April 2001 Online Newsletter for Greater Essex County Computer Using Professionals

Remember from last month that ubiquitous means "Being or seeming to be everywhere at the same time." There's more to it than just having computers and software there. It's also being able to use the software and the computers effectively. Throughout the elementary school Ontario Curriculum, there are all kinds of curriculum opportunities for using computers. If you are using the content from the Ontario Curriculum Planner, you see it regularly. If you are a master lesson crafter, you do it by second nature. However, in its current state, your lesson addresses some aspect of computer literacy for a particular class, for a particular lesson. Enter the Greater Essex County District School Board's "Computers in Elementary Schools" document. This document was two years in creation and refining but is now available for all teachers. In one spot, the document outlines a continuum of skills, software, and techniques. Divided into the five strands Computer Operation, Multimedia, Research and Information Literacy, Writing and Publishing, and Curriculum Support, the document identifies what level of computer use should be expected by division. What it doesn't do, however, is define a "computer class". In the best sense of ubiquity, the computers, the technology, the software, and the lesson needs to be in place the moment that it is required for student learning. True implementation will require that we think about how computer use happens in the classroom. If it means that the only time that a student uses a computer is during "lab time", then we miss the boat. If it means that we expect total computer skill develop and integration with a single computer in the classroom, we're standing alone at the end of the pier as well. The end results should be a group of graduates equipped with skills and computer literacy that puts them in good stead for secondary school. Over the next couple of weeks, copies of the document will be distributed to each elementary school. It would be a good time to book some time with your CAIT to discuss just what opportunities exist in your classroom.