Year Level(s): Year 4&5

Number of Students: 21

Broad Aim: To explore how ICT can be used to enhance learning and teaching.

Specific Aim: To identify ways in which the use of ICT can help Raise Achievement for Maori, Pacific and other students in low decile schools.

Method: We (Fia and I) will use publisher to create resources for students such as certificates and awards. I will use Publisher to create a range of certificates and awards. These will be for used at assembly time for across the curriculum positive reinforcement of good attitudes and skills.

We (Fia and I) will set up a computer tutors system where senior kids support teacher and kids within their own class. A maximum of six students will become computer tutors (2 from three classes). These students will be trained up in the use of a range of applications such as:

Inserting pictures form the web
Using the digital camera
Using google as a search engine
Inserting clipart and word art
Changing fonts, size etc
Making a graph in a spreadsheet
Using the paint tools appropriately
The tutor programme will run for half of one lunchtime per week with a simple tasks taught each week.

Assessment: Key questions will be:

Do the computer tutors pass on their skills to the rest of the students?
Is there an increase in the use of technology throughout the school resulting from the tutor programme?

To gather this information teachers in the classes will be asked whether students are using the computer more and whether they are improving in their skills. This evaluation will be undertaken early in the fourth term.

Learning Areas for Project: Numeracy, Literacy, Topic

Essential Skills for Project: Communication, Information, Problem Solving, Self Management & Competitive, Social & Cooperative, Work & Study

Achievement Level(s): 1, 2, 3,

Specific Learning Outcomes: The computer tutors will pass on their skills to the rest of the students.
The effective use of technology in my classroom will increase as a result of the tutor programme.

What Went On: Two confident students volunteered to be the classroom tutors for this ICT project. They set about working out how to make classroom certificates. They learnt about using different Word functions like : WordArt, page orientation, layout, formatting, borders etc. They were then taught about Microsoft Excel and Publisher. They used online image searches to find clipart and pictures for their certificates. They also used the digital camera to take pictures to incorporate also.
They used all of these thing to create a certificate then set about teaching other students how to do the same. The two tutors taught one student each at different times, although sometimes due to time constraints more than one student was tutored.
By this point in the term most students have begun their certificates. Most students still require some assistance from the tutors in creating their certificates.

What Worked: Children without any computer skills were learning readily and quickly from their peer tutors. The tutors themselves took their jobs seriously and valued the responsibility - they were also learning good communication skills. This method of peer tutoring is also less intimidating for the students who do not have much confidence or skills with computers - they are more ready to work with a classmate than with a teacher. This method also allows for the classroom teacher to continue the classroom programme when setting aside time to teach pairs or individuals on the computer is unrealistic.

What To Do Different: This style of tutoring may be more successful with a computer pod - as for many students it can take a while to get to them, also the initial tutors can get called on a lot over a long period.

The degree to which students achieved the specific learning outcomes for the action research project: Mostly

The degree to which ICT helped students achieve the specific learning outcomes for the action research project: Very helpful

Supporting Files: http://www.lea.co.nz/ictpd/Uploads/diana's certificate.doc