ICT
What is
ICT
?
ICT is the use of technology to support areas of work and personal life. However, technology is not just the use of laptops and traditional computers, it is also the use of phones, TVs, games consoles, drones, robots and more. At Penyrheol, we aim to develop pupils’ traditional software-based ICT skills alongside giving them experience of the other devices that fit into our modern world. ICT skills are as important as traditional numeracy and literacy skills. People who can use ICT tools confidently are described as being digitally competent. The Welsh Government have made Digital Competence one of the three key cross-curricular skills in the Curriculum for Wales.
Why is
ICT
important?
ICT is an integral part of how the modern world functions. Starting from an early age, young people use technology to develop their learning but many also use it for health tracking and entertainment. As we get older, Digital Competence then becomes an essential skill required in the workplace. Our aim as a school, is to provide you with a range of lifelong skills that will not only assist in your education but also with their future job prospects and to help you in your personal lives.
Computer Science is also a part of ICT lessons. This gives pupils a deeper understanding of how devices work and how computers think. By developing your logical thinking skills, you will have a better understanding of how individual devices and our information-based world works.
By the end of Year 9, you will have a better knowledge of how technology can improve the world through recycling, sustainability and the management of our natural resources. You will also learn how to keep yourself safe online by controlling the development of your Digital Footprint.
Our vision
The ICT department has designed its curriculum to help enable all pupils in Years 7-9 experience a broad range of skills. We believe ICT lessons should be stimulating and enjoyable, whilst also informing pupils about modern dangers surround the issues of E-Safety and data protection. ICT lessons will not solely focus on the use of computer software but will also give pupils the chance to use devices such as cameras and microphones alongside programming BBC MicroBits and drones.
This range of experiences will give pupils the ability to make informed choices for GCSE options but will also help them prepare for future employment and further education in a continually developing, modern society.
Measurable outcomes:
- To continue the skills development started in our feeder primary schools
- For ICT lessons to enhance pupils’ skills so they can be used reliably across the curriculum
- To give pupils the confidence to use online cloud-based tools
- Develop pupils’ ability to gather data, analyse it and present it to an audience
- Improve pupils’ research capabilities, enabling them to gather more effective resources
- To enhance pupils computational thinking skills to enable them to think problem solving in a step by step format
- Experience of the contexts in which ICT and Computer Science are used in society
- To build links between the other subjects of the Science and Technology AoLE (Area of Learning and Experience) and demonstrate to pupils the use of ICT in those subjects
- To give pupils a range of experiences to enable them to make informed option choices for Computer Science and Digital Technology GCSEs
Big questions in
ICT
- How do computers store data?
- What methods can I use to store my work?
- What is the best way to present work to an audience?
- How are games made?
- How do you add sound and music to videos?
- How can I make presentations that run on their own?
- How can I create surveys and send them to large groups of people?
- How can computers be used to analyse data?
- How do you type and run program code?
- How are devices such as robots and drones programmed to move?
- How are computers used by big businesses to organise and plan events?
- Where are databases used in society?
- How I can stay safe online with technology that I use?
- How can my behaviour be watched online by other people?
What will your journey in
ICT
look like?
ICT use is constantly changing across the world and we are always striving to meet the needs of our pupils in our curriculum. We aim to help you continue your ICT journey from Primary schools, by initially focusing on the use of Windows PCs, MS Office software and using internet communication tools.
As pupils move towards the end of Year 7 and into Year 8, they will work more with data and using programming code to control devices. The use of code then develops into the ability to create web pages and games that feature a variety of multimedia that you will learn to create. This multimedia ranges from still (static) images and animations to multi-layered videos and controllable characters.
By the end of Year 9 you will have had a taste of the skills and content you could cover in the Digital Technology and Computer Science GCSE options. If you choose not to opt for either of these subjects at GCSE, you will still have developed a range of lifelong skills you can use in your personal lives, further education or work environment.
What will the study of
ICT
encourage you to think about / do?
Throughout Years 7-9, you will improve the way you think and perform in the following areas:
- How to refine research your techniques and improve the quality of information you gather.
- How to ensure data that is gathered through surveys is of a high quality.
- How to assess the needs of an audience and present information to them effectively.
- How to create a house style or company theme that enhances a presentation.
- How to think in a logical manner to reduce complex problems to their constituent parts.
- How to make promotional material and documents stand out from others.
- Assessing the dangers of online situations and giving E-Safety advice to others.
What opportunities for learning does the
ICT
curriculum provide?
Within ICT lessons you will develop a broad range of exciting and modern skills:
- More advanced internet research skills
- Creating professional document layouts and layering them with data, information, backgrounds and diagrams
- Creating complex and automated multimedia presentations
- Recording and editing sound
- Editing video
- Image editing and image manipulation
- Creating basic animations
- Type and error checking program code
- Controlling and programming devices
- Games design
Alongside ICT skills, pupils will also learn about the following:
- Tourism in Wales
- Sustainability and natural resources in Wales
- Healthy living
- Online safety
- Smart Energy usage and the benefits of Smart Meters
- How to plan events and create promotional material
- How data is used stored and used across society
- How to think and plan in a logical and computational way.
What skills will you learn in your study of
ICT
?
- Internet research
- Email communication
- Creating themed presentations, colour sampling and colour matching
- Sound recording and sound editing
- Data collection and survey design
- Spreadsheet and data analysis
- Programming and computational thinking
- Controlling devices such as drones and robots using code and inputs from sensors
- Games design
- Web design
- Image manipulation
- Video editing
- Sound editing
- Animation
How can you deepen your knowledge and understanding of
ICT
?
Pupils can deepen their knowledge and understanding of ICT by questioning the way the world around them functions and then bringing those questions back to class. You also need to ensure you listen to the key technological terms used in lessons and try to use them in everyday life. Many ICT terms are misunderstood and the general public have misconceptions about the way technology functions. You can improve your future chances in the ICT industry by ensuring you use terminology correctly and by using technology in the way it was intended.
Mature and independent ICT users are able to find support online and improve their own understanding. Being able to find support resources is a key part of the ICT and Computer Science industry. Pupils who are able to utilise forums and further their own learning by following tutorials stand a great chance of performing well at GCSE and beyond. You will learn to become a more independent computer user in charge of your own ICT skills development.
How does your study of
ICT
support your study in other subjects?
ICT is embedded in all areas of learning. The ICT curriculum at Penyrheol Comprehensive has been designed to help pupils develop skills that will be useful in all other subject areas. Confidence in researching, developing information documents and organising personal user areas are the cornerstone of ICT use in other subjects. Many subjects also rely upon the skills we help pupils develop in presentation creation, data gathering/analysis, logical thinking, video editing and sound editing.
For other subjects to teach in an effective and modern manner, they need to utilise digital skills to show pupils how their areas link to the modern world. You will be well-prepared for this.
How can
ICT
support you in the future?
Further and higher education rely heavily upon the use of ICT skills to access learning materials and create evidence for assessments. If you have confidence in the use of ICT, you will become a more efficient learner and give yourself the best chance of performing well. In the workplace, digital competence is vital whether you are working for someone else or self-employed. Workers can be far more productive with good digital skills and even attract more business or create better employment opportunities for themselves.
At home, digital competence can help ICT users in their leisure time. Being able to shop online, book tickets online, socialise online, control finances and access media for entertainment are skills that help people relax and enjoy their free time. The new GCSE in Digital Technology has a heavy focus on this type of modern leisure experience.