In England, Becta( 2003) analysed Ofsted’ s findings of 2,582 schools inspected in 2000-01 and considered pupil achievement in the context of ICT use.
The findings suggested, among other things that the presence of ICT resources alone was less important than the combination of good resources and effective ICT teaching.
The report identified key‘ ICT enablers’ which taken together are crucial in the development of good learning opportunities in ICT: ICT resourcing, ICT leadership and ICT teaching together with, general school leadership and general teaching standards.
By 2011, Ofsted found that the effectiveness of ICT was considered good or outstanding in two thirds of primary school in England; the situation in secondary schools was less promising, where limitations in teaching, resourcing and use of assessment were found to reduce the effectiveness of ICT.
Since this time, Microsoft has gone some way in the UK and beyond in supporting schools to transform their technology environment and approach to digital literacy.
And taking this further, Achievement for All are delighted to be working in partnership with them to develop the Microsoft Educator Community. This will provide a free digital environment to transform teacher and tutor CPD.
Based on the three-fold model of developing: a digital literacy curriculum( what the school does); a digital literacy pedagogy( what the teacher does) and digital literacy ability( building digital literacy of teachers to enhance pupil outcomes), the on-line environment will include tools and resources to support schools and other educational settings in enhancing all areas of ICT.
This module aims to:
Raise awareness of the Microsoft Educator Community and its potential to transform CPD opportunities for all staff
Articulate a digital literacy spiral curriculum to support outcomes-centred teaching and learning for every pupil
Share effective practice between schools that promotes innovation and creativity
Achievement for All, established in 2011, to transform lives through improved educational opportunities and outcomes for children and young people vulnerable to underachievement, has worked with over 3000 schools and settings( children and young people aged, 2-19 years) in England and Wales, along with schools in Norway, the USA, Lithuania and Latvia. Recent data from an independent evaluation by PwC( 2016) in England showed that identified pupils( those from socio-economic disadvantage, those with SEND and others vulnerable to underachievement) in Achievement for All( AfA) schools made more progress on an annual basis than similar pupils in other schools, which averages at 3 Average Point Score)( APS).
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