Rationales

	Children, on-line learning and authentic teaching skills in primary education
	Rationales

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Purposes and Rationales

In order to commit to particular purposes one needs to be confident about the rationale for such a commitment. Rationales are complex notions to do largely with values and practicalities.

Any rationale for the use of ICT in a particular situation must provide a basis for why ICT should be used to help achieve the associated purposes, ie,

the concept of ICT,
its relationship to the values and purposes
the ways (practices) and means (available resources) involved in using ICT to achieve the purposes
and that the above feasible (pragmatic) & desirable (values) for those involved

A wide range of rationales

Schools report holding a range of rationales for incorporating ICT in their class programs, including one or more of the following common kinds of statements

Students will need be able to use ICT
A (potentially) useful/powerful set of tools
Access to information (knowledge)
We (school) need to be seen using ICT
Basic skills ‘similar to literacy & numeracy’
Strategic to the schools purposes, ELs
System / Community expectations
“You don’t have too many computers do you?”

The last statement is from a Principal quoting a number of parents in the process of enrolling their young children at the school. This is somewhat in contrast with the Principal of a very similar school in which the parents had 'pushed' and actively supported the early adoption of ICT. The support came in the form of encouragement, finance, expertise and actions - they personally networking the school and provided advice and tutoring to staff and students. The implication is that parents too have rationales for their commitment (or otherwise!!) to the incorporation of ICT into class programs.

From the above list emerge 4 major rationales FOR the use of ICT for educational purposes:

Strengths of ICT

A (potentially) useful/powerful set of tools

Access to information (knowledge)

Community expectations

ICT is part of our world and

the community expects it
We (school) need to be seen using it
Show computers in all classrooms
Children do (and show) some of their work using ICT

But also “You don’t have too many computers do you?”

Children need ICT

ICT is part of our world - children need to experience and use it

They will need to be able to use ICT (employment?)
ICT skills are basic skills similar to literacy & numeracy
Add ICT to the curriculum
Align some classroom practices with common practices, use word processing, internet ...

ICT is strategic to the school

ICT is strategic to our purposes (it underpins the development of practices we will require to provide for learning in the future).

Develop staff competence
Rethink and redevelop classroom practices
Prepare for different teaching and learning arrangements