ICT Staff Development

This priority area for the school refers to the skills that staff have and/or need in relation to ICTs. When selecting this priority area, a range of key questions will include the following:

• What, for example, is the attitude of staff members to ICTs at the school?
• What levels of expertise do staff have when using ICTs?
• What are staff's ICT development needs?
• What opportunities at the school can be created to address these needs? etc.

Prioritising ICT-skills development at the school does not mean targeting only educators. ICTs are a valuable management and administration tool. If administrators are properly trained to use ICTs, they can help the school to keep track of equipment, furniture, stationery & books. Once administrators become familiar with using ICTs, they can use their practical knowledge of the school to fine tune the school's administrative processes.

Educators who are able to use ICTs to complete administrative tasks, can keep track of learner records, etc. As well, both educators and administrators can communicate with parents and the broader community.

If your ICT-specific SWOT showed that staff expertise is in critical need of ICT development, this priority area could be the one for you to concentrate on.

ICTs and Curriculum

This priority area for the school focuses on the use of ICTs to enhance the delivery of the curriculum. ICTs can have a positive impact on the learning environment in a number of ways.

• Learner Support Materials created by educators and/or sourced from the NET can be better presented.
• Tests can be created and saved in a database for re-use, with minor changes, in subsequent years.
• ICTs can be used to enhance the delivery and use of assessment tools, etc.

If your ICT-specific SWOT indicated that the delivery of the curriculum is a pressing need for your school, then this priority area could be the one for you to concentrate on.

ICTs, Infrastructure and Security

This priority area for the school focuses on the need to protect ICT equipment, so that the school's investment in ICTs is well used for the benefit of all at the school.

Ideally, before expensive equipment is brought into a school, the question as to how ICTs will be kept safe will have been addressed to minimize the risk of vandalism and/or theft of ICT equipment. If this has not been done, an urgent and critical question that a school should ask is:

What effective and affordable security measures can the school put in place, as soon as possible, to safeguard valuable school assets?

If your ICT-specific SWOT indicated that equipment security is an area of great need in the school, then this priority area could be the one for you to concentrate on.