Computers help you learn in every subject of the curriculum. At first ICT was just a subject to be studied. Then, early on, it became clear that it offered benefits in every subject of the curriculum. Using ICT was quickly added as a requirement to every subject except PE (it has since been added to that as well). Nowadays the holy grail is for it to be 'embedded' - that is, used whenever it's the best choice throughout all aspects of school life.
The opportunities are as wide as your imagination and as the technology develops so more arise. Who'd have thought, a few years ago, that children would use podcasting or Web 2.0 would be relevant to them. Yet both of these are now used in many classes.
Here are some examples of basic activities in each of the curriculum subjects to get you started.
Often, when we plan work for the children to do at the computer, our aim is for them to learn computer skills. At other times we are giving them work which develops their ICT capability as defined in the national curriculum. But the real benefit of ICT is that it can greatly improve both teaching and learning right across the curriculum.
Basic skills are needed of course, but like learning to hold a pencil they only be introduced and taught once. From then on the value of ICT lies in how its supports the curriculum. Bear in mind that it isn't automatically a good thing. For example, if you are learning how to draw graphs a computer will be of little help, but once you know how to do it you'd be mad not to use the computer for graph work thereafter. This page contains pointers to the sort of things that ICT can be used for across the curriculum.
Early Years
The youngest children in the school are learning many new things, both basic skills and social behaviours. In this environment the computer is used in three ways:
mastering basic ICT skills such as controlling the mouse
learning that the computer can be used for real work and is an alternative to the pencil or paintbrush
Engaging in computer assisted learning tasks (eg. matching colours)
English
Word processing is a perfect writing environment - the text is malleable at all times. Some word processors (eg. TextEase) speak your text aloud
Electronic text can be printed out, emailed anywhere in the world or re-worked for a different audience
Desktop publishing allows children to create newspapers, magazines, posters, etc.
‘Web authoring’ allows work to be published on the school Intranet or on the school’s web site
An encyclopaedia on CD-ROM can be used for research and both text and pictures can be copied and pasted into the child’s own work
Most programs develop language skills by fostering debate and collaboration whilst problem solving
ICT in the Literacy Hour
You can use ICT in the Literacy Hour. In fact the government is very keen on it. As an old cynic I tend to think that government ministers can only understand the simplest of ideas when it comes to education so the notion of a computer helping children to rote learn spellings and tables really appeals to them. However, ICT can be used in all parts of the literacy hour:
Whole class: There is increasing interest in large screens - these can be very beneficial but are not essential. Use the computer to present the chosen text. Even on small screens you can make the font larger so all can see. You might do this if you wish to move about the text, or highlight aspects of it (eg. adjectives) or alter the text in some way. Don't forget that we adults tend to think that text is only found on paper. In fact a text can be electronic (perhaps a website?), on a T-shirt, even an image or cartoon. Keep your mind open. Software houses are also now producing programs which can be used to demonstrate literacy topics to the whole class.
Group work: This is the most obvious opportunity and one group can be using the class computer (or all groups if you are in the computer suite). Often you will find that the computer is offering the children something that paper is lacking, for example they can focus on the task (e.g. punctuation) instead of being hindered by handwriting or pencil control skills.
Plenary: Use the computer to discuss an end product. This might be the computer group's work or selected children's work in the suite. Remember that literacy is wider than print on paper. Don't forget that ICT is the new literacy and the end product may be an animation or a set of linked multimedia pages which must obviously be displayed on screen.
Maths
Content-specific ‘computer assisted learning’ programs offer practice and reinforcement in basic skills and can be used with the whole clas during the daily maths lesson
The ‘My World’ program allows screen images to be sorted and classified according to different criteria and arranged in different ways - groups, Carroll diagrams, Venn diagrams, pictograms or bar graphs
Graphing software (such as Pictogram or Graphplot) allow data to be collected and shown pictorially in different graphical forms – pictogram, bar, pie, line, etc. and the graphs can then be interpreted. The data collected can be for its own sake or part of a geography or history topic
A database (such as Junior Pinpoint) allows information to be examined and interrogated and its data shown statistically (eg. average, total) or graphically. Graph work includes advanced features such as setting the class interval, showing negative numbers and plotting two sets of data against each other to check hypotheses (e.g. ‘do the biggest babies become the tallest children?)
A spreadsheet allows mathematical modelling to be undertaken (eg. investigate the effect of changing the price and anticipated number of players at a game for the summer fête, establish the best)
Science
Using suitable ‘My World’ screens to display or rearrange scientific images (e.g. component parts of the human body)
Interrogating scientific data held in a database (e.g. a datafile of plants and animals)
Connecting temperature, light, etc. sensors to a computer to measure physical variables in scientific experiments.
History
Using a desk top publisher to present historical knowledge (e.g. create a Tudor newspaper)
Using a word-processor to record interviews with older people (first hand witness accounts)
Using an encyclopaedia on CD-ROM to research historical topics
Using the Internet for historical research and to collaborate with other people world-wide
(e.g. museums)
Using an adventure game or other computer model which has a historical theme (eg. Romans CD-ROM)
Geography
Using word-processing software and electronic mail to write about and share knowledge of the local and national environment
Using an encyclopaedia on CD-ROM to research geographical topics
Using an adventure game or other computer model which has a geographical theme (eg. The Map Detectives)
Art
There are four ways in which the classroom computer can be used in art:
- Using ‘painting’ software to create pictures
- Using CD-ROM or on-line services to research different artists and schools of art
- Using a scanner or digital camera to capture electronic images which can then be incorporated into the child’s own work
- Manipulating digital images by altering the colours or adding distortions or special effects
Design Technology
In the modern world the use of ICT in the design process is widespread.
In the classroom you can:
- Use drawing/painting software to create diagrams of your design (the design can be changed without making a mess)
- Use CAD software (e.g. My World kitchen designer) to design models or environments
- Use word-processing, graphics and presentation software to create publicity materials for design technology projects (eg labels for models, scripts and posters for a play, or a multimedia presentation to advertise your new product)
Music
The classroom computer can be used to create and explore music:
- Use music software to create music, from simple programs (e.g. Compose World allows you to experiment with musical ‘building brick’ to create pleasing tunes) to complex synthesisers.
- Use notation software to create or explore musical notation.
- Use a CD-ROM encyclopaedia or the Internet for research into styles of music and different composers
- Use MP3 format to collect and share music with others world-wide