using these materials in the classroom
Using ICT in RE can have the following advantages in planning and presenting work:
- good materials and activities will encourage pupils and students because ICT is an attractive medium to work in;
- it provides a range of resources which are freely available;
- it offers an additional range to the traditional book and paper based materials - all can be used together. Not only text and illustrations can be used, sound and video material can also be drawn on;
- the status of RE in the curriculum can be raised by demonstrating that it can make a valid contribution to ICT work;
- it provides the opportunity for relevant and useful work to be done at home where there is a computer, or for work to be brought to school and shared with those who do not have that resource at home.
RE work in schools is based on a Locally Agreed Syllabus based on the QCA (formerly SCAA) Model Syllabuses. The ICT requirements, set out by Key Stage, can be found at The National Curriculum web site.
These and other valuable resources can be found at 'REonline'.
When planning work it is useful to be aware of the expectations for both RE and IT and allow these to help shape activities. Here are just two examples based on this unit of work on 'Pentecost'.
1) In the section 'a new understanding of God' : The RE component might be to address Syllabus Model 2, Christianity at KS2 - the nature and activity of God - and to focus on 'Trinity'.
The IT activity suggested deals with 'using IT to explore and to further understanding of information retrieved'.
2) In the section 'a new understanding of being a follower of Jesus' : The RE component might be related to Syllabus Model 1, Christianity at KS3 - Jesus' teaching related to the contemporary world.
The IT work relates to 'collecting and amending qualitative information for a particular purpose'.
