Erdem Bayazıt Anatolian High School
Digitalisation strategy developed by Erdem Bayazıt Anatolian High School
What was the previous state of the school?
The strategy has been caused by several needs of our institution. Firstly, We need to contribute to the improvement and dissemination of National Digitilization Movement, FATİH, and to get benefit from its all bringing in our school. All of the objectives in the following of the strategy will serve this national project;
* to share and improve our knowledge in the use of ICT in classes ,
* to update teachers’ and administratives’ competences in the field of digitization in the educational environment through a strategic and complete approach, not limited to the introduction of singular tools and educational methodologies
* to develop a lifelong learning community
* to raise awareness among teachers and administratives on the necessity of defining and implementing digitization strategies
Briefly, we want to specialise the national digitilization act in acccordance with our stakeholders’ needs and future plans.
What kind of actions did this strategy need?
What was the fundamental direction of development?
Our vision is to enhance the effective use of information technology tools in accordance with FATİH Project that is the National Digitilization Movement in order to raise students’ academic success constantly.
We want to be able to integrate the Digital Media (DM) tools that are often used in private lives into educational lives ensuring all the stakeholders use these tools more effectively in teaching and learning processes.
The two most important stakeholders of the strategy are the students and the teachers. We will ensure the effective use of digital media by expanding and updating the competencies of the teachers. We will also improve students’ success by overcoming the bias against DM and increase their active involvement.
We plan to cooperate with other schools near to us to promote the use of ICT and to get benefit of the resources which the Ministry of Education provides.
For our school, digitization is supported nationally by the government. The ministry established all the infrastructure in every schools in Turkey such as smart boards with internet connection in every classroom and it also provided EBA national free e- learning system. We already have ICT class, ICT coordinator, two hours of ICT lessons per week. Finally, there are teachers who apply digital tools in lessons effectively.
Who were the stakeholders?
The main stakeholders of the strategy are the students and the teachers. The strategy foresees some actions which will directly improve the success at school by increasing the use of DM .The teachers will have better skills of ICT and they will have the opportunity to apply new approaches in education. By the help of these new, modern teaching techniques, students’ involvement will be increased. As the parents recognise the beneficiary use of digital tools, they will encourage their children to learn from the digital world. There are teachers with ICT competencies in different levels. While some of them are confident with DM, some of them have nearly no competencies. We think it is the best way to start teacher trainings with the teachers who are willing to learn because they can affect the others. And then, the traditional teachers will see how it is easy to work on DM and they will try to learn. As a school implementing a digitalization strategy, Erdem Bayazıt Anatolian High School will take a lead role of transforming into digital school.
What were the core competences identified?
The state analysis report, done at the very beginning of the strategy development process, showed us in Turkey students and teachers generally use digital media (DM) in their private lives more than their professional studies. One of the important results of the survey is that tools like tablets other devices, social media, communities/forums or video / messaging services are not used at the school effectively. While the students use DM mostly for their homework, teachers use it for the preparation of teaching activities.
In Turkey teachers have tendency to use DM in the subjects including Math, Science and English. Students and teachers generally use presentation and video tools effectively but still there are some problems caused by the regulations made by the Ministry of Education. First of all, connection between the students’ tablets and the smart board cannot be established due to the technical problems. Then, filtration of internet security in classes prevents us from accessing to some websites. The teachers have to download videos or other kinds of teaching materials with their own PCs and then copy them on the smart boards in classes. One of the aims of the FATİH project is the increase at the use of Web2 tools but still, some teachers do not know about them. We need to learn and teach about these tools, this will bring the active involvement of the pupils. To establish an e-learning system which the teachers can share the course materials, establish classes, give assignments and check students’ works by the help of EBA National e-learning system will provide a digital learning and teaching environment.
For teachers, to transfer data into the smart board easier and faster, they will be taught to use cloud systems such as google drive, one drive, etc. in order to prevent virus problems. This also prevents malfunction problems in USB drives in smart boards.
Which organisations did they want to cooperate with, and how?
Our strategy plan focuses on two main themes one is ensuring the effective use of ICT in education via mostly teacher trainings, the second is enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of technology in eduction by providing needed equipment and technical support. For the first one, we will cooperate with ICT teachers in our own school and the others nearby. For the second one, we will cooperate with some digital companies and we will employ a technician for immediate solutions to the problems occuring at computers or smart boards.
For the bigger problems with the smart boards or students’ tablets, We will get support from the company which produced them in terms of guarantee. If we need financial support for any other development, we will demand from the parent teacher assossiciation.
How did the strategy impact on…
… the students?
The strategic plan includes constant improvement of teachers’ competencies and increase in the use of DM in educational process so by doing this we will affect the students’ success positively. The parents will also be affected positively when they see the contribution of the DM to their children.
… the teachers?
The strategic plan includes constant improvement of teachers’ competencies and increase in the use of DM in educational process so by doing this we will affect the students’ success positively. The parents will also be affected positively when they see the contribution of the DM to their children.
… the parents?
The strategic plan includes constant improvement of teachers’ competencies and increase in the use of DM in educational process so by doing this we will affect the students’ success positively. The parents will also be affected positively when they see the contribution of the DM to their children.
Overall, the strategy was…
We plan to ensure the effective use of ICT in education and to enhance the effectiveness and sustainability of technology in eduction. Our aim is to increase the accurate use of DM at school for success and self- confidence of the pupils.
Other comments
As a school implementing the plan, we may have some discontinuation problems. To handle with this, it is good way to define the goals that can be reached and to try to cooperate with all stakeholders.
