What is Four in Balance? - PDST

9From ICT use to moreeffective teachingThis final chapter describes five ways for schools and teachers toget more out of using ICT in the classroom.The 2011 Monitor has shown that there are solid foundations for using ICTin every sector of education. Most teachers believe that they have goodICT skills, and schools have one computer for every five pupils. Virtuallyall school computers have Internet access, and the number of classroomsequipped with an interactive whiteboard is growing rapidly. More andmore digital learning materials are becoming available, and schools areclearly eager to make greater use of ICT both for knowledge transfer andknowledge construction.A growing number of teachers are making use of computers. If theforecasts are to be believed, virtually every teacher will be using ICT intheir lessons in five years’ time, and they will be doing so with greaterintensity and in more varied ways. ICT is no longer merely an optionalteaching aid; it is fast becoming one of the fundamental building blocks ofeducation.Despite all this, teachers are not adopting ICT in their lessons as rapidlyas they and school managers had expected. The potential that ICT offers toimprove teaching is often left unexplored. In terms of the Four in Balancemodel, that potential lies in enhancing the relationship between thepedagogical use of ICT and improving the quality of teaching (Figure 9.1).We describe five recommendations for improving that relationship in thischapter.749.1 Adapt support to aimsThe education sector wishes to make greater use of ICT. Opinions differ,however, as to the way ICT should be allowed to influence teaching,both now and in the future. One school is prepared to go much furtherthan another in that regard. It is important to take such differences intoaccount if the idea is to help schools make more use of ICT. It would be