The Next Step? Planning And Sustaining Future ICT CPD

I have discussed the concerns about future planning and the problems such open-ended planning has where knowledge about any future initiatives may be limited. Allaire and Firsitoru (1989, p7) noted

―uncertainty is the Achilles‘ heel of strategic planning. Strategic planning is heavily slanted toward the ‗predict and prepare‘ mode of coping with the future. The strategic plan is a ‗road map‘ with a

fixed and well-defined target, as well as the steps to reach that target‖. Wallace (1991) chronicles a series of events in his primary and secondary case-study schools that made similar plans obsolete, including the inability to predict some shifts in central government and LEA policies and the possibility, if not the timing, of others.

Given all that has been written about what can go wrong with any strategic ICT CPD intent, can it be considered a viable concept in schools? Strategic planning was originally conceived for commercial businesses that were able to have a large measure of control over their future. Outside influences impinged on this intent, but not in a major way (Mintzberg, 1994). The many early theorists (Ansoff,

1965, Drucker, 1955, Malmlow, 1972, Steiner, 1979) developed analytical tools to identify and evaluate strategies, but there was little, if any actual planning taking place. The companies were able to enhance their development plans almost in a cocooned environment.

When American industry started being faced with serious overseas competition, they started acting, according to Mintzberg (1994, p208) ―Much like Chicken Little being hit on the head by an acorn, its

planners ran around ... crying ‗The environment‘s turbulent! The environment‘s turbulent!‖ Since

then, the visionary approach is often cited as the more flexible way to deal with an uncertain world. With this move, many (Weinstein, 1995; Hambden-Turner, 1995) would argue ‗yes‘, we can use such planning in ICT CPD planning as it sets the broad outline while leaving the specific details to be worked out later. In other words, ―the broad perspective may be deliberate, but the specific positions can emerge. So when the unexpected happens, assuming the vision is sufficiently robust, the organisation can adapt – it learns. Certain change is thus easily accommodated‖ (Mintzberg, 1994, p210).

Despite these caveats the key phrase from Wallace is ―predict the possibility, if not the timing of

others‖. Given the cost involvement of leading edge technology, most schools would consider

themselves to be in the enviable situation of being at least one pace behind that edge. As such, then, schools could at least predict what current developments would be economically accessible within the time frame of the strategic intent and plan their ICT CPD accordingly.

As far as current state primary schools are concerned, we have already seen the effect on ICT

through the Lottery‘s New Opportunity Funding and the ‗Laptop for Teachers‘ initiative. With a

number of LEAs moving all their county-school communications through broadband computer links and the subsequent benefits to the children with access through such high-speed systems, we already have one strand of the strategic intent which can act as a guide for future staff development.

We can already see that the nature of schooling is changing:

 In 1993, Drucker wrote: ‗What will be taught and learned; how it will be taught and learned;

who will make use of schooling; and the position of the school in society – all of this will change greatly during the ensuing decades. Indeed, no other institution faces challenges as

radical as those that will transform school‘ (p209). Today, according to Dickinson (2000),

much of this has happened or is happening: ―we have all the knowledge and tools we need to create an effective system that can help meet the needs of today's and tomorrow's students.

…. We have already seen many new interactive technologies along with a renaissance of the

arts in education, hands-on projects, inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, internships, and community service projects that deeply engage students and result in academic

achievement‖.

 From a nineteenth century factory model to a twenty-first century one of emphasis on children‘s learning, gearing the profession towards what the children learn rather than what

the teacher teaches (eg through the numeracy and literacy strategies) – a focus on learning

rather than teaching and where the students are considered the ‗clients‘. In the case of ICT, it

is likely to be based less around the transmission of knowledge, but rather around learning from others using ‗Knowledge Navigators‘ (Scully, 1987).

 Headteacher management models are moving more and more to collegiality and leadership rather than ‗management‘.

 The recognition that learning should be life-long.

 The need for be more proactive – creating cultures based on responsiveness where

monitoring and evaluation are key features.

 A move towards more global awareness through the use of internet-based inter-school

projects.

 A shift in focus and choice to the learner as new technologies are developed.

 Schools becoming more independent in their management of funding, staffing and physical

resources.

Many of the technology tools used in education and skills were designed to serve the needs of business. Although many of these are useful for education, we also need specific and customised planning, curriculum management, and teaching tools for teachers and trainers to use as a natural part of their professional repertoire. (BECTA 2008)With these and similar ‗expectations‘ (Davies and Ellison, 1999, pp246-256) in mind, the benefits gained from engaging in strategic ICT CPD planning are many. Returning to the initial focus, the school would be using the teachers‘ previous

experience to plan for the school‘s needs in an uncertain future by looking to adopt a process along

The start of the process is linear to the review section, but then moves into a continual cyclical process along the lines of Hargreaves and Hopkins (1990) and Fidler and Bowles (1991). The review section allows for what Davies and West-Burnham (1997, p 65) term ‗re-engineering‘ which can be different for various points of the strategic ICT CPD journey.

The point at which this re-engineering occurs, according to Handy (1990) is decided by the reflective Headteacher, who has to ensure that the school does not rest on its laurels, and takes the risk of moving into a new direction before the change develops into a downward or stagnant one. So, in any planning for strategic intent, we need to be able to answer three questions: (1) what priorities do we need to change? (2) what should we change next? (3) what should we change it to: Vision :

A school which has ICT capability effectively integrated into all aspects of the curriculum and a staff trained for this use.

Resource implications – physical:

 Additional computers

 Extension of network and internet cabling  additional licenses for software

 Fast internet connection using broadband technology

 Connection of class computers with suitable password firewalls enabling teachers to access

central record and tracking data.

 Phased expenditure.

 Maintenance costs – especially in light of changes in funding.

Resource implications – human:

 Audit of teachers‘ ICT capability. Implementation of any necessary remedial training to

ensure basic level of skills attained.

 We know that there will be some CPD required for as yet unknown areas but there will

certainly be CPD for teachers to cover: use of the network, internet, email and the network (especially with a view to accessing centralised record and tracking data). An approach to

staff CPD can be clearly seen in the ‗Red Folder‘ of DfES approved providers of teacher

training for integration of ICT into the curriculum (NGfL, 2000).

 Training in critical appraisal of software suitability.

 Consideration for changes in the role of the teacher with more reliance upon technology.  Introduction of ‗computer mentors‘. These would be children who, in Year 4, would follow a

course that would enable them to operate the network, scanner, digital camera and other peripherals as well as solve basic problems. By starting in Year 4, the programme would enable these children to develop each year and would give maximum return for time spent in training. Sessions need to be set aside for such training, probably as an after-school club.

 Performance management and its impact on target setting for the teachers – particularly in the

case of ICT.

 Emphasis on life-long learning not just for professional use, but also for personal

advancement.

Other

 Move to establishment of a local consortium for pooled resources such as CPD, programmes,