TDA support for ICT in ITT 2003–08
The TDA is funding e-learning projects for teacher training providers. Reports on the projects we have funded can be found on the Teacher Training Resource Bank. Please search for 'supporting e-learning communities'.
We share the view expressed by the initial teacher training (ITT) community that the ability to work experimentally helps to create a culture of innovation and change which is central to developing activity and quality in initial teacher training.
The project progress reports suggest that ITT is carrying out some of the most interesting work in the use of information and communication technology (ICT) in education.
An evaluation in to this work has been carried out by the University of Wolverhampton on behalf of the TDA and has found that valuable indicators for the successful implementation of ICT in ITT are:
- The status of the technology and ownership
- The organisation's capacity for innovation
- The degree of alignment between the innovation and the needs and concerns of individuals and the organisation.
The full report can be found here and the executive summary can be found on the right-hand side of this page. A full suite of associated multimedia resources will be available shortly.
The TDA has targeted the following areas in 2007–08:
- portable computers for trainees (including laptops and handheld computers)
- tablet PCs for teacher trainers
- video conferencing
- video capture and analysis
- interactive whiteboards
- subject specific hardware/software
- e-portfolios
- schools in challenging circumstances
- the 14 to 19 agenda (including diplomas)
- disadvantaged groups
- ethnic minorities
- young people with special educational needs
- the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) agenda
- development of early years education
In our consultation with members of the Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education (ITTE) it has been suggested that sharing information about research grants funded as part of our support for ICT in ITT could be greatly beneficial for encouraging communities of practice between colleagues whose research interests may overlap. We have collated the data from successful bids into a database listing the types of equipment and software being purchased by each provider. Please note, however, that as not all bids were funded at the level requested, some providers may have opted not to fund all of the areas listed.
Software industry support for the TDA
Initial teacher training software site licenses (ITTSSLs)
A unique agreement has been reached between the British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA), software retailers in its membership, the Association for Information Technology in Teacher Education and the TDA to ensure that ICT can be more easily embedded in training institutions. Initial teacher training software site licenses (ITTSSLs) are part of a framework which software companies can sign up to. Available software will be listed on the BESA website.
Free software for laptops
The TDA has agreed with several companies to provide their software free of charge to teacher training providers:
The software is available on CD or online.
Espresso Education Primary Service
Espresso initiated the provision of free resources for ITT institutions in London by the use of a cache server. Espresso’s digital resources service -currently subscribed to by 50 per cent of primary schools in England - is now offered on a free annual license, on the same basis as the ITTSSL. Accessing Espresso requires the ITT institution to host a caching server on their network. The server is ordered and installed at the institution and is added to Espresso’s subscriber base.
Download Espresso order form.
TDA support for design and technology
In the years 2004–07, the TDA provided financial support for design and technology by funding an extension of Electronic in Schools strategy with Microsoft and provided £250K to support food technology in initial teacher training in 2006/07.
In 2008–09 the TDA is funding a second phase of the Electronics in School strategy, continuing to work with the Design and Technology Association and contributing over £80K to support the provision of computer-aided design (CAD) and computer-aided manufacture (CAM) technology in nine regional support centres offering both teaching and continuing professional development (CPD) opportunities.
