Find the right ICT to enhance your class room.

Why doesn't ICT always enhance learning what are the barriers. The fact is that generally most teachers are using ICT to teach the same way they always have, they aren't adapting there assessment to capture the dynamic ability of ICT.

Ideally I believe every classroom should have a Smart board or interactive board for the class and a computer for every student, this access to the global opportunity would give the teacher the optimal resource for teaching effectively beyond their own style and pedagogy.
The reality is that not all schools have Smart boards, to compound this lack of resource teacher's aren't trained in effective use's of smart boards as the boards are rolled out. If they are they forget because they aren't integrated into their teaching or assessment.
It is interesting  that (Kennywell and Morgan 2003) site this as one of the barriers to effective use of Smart boards but we shouldn't assume that just because you have the skills and the equipment your going to be a great teacher with ICT.

This bring's us full circle to finding the right ICT to enhance your students learning. There isn't a right and wrong answer, any experienced teacher will maintain that you need a 1000 different strategies to motivate student learning and they don't always work.

This point of finding the right ICT is heavily discussed by (Harper, Hedburg and Wills 2003) they investigate 'designing learning with ICT' and that it needs to be assessed against quality teaching models. What I find they have uncovered is that teachers aren't sharing quality practices concerning ICT. This trend is changing but the application of ICT is up to the individual teacher.

The right tool for the job, connects outcomes and assessment in fun professional environment's.

You will find that ICT isn't a magic wand for teaching but what it can bring to the class is a new set of motivators.

This site outlines strategies you should implement to increases effective ICT.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/DigitalStrategyforTeachers/Documents/ICTStratPlanGuide.pdf

A great site to help with your own idea's of effective use's of ICT in CLass rooms.

http://www.effectiveict.co.uk/interactive/