ABSTRACT
It is my intention that this chapter will go some way towards answering the question, ‘What is control information technology and why does it merit a place in the primary classroom?’ Advocates of control IT claim that it not only gives children an understanding of how an ever-expanding area of workplace technology is applied but also offers a context for the development of skills and attitudes, particularly those of investigation and problem-solving, which have positive implications for other curriculum areas (for a more detailed exploration of the nature of problem-solving, refer to Chapter 2). This chapter hopes to support these assertions by addressing three main areas:
• the progression of the particular skills and concepts that characterise control IT;
• how this progression maps on to a broader, constructivist view of cognitive development;
• how conceptual and procedural understanding transfers to other curriculum areas.
