ICT DEVELOPMENT AT
THE SCHOOL LEVEL
The previous chapter identifies various approaches to the development of
ICT in secondary education. This chapter first describes these approaches,
which fall along a continuum, in further detail. Next, are detailed various
characteristics associated with schools and school leadership such as
vision, facilities and resources, community involvement, and so on, that
relate to ICT development in schools. Finally, a two-dimensional matrix
is developed with approaches to ICT development along one dimension,
and characteristics of schools relating to ICT development along the other
dimension. This matrix should prove useful to schools as an aid in determining
their stage of development with regard to ICT development.
APPROACHES TO ICT DEVELOPMENT
Advances in technology and the way technology is incorporated into a system is
a dynamic process. Each school must work within the context of its own system
to fit choices to what best suits its unique situation and culture. Even within a
school, various units or courses may use different approaches. The approaches
are hierarchical with the emerging approach as a beginning point, and the transforming
approach as a goal many perceive as the future of education.
Emerging
The emerging approach is linked with schools at the beginning stages of ICT
development. Such schools begin to purchase computer equipment and software
or perhaps have had some donated. In this initial phase, administrators
and teachers are just starting to explore the possibilities and consequences of