Information and communication technologies in schools: a ...

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ICT IN SCHOOLS
A HANDBOOK FOR TEACHERS
Student universe
The simplest and most convincing application of ICT in school occurs on the
very first day, when students tell a computer (with the teacher’s help) their
names. Now it happens in written form by typing: in the near future, it will be
done aurally, in combination with keyboarding. The computer will memorize
the names and even print out corresponding name badges. The badges are given
to students (teachers and other adults at school have the same kind of badges),
who can now read their teacher’s and each other’s names. Reading becomes practically
important!
In the next step, the computer asks for more information about each student.
The computer then prints out a series of pages. If you cut and bind these
together, you will have your first address book containing the names, addresses,
and telephone numbers of all your schoolmates.
At some point, you start to collect your family memoirs – photographs, stories,
letters, and combine these with additional findings in electronic archives. This kind of
project may be extended indefinitely.
Written language learning
Learning how to write a language is a combination of learning to:
• produce letters and their combinations – words on paper with brush, or
crayon;
• write words in the correct spelling;
• write down oral speech; and
• generate a text based on your understanding of what you are going to say.
Traditionally, children learn these activities sequentially. In fact, the last step
usually comes too late and the natural urge of the child to communicate freely is
thwarted (mostly by grammar exercises). Eventually this delay reduces students’
interest in oral communication as well.
Many-faceted texts. Evidence shows that young children do not think of
texts or writing strictly in print-linguistic terms. Given their first notebooks in
school and let loose to do their own thing, they draw pictures and invent symbols;
some write letters, some make their names, words, even phrases. Almost all
declare they can “write and read already”.