b. Implementation
Overview of this strand
This strand explores the range and quality of the provision that the school makes for staff ICT development and how it supports individuals and shares effective practice. Where these practices are well developed, schools use a wide range of development opportunities tailored to individual as well as whole-school needs. Such activities cater for individual learning styles, take place within and/or beyond the school as appropriate, are closely linked to the school's own ICT resources and address the confidence levels of the individuals involved. Coaching and mentoring systems are often a key part of planned professional development, as are systems for sharing effective practice with other colleagues and, on a reciprocal basis, with other schools.
Typical evidence
- School policy for professional development
- Whole-school and individual staff development plans for ICT
- Discussions with teachers and support staff
- School and individual staff development records for ICT
- Observation of inset and any support and mentoring systems
- Written evaluations of training and/or staff development opportunities
- Governors’ minutes
- ICT awards/qualifications obtained by staff
1. Range of development opportunities
A wide range of development opportunities are provided both within and out of school which meet the individual needs and styles of most staff. This could belnd face to face, online and other forms of provision.
Questions schools should ask
- What range of different ICT development opportunities does the school offer?
- Are there development opportunities that take place beyond the school and, if so, what do these include?
- How are support agencies or external providers used by the school for professional development in ICT?
- How is the technology itself used to support ICT developments, through for example online learning or collaboration, or computer-based training packages?
- Does the school know what Advanced Skills Teachers are locally available and how they might access them?
2. Quality of professional development
Professional development activities should be consitently timed and linked to the schools' ICT resources, practices, and school and individual needs. They should be well focused, engaging, and effective and address the confidence levels of individuals. Schools should seek innovative, high quality solutions.
Questions schools should ask
- How does the school ensure that quality ICT development activities meet the needs and confidence of individual staff?
- How does the school ensure that ICT development activities enable staff to make effective use of the ICT resources available in the school?
- How does the school ensure that ICT professional development opportunities take account of different learning styles and preferences of the staff involved?
- How does the school ensure that ICT professional development opportunities take account of any special access needs of staff?
3. Sharing effective practice
The sharing of effective practice should be routine across the school and on a planned and reciprocal basis, with other schools. technology can provide innovative means of sharing effective practice within and beyond the school.
Questions schools should ask
- What approaches does the school use for sharing effective practice with ICT?
- How consistently are these used across the whole school?
- How regular are the opportunities to share effective practice?
- What opportunities exist to enable staff to share practice with other schools?
- How is the technology itself used by the school to share and learn from best practice elsewhere?
i-Whiteboards
Tony Poulter's i-WB site
4. Coaching, mentoring and individual support
Systematic support through coaching and mentoring should be part of planned professional development for ICT. The school should make use of external provision to extend expertise and share effective practice.
Questions schools should ask
- What coaching or mentoring for ICT support has, or does, take place within the school?
- Is any coaching or mentoring part of a planned professional programme?
- What proportion of staff have been involved in coaching and mentoring processes?
- Does the school make use of external support for coaching and mentoring?
- Does the school support, through coaching or mentoring, work with staff in other schools?
c. Review
Overview of this strand
This strand is concerned with the overall management and evaluation of staff development for ICT, and how the outcomes of this are used for future planning. Where practices are well developed there will be regular and systematic monitoring and evaluation of the quality of the professional development for ICT, and the impact it has on the outcomes for learning and teaching, and staff professional roles. Planning for future professional development activities will take account of these evaluations and will be reviewed in relation to value for money and the impact on pupil outcomes.
Typical evidence
- School policy for professional development
- Development plans showing CPD activities
- Monitoring and evaluation policies and guidelines
- Discussions with staff and pupils
- Evaluations of staff development, from individual evaluations, groups or whole-staff evaluations
- Lesson observations
- Budgetary plans for professional development for ICT
1. Monitoring and evaluation
The school should have well established system for evaluating the impact of ICT professional development on the organisation and individuals as well as on learning and teaching.
Questions schools should ask
- What systems does the school use for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of ICT professional development?
- How does the school link the outcomes from evaluations to learning and teaching?
- How has the school linked ICT professional development activities to improvements in organisational efficiency?
- What changes in ICT practice or pupil outcomes can the school attribute to ICT professional development activities?
- What reciprocal links with other schools does the school have when evaluating professional development in ICT?
2. Linking to future professional development planning
Questions schools should ask
- Who manages the professional development of ICT?
- How do plans for professional development in ICT take account of the results of monitoring and evaluation?
- How does the school cost ICT professional development in relation to its likely impact on learning and teaching, and pupil outcomes?
- How does the school evaluate value for money of ICT professional development activities?
Plans for professional development in ICT should take good account of the results of monitoring and evaluation and assess likely value for money and impact on learning and teaching.
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