Schools

January 2010

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21st century teacher:

Are you ready to meet the challenge?

21st century teaching and learning:

What is the challenge?

Your learners are already engaging with

technology both in and out of school. Are you?

Your students are already using technology as part of their

daily life and increasingly expect to use it for learning in school.
But what does this mean for you as a teacher?

This booklet will help you discover what it takes

to become a 21st century teacher.

Do you want to improve how

children and young people
experience learning and bring
education alive for them?

Do you want to improve how

you engage with parents?

Do you want to save time on

administration and plan more
effectively?

Technology opens up huge opportunities for you

in teaching, assessment, planning and
administration and in engaging parents and the
wider community.

With everybody in education supporting the

Governments aspiration of building a 21st
century schools system with excellent teaching,
the role of ICT in teaching and learning is very
important.

 esearch now shows that technology

R
can help to:

personalise learning and give learners a voice

As a 21st century teacher you are a learner

yourself adapting your previous technology
skills and knowledge as new technologies
emerge. You know when to use technology and
when other strategies are more appropriate. You
continually review how you use technology in
your role.

make difficult and abstract concepts easier to

explore

Technology is taking all teachers on a journey:

motivate learners and keep them engaged in

learning
improve attainment levels and raise standards

Do you give learners the

opportunity to work in their
preferred ways of learning,
including using technology?

Do you want to improve your

lessons with more flexibility and
choice or improved quality of
delivery?

If you answer yes to any

of these questions, read on
and find out how you can use
technology to meet these
challenges.

save you time and be more efficient

open up dialogue with parents and extend
learning
make learners partners in their formal
learning
reach the hard-to-reach.

Y
 ou may be at the beginning of the journey and
want to explore technology more.
You may be using technology at the moment
but want to review what you do.
Y
 ou may want to develop areas in your use of
technology to include in your CPD planning.

Wherever you are, you will find this booklet

helpful in choosing the next steps to develop
your professional use of technology.

21st century teaching and learning:

What teachers do?

LEARNING
AND TEACHING
21st century teachers ensure
teaching is enhanced through
the informed use of technology
developing learners ICT
capability.
21st century teachers use ICT to:
d
 eliver greater flexibility and
choice of lessons and
teaching techniques
communicate

information and
concepts clearly with high
quality lessons and resources

CASE
STUDIES

Dan Lea is a 21st century

teacher at Gearies Infant
School. As part of the
Childrens Research into
Poetry, he developed a blog
for sharing planning,
questionnaires, information
and findings. Not just for his
pupils, but for other schools
in the same network.

Planning and
administration

Pete Hoskins worked with

a low ability Year 7 class on
science at Westborough High
School. Using animations
and comic strip presentations
enabled children to describe
their investigations in a more
visual way, improving pupil
understanding.

p
 rovide adaptive solutions for
learners with special needs

e
 xtend learning and work in
partnership with parents,
families and the community.

Carol Weale, from Dane

Court Grammar School,
used school-based wiki
pages and discussion threads
to help Year 11 students study
their poetry anthology. She
found their understanding of
the poems improved so much
that the boys GCSE grades
increased by two grades
from C to A.

They use technology to help

them with:
p
 lanning teaching and
learning across a broad and
balanced curriculum
r eusing, adapting and
sharing documents

Teachers at Easington
Colliery Primary School
have gained more time for
teaching and learning by
using technology to lighten
their planning workload.
Time and time again, they
reuse and adapt documents
and use ICT tools in teaching.

s toring and analysing pupil

data for formative and
summative assessment

m
 ake learning exciting and
engaging for all learners

c reate a learning environment

where learners feel safe and
secure

21st century teachers use

technology for all administrative
processes, enabling them to
save time.

CAse
studies

Staff at Startforth Church

of England Primary School
used different activities to
teach e-safety. Years 3 and 4
used online resources while
Year 6 used role-play. This
enabled staff to reinforce
important messages to
pupils of all abilities.

identifying and addressing

their professional
development, including
their own ICT training needs
r esponding to emerging
technologies and practice.
21st century teachers take
account of learning outside
school. They make use of this in
planning for learning inside the
classroom.

Learners creativity,
independence and motivation
have all improved at
Homewood School and Sixth
Form Centre. Here,
professional development for
staff encouraged teachers to
create opportunities for
students to use ICT to
develop as independent
learners. Students are now
encouraged to choose how
and when they use ICT.

Students at All Hallows

Catholic College are
realising their potential and
achieving higher standards.
This shows the impact of the
colleges CPD programme
and staff culture of regularly
sharing practice and skills.

21st century teaching and learning:

Reviewing your use of technology

Assessing
and reporting

Case
Studies

21st century teachers have

modern assessment and
reporting systems in place.
These help them understand,
identify and meet the needs of
the learner.

Improving the quality of discussion between parents and learners

about their education makes all the difference to what learners
achieve. The 21st century teacher makes sure that technology works
hard to support this.

They use technology regularly

and consistently to:
s upport their professional
judgement
track pupil progress
m
 onitor learners to ensure
their use of technology is
safe, legal and responsible
c ommunicate with parents/
carers, sharing information
through online reporting.

Teachers at Blakeston
Community School
communicate with parents
through the schools learning
platform. They inform
parents about all aspects of a
pupils life in school. They
also hosted ICT training for
parents to support family
learning, which has improved
pupil outcomes considerably.

Parents are now better

prepared and informed
for parents evenings and
meetings at Clunbury
Primary School. The school
uses its website and web
technology such as blogging
and podcasting to inform
parents of their childrens
work in school.

Becta has worked with schools using technology effectively

in learning, teaching and assessment, administration and
planning and engagement with parents.
Based on this, we have created the following checklist for
teachers to use with a colleague/mentor. This will help you
review your progress in using technology and identify
actions to inform your professional development plan.
The checklist will help you assess your use of technology
as a teacher, and how you interact with:
your learners
learning beyond school
your school.
The checklist, with additional advice
and guidance, is also available at:
http://schools.becta.org.uk/21cteacher

Hodgson Comprehensive
School has achieved an
increase in A*-C science
grades from 30 per cent to 98
per cent. Science teachers
use technology to share
assessment data with
students. The feedback
enables students to address
their learning needs,
resulting in higher grades.
Turn over for checklist

The checklist
3
About learning
beyond school

Consider what you do towards

developing your range of
professional teaching skills
with technology.

Consider how you expose learners

to a range of technologies and
develop their skills to use them
within their everyday learning.

Consider how you and your school

use technology to build dialogue
and engagement with parents/
carers, families and community.

Do you use ICT to support

your planning?
Do you embed ICT across the
curriculum to enhance and
extend learning?
Do you use ICT to communicate
information and concepts in high
quality lessons?
Do you use ICT to explore complex
ideas and information?
Do you use ICT to assess pupils
and track their progress?
Do you use ICT to store and
analyse pupil data for formative
and summative assessment?
Do you review your own ICT skills
and effective use of ICT in learning,
teaching and management?
Do you include clear personal
targets for ICT in your
performance review?
Do you protect your personal
information and professional
status online?

Do you have high expectations of

all learners and outcomes when
using ICT?

Reg
ular
ly
Som
etim
es
Not
at a
ll

About your
learners

Reg
ular
ly
Som
etim
es
Not
at a
ll

About you

Do you contribute to the schools

vision for using ICT at school and
at home?

Do your learners have

personalised, creative and
independent learning experiences
using ICT?

Do you use ICT to communicate

appropriate information with
parents? (homework, news,
events, etc.)

Do you use ICT to provide solutions

to support learners with special
needs?

Do you provide parents with

information about their child via
secure online access? (reports,
attendance, etc.)

Do you assess your learners ICT

capabilities?
Do you use ICT to involve learners
in their own assessment?
Do your learners have an
understanding of e-safety and
responsible online behaviour?
Do you consider the need to
protect your learners personal
information? (e.g. mark sheets)
Do you manage ICT flexibly to
ensure your learners have access
to a wide range of ICT resources;
in a variety of situations, when
needed?

Do you help parents understand

their e-safety responsibilities?
Do you share, with learners, the
schools vision for using ICT at
school and at home?
Do you use ICT to support and
extend learning beyond school?
(e.g. learning platform or school
website)

4
About your role
in your school

Consider your school plan and

approaches to ICT as a wholeschool issue.

Reg
ular
ly
Som
etim
es
Not
at a
ll

Reg
ular
ly
Som
etim
es
Not
at a
ll

Do you use ICT to communicate

with colleagues?
Do you share your practice in ICT
with colleagues?
Do your targets for ICT
development inform whole school
CPD planning?
Do you contribute to your schools
self-review of its use of
technology?
Do you share your schools vision
for ICT, at school and at home, with
stakeholders, including governors,
and parents?
Do you support your schools
public commitment to improving
through technology? (e.g. Next
Generation Learning Charter)

Do you offer wider opportunities

for learners to use ICT to continue
and/or extend learning beyond
school? (e.g. out of hours access
to ICT facilities)

21st century teaching and learning:

Reviewing your checklist

Mainly ticks in the

regularly boxes

Mainly ticks in the

sometimes boxes

Mainly ticks in the

not at all boxes

Are there any actions that

match your PDR targets?

Are there any actions that

match your PDR targets?

Are there any actions that

match your PDR targets?

Have you thought about

sharing your practice with
colleagues in your school?

Are there colleagues in your

school who you could work
with to develop your practice
using technology?

Are there colleagues in your

school who you could work
with to develop your practice?

Are there any new actions

you might find interesting or
regular actions which require
consolidation?

Are there any actions that

you feel you should be
undertaking more routinely
in your practice?

Are there any actions which

you feel you could tackle
with some support from
a colleague?

When you have completed the

checklist, review your answers
and use the above to help you
consider your next steps.
Once you have decided on your
personal development, it is
worth considering how you
ensure it is effective.
You may have an uneven
pattern of ticks across the
questions and will want to
consider a range of the actions
above. Further ideas for
exploring the background to the
questions and any issues they
raise can be found online at:
http://schools.becta.org.uk/
21cteacher

10

21st century teaching and learning:

Next steps for action
Having identified areas for action, here are some ideas to help you
address issues. They will also help you work towards acquiring the
skills and knowledge needed for 21st century learning and teaching.

Find out about good practice in

using technology and set your
own personal targets with ICT:

Review how you provide access

to technology for all your
learners:

Consider how you can use

technology to extend learning
and communicate with parents:

Be inspired by Bectas awardwinning teachers who are

using technology in creative
ways with their learners.

Provide an opportunity for

learners to express how they
would prefer to learn with
technology.

Consider how you can use

your learning platform to set
homework and communicate
with parents.

Review your own practice and

identify areas for development
in your CPD planning.

Widen your use of

technologies, for example
learning platforms, games
consoles and email.

Provide information to parents

on how to keep their children
safe online when they are
using technology in the home.

Work with other teachers in

your school who use
technology in interesting ways
with their learners.

Review your schools advice on

e-safety and discuss this with
your learners.

Join online communities and

become active in discussing
practice.

More than

4 /16
th

81%

of teachers agree
that ICT makes
learning more
effective.

Students ranked using

computers fourth out of 16
when asked their favourite
ways to learn.
The top three
choices were
learning in groups,
doing practical
things and learning
with friends.

66%

of parents would like schools

to use technologies such as text
messaging and the internet to
communicate more frequently.
However, only eight per cent of
parents were kept informed
using these methods.

Becta survey: Poll of parents 2008

11

21st century teaching and learning:

What is good CPD?

Development
in practice

The professional attributes, skills, knowledge and understanding

you need to become a 21st century teacher are defined by the
professional standards.

Case
StudY

The TDA states that CPD

activities are likely to be
effective if:
they are directly relevant to
participants
intended outcomes are
clearly identified
previous knowledge and
expertise is taken into
account
they model effective
teaching and learning
strategies
impact evaluation is planned
from the outset .

Taking the headings from the professional standards for teachers developed by the
Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), this section highlights what it
means for a teacher demonstrating effective practice using technology.
Neil Webster from St Christophers Catholic Primary School is
well on his way to becoming a 21st century teacher. He
describes himself as quite advanced with ICT but didnt have a
great knowledge of games-based learning.
Supported in his professional development by his headteacher,
Neil was given release time to visit Oakdale Junior School and
observe Dawn Hallybone. Dawn uses games-based learning in
class and has been sharing the benefits with Neil.
After just two weeks, Neil is using games-based learning with
his class. And, he is keen to share his new knowledge with
colleagues at his school.
Case study courtesy of Teachers TV. Watch Better Learning
with ICT Computer Games in the Classroom online at:
www.teachers.tv/video/37337

help on CPD and CPD opportunities:

Training and Development Agency for
schools (TDA) CPD. A wide range of
advice and guidance on CPD from
the TDA:
www.tda.gov.uk/teachers
The TDAs National CPD database.
Find opportunities for professional
development:
https://cpdsearch.tda.gov.uk

12

21st century teaching and learning

The professional standards

Teachers TV secondary; CPD.

Secondary CPD Hub, links to a
range of support for professional
development:

skills and
practice

knowledge and
understanding

values and
attributes

Has a vision for technology

in learning and teaching.

Demonstrates capability in
using ICT within the
professional context.

Designs activities using

technology to enhance and
extend learning.

Appreciates the role of

technology within the learners Understands the role of
wider context.
technology within effective
learning and teaching.
Has high expectations of all
learners when using
technology, understanding
issues around equality and
diversity.

Has appropriate specialist

knowledge of ICT.

Understands how to identify

and develop learners ICT
Reviews and evaluates the role capability.
of technology within learning
Understands professional
and teaching.
responsibilities for
Develops professional
understanding of and
capability with ICT.

safeguarding learners and

their data.

Teaches effectively with

technology.
Manages learners use of
technology appropriately to
promote engagement and
learning.
Monitors learning where
technology is used, makes
judgments about impact and
reports on progress.
Manages physical and virtual
learning environments safely
and effectively.
Uses technology for
communication and
collaboration.

www.teachers.tv/myschool-life/secondary/CPD
Teachers TV primary; CPD. Primary
CPD Hub, links to a range of support
for professional development:
www.teachers.tv/my-school-life/
primary/CPD

13

21st century teaching and learning:

Helping you on your journey
For further help and ideas on how to turn your checklist
into actions, try reviewing some of these resources.

Advice on auditing your ICT skills:

advice on how to use ICT in your teaching:

@ICT audit tool: Essex LA primary ICT audit

including video clips on why and how to use the
technology.

Bectas subject entitlement documents:

Documents which point to areas of the curriculum
that can be enriched and enhanced through the
use of technology.

www.e-ictaudit.org
ICT audit for teachers: One local authoritys
version of an ICT skills audit.
www.ngfl.ac.uk/ictaudit.htm

Advice on e-safety:
Bectas safeguarding advice on the use of digital
technology.
www.becta.org.uk/safeguarding.php
Advice and guidance from the Child Exploitation
and Online Protection (CEOP) website.

http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.
php?section=cu&catcode=ss_cu_ent_02
Becta curriculum: How teachers have embedded
technology into the curriculum for the benefit
of learning.
http://schools.becta.org.uk/index.
php?section=cu
Teachers TV, Hard to Teach using ICT: A series of
programmes showing how technology can help
with hard to teach topics in English, maths and
science.
www.teachers.tv/series/hard-to-teach

www.thinkuknow.co.uk
Resources for parents and carers, secondary
schools, primary schools and trainee teachers
from childnet.
www.childnet-int.org/kia/

14

Bectas award winners: See how award winning

teachers use ICT in learning and teaching.
http://awards.becta.org.uk/

Understanding current expectations

of learners use of ICT:

Developing a vision for

ICT in your school:

Bectas schools: Bectas advice for schools on

all matters relating to technology and its use
in learning and teaching.

Self-review framework: Bectas self-review

framework for assessing and improving your
schools use of ICT, the online tool is free to use
and is linked to thenational standards for ICT.

http://schools.becta.org.uk/

https://selfreview.becta.org.uk/
Primary curriculum review: Information on the
proposed primary curriculum.
www.dcsf.gov.uk/primarycurriculumreview
Secondary ICT: ICT section of the secondary
strategy website.
www.nationalstrategies.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/
secondary/ict

Next generation learning:A simple way for schools

to publicly show commitment and progress towards
best use of technology for teaching and learning.
www.nextgenerationlearning.org.uk
Bectas schools: Advice for schools on all matters
relating to technology and its use in schools.

Getting started with using ICT

for parental engagement:
Bectas advice on parental engagement:
Advice for schools on how technology can be
used to engage parents and learners about
their education.

http://schools.becta.org.uk/

DCSF, 21st century schools system:

The Governments vision for education in
the 21st century.
www.dcsf.gov.uk/21stcenturyschoolssystem/

www.becta.org.uk/engaging.php

15

Supported by

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Science Park
Coventry CV4 7JJ
Tel: 0800 877 8777
Fax: 024 7641 1418
E-mail: customerservices@becta.org.uk
www.becta.org.uk

Copyright Becta 2010

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