Multifaceted Roles for Teachers: Learners and Facilitators in the EPICT School-based

Training Model

Leo Højsholt-Poulsen

UNI•C The Danish IT Centre for Education and Research

Denmark

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is• Continued Professional Development of teachers

in the pedagogical use of ICT in education.• A comprehensive European standard?

EPICT courses now run in

Greece, Hungary and Italy supported by

And inNorway (LærerIKT),Australia, United Kingdom, Ghana, Cameroon, Uganda and Denmark

EPICT - The European Pedagogical ICT Licence

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EPICT - The European Pedagogical ICT Licence

No matter the various roles of the teachers

• It all boils down to these simple questions:• What do we want the teachers to learn?• How do they learn this?• How do we evaluate/assess

whether they have learned what they are supposed to?

The professional development•Distributed across the country via a distributed course organization (regional course providers)•Applies E-learning, blended approach

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The roles of the teachers

The teachers are• Learners colleagues/peers/teachers/innovators• Facilitators trainers/tutors/coaches• Developers of the content

• ICT guides at local school (guide the ‘learners’)

• Different roles – different competencies

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Role of the course participant (learner)

Participants work in teams

Participants have highly different •expectations to the course and its contents•motivation• ICT skills

Participants are responsible for their own learning

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The EPICT Syllabus

Objectives

•Become self-assisted, self-confident•Plan, design, develop, use, document

learning scenarios that integrate ICT

•Evaluate, compile/build learning elements•Choose the right methodology and learning resources

for any given context and objective

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We aim at

EPICT – No fixed level of competence

All teachers improve their competencies

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The EPICT Syllabus

Integrate ICT in teaching and learning

• The teacher needs competencies and skills at three different levels:

– Handle the technology (e.g. perform functions on the PC, operate media tools)

– Understand the technology (e.g. select the right tool in any given context and apply the relevant working methods and processes)

– Reflect upon technology (e.g. assess and put into perspective, reflect upon consequences)

• All ICT skills with a pedagogical rationale

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The syllabus

Compulsory themes

•Use the computer as a personal tool and integrate it into teaching and learning activities

•Search and communicate using the Internet

•Use a word processor and guide students in process oriented writing

• Innovate and develop the school – ICT is an agent of change

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The syllabus

Optional themes (1)

•Layout own learning resources and student productions

•Understand and use digital images in own and student productions

•Prepare own digital presentations and assist students creating presentations

•Design and produce web pages and assist students

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The syllabus

Optional themes (2)

•Use spreadsheets

•Use internal databases in teaching and learning

•Use digital learning resources

•Apply new working methods and new tools

•Use ICT as a compensatory and supportive tool (in special needs education)

•Use computer games in teaching and learning

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Facilitators

• Facilitators are one step ahead (of the participants)

• They must be able to– Remember ‘real life’ at schools

– Know daily praxis, where the participant is to use her new competencies

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Facilitators

To become a facilitator you must

• be an experienced teacher within the relevant educational area

• be experienced in the use of ICT in teaching and learning

• have acquired the Pedagogical ICT Licence yourself(or similar competencies)

• have participated in the facilitators’ certification course

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Facilitators - Relevant qualifications

•Mentored/guided colleagues on the pedagogical use of ICT

• Influenced the development and profile of your subject with respect to ICT integration

•Conducted a number of courses on ICT integration in one or more subjects

•Have a position as a pedagogical consultant on ICT integration

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Facilitators - Relevant qualifications

•Been a pioneer and actively debated ICT integration

•Published educational resources or written articles about pedagogical ICT integration

•Managed development projects on innovative ICT integration

•NOT only qualified on ICT skills

•NOT only qualified on ICT pedagogic

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Facilitators’ role(s)

One or two facilitators•Manage a course – both with respect to course

participants and course provider•Formulate subject specific and pedagogical issues

inspiringly to a larger audience•Discuss and communicate constructively•Know well your subject theoretically, pedagogically and

practically, especially on counseling, ICT and media•Give qualified response on activities, ideas, drafts,

assignments, collaboration and communication •Moderate e-conferences

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The European Pedagogical ICT Licence

• Want to discuss more?

• Please see www.epict.org

• And/or contact me atLeo.hojsholt-poulsen@uni-c.dk

• Or contact any of our partners in the EPICT Group– Lambrakis Foundation (LF)– University of Genova (DIST)– Eötvös Lorand University (ELTE)