Equity+Reflections


 * Question from the Equity Article: What suggestions/ideas can you make on how we address the issue of equity in our school? **

|| || It is alarming to think how much younger children are involved now with IT. Professional Development for teachers is vital but how many of us have been on any course and not implemented learning from that course? The follow up to any PD is just as important, as what we learn, as unless we are really passionate about the particular course the learning can be under-utilized and concealed under priority tasks. || || ** So biggest help is more PD for teachers to keep ahead of the IT wave. ** ||
 * Introduction of the high speed broadband in the very near future will hopefully make access in the classroom easier, but for students and staff to fully integrate e-learning there needs to be more computers in the classroom and of course this comes down to cost.
 * Using ICT is the same as any other tool, it’s just that this is a quickly developing one. It costs a lot ,does a great job but like everything else we need, we have to keep spending on it to keep up. To think we have “got there” is foolish, things will keep changing so we have to keep plodding. Throwing a huge amount of resources all at once could end up very wasteful if the technology takes a new unexpected turn. ||
 * Like what everybody else says, it comes down to the cost of equipment. There are some awesome ICT resources out there but unfortunately they are never cheap. Plus it’s hard enough fitting everything in plus trying to find time to learn new ideas and integrate them into the classroom. ||
 * Cost and time will always be a factor in not achieving what is considered to be an ideal ICT equipped and teacher trained classroom. ||
 * Using ICT is the same as any other tool, there are always going to be barriers-cost, speed, breakdowns, power cuts and professional development and I am sure many others. We need to be mindful that as soon as you buy a computer it is already outdated and who knows what the future will hold in terms of technology as it changes regularly. ||
 * The gap between costs, PD time and monitoring of classroom learning will always be there with regards to technology. General access to technology in both school and home will affect the outcome. ||
 * Time and resources. It’s great learning about new programmes to engage students and progress their learning. As a teacher, you need time to become really familiar with the programme so you can teach it effectively and to be able to look at how to integrate into you teaching, so that it is meaningful. Resources - juggling access to computers can be difficult and disjointed making it hard to identify those struggling with ICT skills (as they may be in a different classroom working on a computer, working while you are with a reading group etc). ||
 * Idealistic is an unfortunate truth. Surely though, if we are living in a digital age and our students are functioning in a digital world we need to find a way to fund the resources to support these current learning needs. You don’t need 1 computer each, but if you had regular access, where groups of 3 or 4 students could work together on 1 computer on high speed internet, it would be immensely beneficial. ||
 * It always comes down to cost. I would like to see extra laptops set up in every classroom. In an ideal world………. ||
 * Equity is an idealistic thought. Yes it would be wonderful for every classroom in a school to be able to have access to all available technological resources but we all know that it comes down to dollars.
 * Equity is an idealistic thought. Yes it would be wonderful for every classroom in a school to be able to have access to all available technological resources but we all know that it comes down to dollars.
 * With cost and room factors regarding procuring more class computers may be it is more realistic to consider allocating more specified class times to the IT lab.
 * Computers in the classroom and access to a high-speed internet connection that can handle the demand within the school. The cost of both of these alone makes this an unrealistic solution for the time being. ||
 * We desperately need more computers in the classrooms so we can actually teach computer and internet skills within the classroom programme. At the moment the students spend a lot of time roaming the school trying to find free computers just to type up work. Students who do not have a computer at home could then be group taught skills that come easily to students who have IT readily in their homes. Each syndicate should have a camcorder for movie making, not just a syndicate camera
 * ** Technological Equity within Chisnallwood as with any school or organization is always going to be there. You can reduce it through PD (the most important thing) and purchasing more resources (software and hardware) but the inequality will always be there as teachers are facilitators who each have their own technological abilities, knowledge and enthusiasms they bring to the classroom. Over the next ten years students will be coming to school with skills beyond all but the newest teachers as they have grown up in an age of massive social IT integration from when they could first talk and communicate. How many five years olds know how to use a laptop or skype or an iphone? They will come to school having used these tools at home and come to school expecting to be pushed forward in an environment they are used to and for many that is IT rich one. **
 * Staff development helps us as teachers to recognize the cognitive and social/emotional characteristics of our students. Through this development we can provide appropriate curriculum teaching – which includes having resources. Cost is the factor. ||
 * I agree with Tim about teacher Pd being vital! New technologies are amazing but hard to keep up with. Most students are more computer literate than me. (I get them to help me when necessary. However new technology is exciting! (I love skyping my family overseas!) We NEED more technology/computers in our classrooms and ongoing PD to help us utilize them to the best of our ability. ||
 * Ideally, each classroom would have an active whiteboard and each syndicate would have a pod of laptops that could be used by students. However, with cost being a huge factor, equity remains an ideal. ||
 * Is equity realistic? Unless each class has the same technology (Cost) and teachers have enough PD (Time) to bring their varying abilities up to speed we will find it difficult to cater to the varying demands of the students, whether they are ‘haves’ or ‘have-nots’. Time and Money are factors that are not new and unless they are made priority in schools and by the government, technological equity will only remain an ‘ideal’. ||
 * Very tricky. Doesn’t it come down to cost? As an extension class teacher I would like to have an active board etc, but I also have to be realistic. ||