folder. Show the children how to open their folder and find the piece of writing. Make changes Save changes when question comes up: Do you want to save changes? Software for Senior Infants. See List attached. 3

4 Rang 1 Technology 1. Revise computer parts 2. Revise mouse control activities 3. Revise how to access their folder. 4. Teach children to create a folder on the desktop and save work into it. Word Processing Skills 1. Write their names in wordpad and save them into their folder and retrieve them. 2. Children open Wordpad by going to Start, Programmes, Accessories, Wordpad. 3. Select font size and type in name and age. 4. Do same for font style and colour. Teach each one separately at first and then make all selections together. 5. Practise highlighting skills. 6. Use backspace to delete. 7. Creative Writer 2 could be used to create attractive cards etc. 8. Teach children to print their work. Typing Skills 1. Study keyboard. 2. A simple typing programme could be introduced at this stage. 3. Show them Home keys and get them to practise keeping fingers in correct position Software See List attached 4

5 Rang 2 Word Processing Skills 1. Revise above word-processing skills. 2. Using cursor as insertion point. 3. Bold, Underline and change to italic. 4. Cut, Copy and paste. 5. Teach skill on wordpad but use Creative Writer 2 to produce attractive pieces of writing. 6. At this stage children should type in selected pieces of writing or poetry 7. Illustrate pieces of writing with pictures 8. Apply a background and border. Typing Skills. 1. Give each child a picture of the keyboard. 2. Show them Home-keys and get them to practise keeping fingers in correct position without looking at hands. 3. Work in twos. Partner can check if child has correct positioning. Make it into a game. 4. Use typing tutor. Technology Skills 1. Teach children different drives 2. A drive: Show them a floppy disk and how to insert it and open it. 3. Have work saved on it so children can see how to access this. (Optional: Teach them how to save work into a floppy disk). 4. D drive. Show them how to handle a CD. 5. How to insert a CD into drive and run it. 6. Teach them how to exit the programmes you use regularly in class. 7. C drive: Show them all the programmes stored in the C drive by clicking on Start: Programmes. Software See List attached. 5

6 Rang 3 Revise skills taught in Junior Classes. Computer Terminology The children should now be very familiar with Computer Terminology and language. They should be able to identify the computer parts. 1. The Desktop. Teach the term desktop and icon. 2. Examine the icons: My Computer, Recycle Bin and shortcuts. 3. Taskbar. Know the term taskbar and know how to launch the Start Menu. 4. Programme examples: Word, Creative Writer, 5. File any piece of writing which you do. 6. Filename The name you give your piece of writing. 7. Folder Where you save your file. Typing Skills 1. Know all the important keys: letters, numeric pad, return/enter, delete, spacebar, shift keys for Capital letters, backspace, caps lock, esc, cursor control keys. 2. Use Typing Programme to improve skills. Technology Skills 1. The Mouse - know the buttons and their function: left click to select, double left click to open. Right click to create folder etc. 2. Pointer: why it changes shape. Egg-timer while waiting for a programme to open, cursor as insertion or typing point, pointer to highlight and scroll. 3. Mouse Control Practise highlighting and mouse control. Place heel of hand on mouse pad. Use paint programme to teach mouse control - draw pictures and write with pencil. 4. CD Drive. How to handle CD load and launch a CD programme. 5. A Drive How to load a floppy disc and access the A drive. Access files/folders on a floppy disc. 6. Start Menu How to launch the Start Menu. Learn how to make choices from the menu. 7. Windows Be able to maximise, minimise and close a window. Word Processing Skills Formal lessons begin at this stage and are in the attached document. These lessons are taught throughout the year. Skills learned are reinforced through curricular work stories, Christmas Magazine, Projects etc. 6

7 Please see attached document for Skills Lessons in Rang 3. Scanner Children should understand what the scanner is for and be able, with teacher s help, to scan in selected pictures. Internet and will not be used in Rang 3. Internet: They will understand the concept the World Wide Web. Find a web page using a URL. Print pictures and text from net. Software: See attached list. 7

8 Rang 4 Revise skills taught in Junior Classes and Rang 3. Computer Terminology Folders: Creating folders to save all future Hyperstudio and Word Processing Projects. Working with new programmes e.g. Hyperstudio which have a different interface. Accessing files e.g. images, movies, sounds from CD and if time allows from the internet to use in personal projects. Working with sound files and movie files Typing Skills 1. Know all the important keys: letters, numeric pad, return/enter, delete, spacebar, shift keys for Capital letters, backspace, caps lock, esc, cursor control keys. 2. Use Typing Programme to improve skills. Technology Skills 1. True Colour: Be able to change the number of colours by: o Right click Desktop o Properties o Settings o Colour Qualities 2. Sound Files 3. Movie Files 4. Animation 5. Publishing personal projects. Word Processing Skills Reinforcement of Skills learned already learned in previous classes through curricular work stories, Christmas Magazine, Projects etc. Digital Camera Basic use of Digital Camera Download photos and print. Multimedia Authoring Skills Working with Hyperstudio 4 a multimedia authoring package. Lessons are attached to this document. Scanner As in Rang 3, children should understand what the scanner is for and be able, with teacher s help, to scan in selected pictures. 8

9 Internet and will not be used in Rang 4 except by the teacher. Internet: They will understand the concept the World Wide Web. Find a web page using a URL. Print pictures and text from net. Software: See attached list. 9

10 Rang 5/6 Revise all of above. Word Processing Skills Revise work done in Rang 3 and Rang 4. Consolidate work by having responsibility for the Christmas Magazine, project work etc. Internet and will not be used in Rang 5 or Rang 6 except by the teacher. Internet: They will understand the concept the World Wide Web. Find a web page using a URL. Print pictures and text from net. Save images on to the desktop or in a personal folder. Search for and locate and save Sound file, animation and movie files. Typing Skills. Use home keys. Practise typing skills using Typing Software. Excel Launch excel and record data. This will be used for library records. Microsoft Publisher Used in creation of Christmas magazine. Digital Camera More work with Digital Camera Download photos and print. Download images for use in projects Word Processing and Multimedida Authoring. Multi- Media authoring encorporating Opus pro. This involves 8 lessons in 5 th Class and 8 lessons in 6 th class. The 6 th Class pupils do projects on various educational interests in the last quarter of the school year. The projects will be burned on their own CDs. They will create covers using Microsoft Word and display work done on corridor wall. Please see attached Lesson Plans for Rang 5 and Rang 6 for Opus Pro. Fís o Lessons in movie making o Camera Skills o Editing skills o Story writing and storyboarding skills o At the end of the year complete a short film. o In the future it is hoped to integrate the films made in Fís into the CD ROM 10

11 projects. Microsoft Publisher Used in creation of Christmas magazine. Digital Audio - Studio We recently purchased a Digital Audio Studio at present many boys are practising and some are composing their own music hoping to record their own song at the end of the year. Special Needs Children with Special Needs use IT at their own level (skills acquisition) and also use IT programmes as part of their IEPs. Opus Pro other uses by staff and pupils Opus Pro is used by staff in the following ways: o A staff Website with links to relevant sites has been created by IT Coordinator Mr. O Brien. o A Quiz programme created in Opus Pro is used throughout the year for quizzes for the children. o The sound effects for our musicals are created in Opus Pro and run by the children on the night of the shows. o Slideshows of varied activities are published using Opus Pro and are displayed daily on 5 computer screens. These slideshows celebrate school activities such as Sciath na Scol, Chess, Basketball, New Infants, Music etc Digital Photography The corridor is covered with photos celebrating school activities. A yearly photograph competition is run where the boys use digital cameras and photograph the school environment. Digital Photography of the Solar System The boys in Rang 6 will take photographs of the Solar System using laptop and telescope. School Website: The school website is regularly updated with news, photos, school calendars, children s work etc. Software. The software inventory is regularly added to often with the children s own 11

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