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Aims
The overall aim of this strand of the project was to examine the ways in which ICT can be used in educational settings to enhance learning within the teaching of literacy and English.
Particular Aims were:
- for teachers and researchers to develop into a community of learners sharing experience in teaching and research with new technologies
- to investigate the processes of teaching and learning within each of the various English design initiatives
- to investigate the processes involved in reading and constructing a range of texts using new and traditional technologies
- to explore communication and collaboration in learning within digital settings
- to engage with debates about the changing nature of English and literacy in a digital age
Subject Design Initiatives
These are some of the designs developed by the teachers in the English team.
Production of a Newsletter for Parents: team teaching of English and ICT
(Ian Thompson and Suzanne Nash, Filton High School). Filton High School initiated an experiment to provide weekly ICT/Literacy lessons in the computer suite for all of Year 9. As English specialists working with colleagues in ICT, Ian and Suzanne investigated teaching and learning during a unit of work on the production of a newsletter for parents. They explored attitudinal aspects of ICT in relation to authentic production, differences in the writing process on paper and on screen, consciousness of audience. They repeated the design in the second year of the project.
Incorporating e-mail as authentic communication in curriculum learning.
(Andrew Biggs and Emma Scott-Cook, Easton Primary) The Year 3/4 pupils in Andrew and Emma’s classes used email as a tool for research in different curriculum projects. They used the classroom computer for this regularly over an extended period. The aim was to develop literacy, in particular awareness of audience, purpose, register and genre.
In the second year of the project with a Year 5 class Andrew continued to use email but also incorporated internet search and powerpoint presentations into the research.
Using Storybook Weaver to develop understanding of narrative structure
(Emma Scott-Cook, Easton Primary) In the second year of the project Emma worked with her Year 4 class, taking advantage of an under-used resource in the school's software package. The students discussed examples of three and four frame stories in the fairy tale, fantasy or adventure genres. They then chose an unfinished story from a range of genres and created the final frame. They then created their own limited frame story in their chosen genre. The aim was to focus attention on structure and sequence.
The grammar of still and moving images.
(Rachel Yates, Cotham School) Rachel’s Year 8 pupils used Powerpoint to access manipulate and annotate images in order to develop their understanding of visual narrative. They then used digital cameras to create their own narrative image sequence and presented this using PowerPoint.
Knowledge and Understanding of sentence structure
(Adrian Blight and Chris Davies, John Cabot CTC) Adrian and Chris explored the use of the interactive white board as a tool for making grammar more visible and interactive in National Literacy Strategy starter activities.
Creating a multimedia text for a parent's evening
(Adrian Blight and Chris Davies, John Cabot CTC) Year 9 pupils worked with Adrian and Chris on the creation of a multi-media text to promote John Cabot English department at parents' evening. The aim was to see if this production work using a range of ICT tools would increase pupils' awareness and confidence in analysing and writing about multimedia texts.
Incorporating ICT in the study of literature
(Sam Mills, Fairfield High) Working with a Year 7 class, Sam incorporated a range of different ICT tools into an existing scheme of work on a literary text. Pupils researched World War II using the Internet, created a CD ROM fact file, used a database to track characters in the play Carrie's War, used Powerpoint and video to reflect on drama work.
Using ICT to create authentic texts and contexts
(Maria Thompson, St Michael's Primary) Working with her Year 2 class, Maria's pupils used the Internet to research a holiday destination. The children created a holiday brochure combining word processing and digital pictures.
Writing direct onto screen
(Pam Kelly, Colston's Primary ) Pam's Year 5 class had used the computer only to produce finished copy. She investigated closely the drafting, editing and copy editing sequence where her pupils worked predominantly on screen.
Technical aspects of English Language
(Chas Blacker, City of Bristol College) Chas developed a two-stage project on AS and A2 English Language. First he used multi-modal presentations to engage students with more abstract aspects of the structures of language. Then he moved to incorporating resources - his own and those from partner schools -in web-based activities for analysing texts which exemplify language change. In the second year of the research Chas experimented with using the OED Online.
Learning about spelling at Key Stage 2
(Dan Sutch, St Michael's Primary) In his Year 6 class, Dan experimented with a variety of approaches to understanding spelling beyond the phonics model. He used the classroom computer and the interactive white board to explore the etymology of words and the realtionship between language, semantics and English spelling.
Research using web sites
(Paul Wilson, Colston's Primary) Paul worked with his Year 5 class to develop critical approaches to the use of web-based resources, in particular to evaluating the quality and suitability of sources in a local area study.
Exploring Poetry
(Adrian Blight, John Cabot CTC, and Rachel Yates, Cotham School) Adrian worked with a Year 10 class, and Rachel with a Y8 class. They explored tone, meaning and imagery in a range of poems, using Powerpoint.
Making a revision website for Of Mice and Men
(Chris Davies, John Cabot CTC) Groups of students in Chris's Year 11 class focused on different aspects of the novel and created a web page. They used a range of resources including internet and library search. Eventually all the pages were linked and uploaded to the school's Intranet as a revision website.
Multimodality and literary study
(Adrian Blight, John Cabot CTC) Adrian's Year 13 students investigated links between a range of WW1 literary texts and their historical and social context. They then used the results of their research to create multimodal pages for a website. The website was uploaded to the school's Intranet.
Digital editing and media analysis
(Richard Rees, John Cabot CTC) Richard joined the project in the second year. He used digital editing software with his media studies classes. He was interested in whether the process of using digital editing software in the production of a music video would support the development of the students' ability to comment analytically on film and video.
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