Page 58 - THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages

THE ONTARIO CURRICULUM, GRADES 9–12 | Classical Studies and International Languages
THE ROLE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY IN THE
CLASSICAL STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES PROGRAM
Information and communications technology (ICT) provides a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers’ instructional strategies and support student learning. ICT tools include multimedia resources, databases, websites, digital cameras, and word-processing programs. Tools such as these can help students to collect, organize, and sort the data they gather and to write, edit, and present reports on their findings.
ICT can also be used to connect students to other schools, at home and abroad, and to bring the global community into the local classroom.
The integration of ICT into courses in the classical studies and international languages program represents a natural extension of the learning expectations. Current technologies can give students exposure to pieces of material culture, historical artefacts, and landmarks and other places of significance that they would never be able to experience firsthand. Specialized computer software can allow students to practise, expand, and consolidate their knowledge of language concepts and linguistic elements, and access detailed infor- mation about socio-cultural, geographical, and historical contexts for the language of study. Software and websites that integrate word processing, dictionaries, thesauri, style manuals, and other reference materials can allow students to build on and improve their skills in the writing process. Graphic design, cartooning, and animation programs provide opportunities for differentiated instruction, while emphasizing the link between creative arts and the language of study. Through ICT, teachers and students may also be able to access authentic texts by people from a variety of cultures who speak the target language.
Whenever appropriate, students should be encouraged to use ICT to support and com- municate their learning. For example, students working individually or in groups can use computer technology and/or websites to gain access to museums, galleries, and archives in Canada and around the world. They can also use portable storage devices to store information, as well as CD-ROM and DVD technologies and digital cameras and projectors to organize and present the results of their research and creative endeavours to their classmates and others.
Although the Internet is a powerful learning tool, there are potential risks attached to its use. All students must be made aware of issues related to inaccurate information, Internet privacy, safety, and responsible use, as well as of the potential for abuse of this technology, particularly when it is used to promote hatred. A comprehensive resource for educators, entitled “Digital Citizenship”, is available at www.osapac.ca/dc.
ICT tools are also useful for teachers in their teaching practice, both for whole-class instruction and for the design of curriculum units that contain varied approaches to learning in order to meet diverse student needs. A number of educational software programs to support learning in the classical studies and international languages program are licensed through the ministry and are listed at www.osapac.ca/dlr.
THE ONTARIO SKILLS PASSPORT: MAKING LEARNING RELEVANT AND
BUILDING ESSENTIAL SKILLS AND WORK HABITS
The Ontario Skills Passport (OSP) is a free, bilingual, web-based resource that provides teachers and students with clear descriptions of the “Essential Skills” and work habits important in work, learning, and life. Teachers planning programs in classical studies and
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