Current State
As it stands, the school has begun to use ICT resources, but the use is limited and failing to reach its potential. A single laptop trolley, enough for a single class to use at one time, means that there is great competition between the teachers to book this resource. This is amplified towards the end of each term when all the teachers wish to use it for assessments. Since this booking must be done sufficiently in advance to ensure availability, teachers sometimes reserve it and end up not using it. The recent opening of two new computer labs has alleviated this strain somewhat, but this still leaves 3 simultaneous classes-worth of computers to supply twelve classes of students.
​There are iPads available, but there aren’t enough even for one whole class - and they are out of date.
Each of the main classrooms is equipped with a projector, smart-board, and speakers. Currently these are largely used to show static, text-based PowerPoint presentations, which may as well be on a whiteboard, or informational videos. While useful in terms of speed and access, this is not living up to the potential of ICT solutions for education, nor is it taking advantage of 21st century pedagogies.
The setting up of a Makerspace with access to robotics proved popular with the students but this is currently under-equipped and under-utilised.
The other major issue with the present situation is that many of the students, particularly in years seven and eight, waste class time through a lack of ICT skills, such as log-in problems or navigating Windows to find the correct file.
This report deals with these issues and proposes solutions that will improve the education experience for both students and teachers.