Do children learn better using
computers?
This
is the very question Jenny Lewis, Principal of Noumea Public School
in Sydney's out west, has attempted to answer with the development
of a practical, state-of-the-art database application called 'Schoolmate."
Jenny and her staff felt that computers didn't work well in classrooms
because "the relationship between the curriculum and computers
wasn't linked for teachers". From 1997 Jenny and her staff
have been developing and using the 'Schoolmate' program and now
there is real proof that children learn better using computers.
"It's one of those chicken and egg types of things, really.
Was it because we were collecting our data better or was it because
we were using computers? But what I can say is that once
we were tracking the children better using computers, once we
were individualising our teaching using the information the computers
were providing, once we were evaluating to a child, the results
followed. If we could keep a child here 8 - 10 months the improvements
were between 14 - 16 months (measured against the state standard)"
An amazing result.
"Not only was that a significant change but there was
a significant change in social outcomes and behaviour outcomes
for kids. In 1997-8 we had 120-130 violent incidents, significant
violent incidents, a year that is, and last year , 2000, there
were only 6.
In 1997 the school points increase from year 3 to year 5 in
the basic skills tests was 0-7. In 2000 the points increase from
year 3 to year 5 was 6-24 points. In just 3 years, this is a phenomenal
improvement.
Noumea PS achieved this remarkable result because the teachers
were getting the teaching right, and they did this with the assistance
of the "Schoolmate" program. Before the integrated use
of computers teachers were doing incredible work but the work
was busy work, it was the unit of work you do in semester 2, the
'Summer Unit.' Now the teachers are providing accurate teaching
for every child every day.
To understand what an important development 'Schoolmate' is,
we must historically look at how computers have been used in schools.
When computers were first introduced into classrooms teachers
went to these "one stop wonder workshops." These workshops
presented the really fab things you could do with
PowerPoint, Excel and Word. Teachers came back energised and enthusiastic
to try all these fantastic new ideas. But when they came into
the classroom it was the administration of the classroom that
took over. Teacher programming, teacher recording, teacher assessment,
teacher analysis of student work, these are the things that drive
a classroom and the workshops didn't address this. They didn't
tell teachers how to manage computers in their own classrooms."
Jenny explains the evolution of 'Schoolmate' "We decided
to go back and look at the curriculum as a first point of reference
and to nurture the administrative side of the classroom so that
the program was on the computer. Then there would be a reason
to go and touch the computer in the first place." Thus the
development of the 'Schoolmate" program had begun. The program
is designed to manage teacher's collection of data, assist with
programming and support school development and planning. Using
the "Schoolmate" program teachers' assessment tasks
were on the computer along with pupils work samples and the curriculum.
"So we got over that initial hump, there is a purpose
to the computer sitting in my classroom. And I think that's the
hump that gets missed a lot." said Jenny
Up until then the use of computers had been piecemeal, the
computer sat in the classroom and that's where students went to
do catch up work, word processing, games and 'busy work".
But there was no real relationship between curriculum outcomes
and computer use. There were usually 2 groups of children that
used the computer:-
children struggling with basic skills allegedly using computers
to improve their basic skills, to 'catch up', and children who
finish quickly. There wasn't a lot of purpose or meaning in the
computer use, or choice of software, and there wasn't any demonstrable
curriculum outcomes being achieved. Jenny and her staff felt this
had to change.
If the teachers were touching the computers every single day
then it added meaning to the child, they could see there was a
purpose for the computer in the classroom.
"At Noumea teachers are using the computers for the purpose
of 'why they are here',
and the students are using the computers for the purpose of 'why
they are here'."
All of a sudden everything made sense. Software purchases were
made only if they directly supported the curriculum outcomes,
no 'busy' software was purchased. If a teacher was focusing on
certain outcomes in the classroom the software supported exactly
those outcomes, it wasn't busy work or catch-up - it was a normal
part of the lesson. Computer usage became a natural part
of the lesson.
"Children were working on paper, children would be using
concrete materials, children would be working on computers, it
was just one of the groups."
The classroom became the primary teaching unit. Whoever works
with the children on the day is working with the curriculum that
is in place on that day. The teachers have targeted which outcomes
they are working on, extra teachers and parents work on the same
curriculum outcomes for that day.
While the teacher's are registering what the students are doing
the "Schoolmate" program is compiling the school reporting.
When you are registering off what you are observing daily and
updating your records you are actually writing your report. On
the wall in Jenny's office is the advice she gives to all the
teacher's using the Schoolmate program:-
"Worry about teaching and learning, assessment and recording
information because if you do that then you can review and reflect
on the information to change what is happening in the classroom
and report whenever you want to."
Computers have definitely improved the learning outcomes for
students at Noumea, using the excellent database program "Schoolmate"
it's a 'win win' situation, a win for the school and a win for
the community, but I'll leave the last word to Jenny,
"The provision of such significant knowledge has enabled
individual staff, collegial teams and administrators to allocate
the right resources, to the right students for the right reasons."
(Jenny Lewis "Developing the Knowledge Ecology")
Jenny Lewis is Principal of Noumea Public School
The "Schoolmate" program was developed by Jenny and
her staff in conjunction with
Graham Reay of Black Duck Software Pty Ltd
P.O. Box 114 Windsor N.S.W. 2756
Schoolmate @ar.com.au
Cathy Brown B.Ed. (HONS) is a Educator with over 20
years teaching experience from Pre-school to Tertiary level, she
gives seminars and inservice in Computer Technology and also writes
a free email newsletter 'Virtual Teacher" http://www.virtualteacher.com.au