Education Technology in Schools

Freedom of Information ... mechanised?

Booms and Swingers? ... Projecting the right image!

An interesting observation was made on a recent school visit. A school in Kent has installed a new i-whiteboard and projector combination. Due of the height of the ceiling and the need to ensure the board height can be adjusted to meet the needs of childrens' different reaches, the school chose a combination that has a boom connecting the board to a short-throw projector. Thus, when the height of the board is adjusted, the projector moves with it! So far so good.

It appears that this type of design is highly attractive to more athletic children as a piece of gym equipment! Children apparently jump or reach up and swing on the boom. The particular design in question allows the child to get a good hand grip around the boom and swing! I notice other designs have a wider flatter boom with a shorter throw projector that you cannot get a grip on to do this.

I was wondering whether this problem has been encountered at other schools and is thus an issue for others to consider, or whether it is isolated. I know that this type of board is becoming more popular, but am not sure if there are enough of them for the problem to be highlighted. If more are sold, will it become one?

Comments and observations please?
 

New Line Learning Academy + Samsung Q1 = 1:1?

Saw this interesting video produced by LANWAY in partnership with the New Line Learning Academies in Maidstone. The video is clearly a commercial for both the devices and the partner company, but this is exactly the sort of partnership that adds value to education, providing students with examples of authentic enterprise. Several innovations are mentioned in the video, including setting up as their own SAMSUNG service centre to support the Q1.

At around £550 per device with accessories, plus the three year warranties and build/support, insurance etc. (roughly 20%?) that comes to around £330K per year on student kit. The video doesn't say whether parents contribute or whether its funded directly by the Academy, but it shows that the aspiration of 1:1 computing can be achieved.

'Hats Off'!

So, ... I'm out of touch?

My recent post, 'struggling with technology' prompted an interesting comment from someone closer to the chalk-face than me, and I must admit it caused me to reflect. The essence of the comment is contained in the following excerpt.

"That's all very "rose tinted" but I live and work in the real world where staff refuse to pay for the internet at home "because they only need it for school" or treat the equipment they're given as a throw-away resources tipping coffee into them or smashing the screen because of carelessness and then expecting an immediate replacement. These aren't unusual exceptions, these are day-to-day occurances."

The preceding argument had been around whether teachers should expect to have their work-provided computers 'locked down', this seemed slightly away from the point, but of considerably more interest. The comment begs obvious questions:

• Is this a common experience in schools?
• Are staff this cavalier with technology?
• Do teachers refuse to have broadband because its only for work?
  

I constantly meet with teachers, and most seem to treat their equipment fairly and almost all have broadband at home (although there are tales of six year old laptops being dropped as the only way to get them replaced). Am I this out of touch?

I think the following related questions almost beg themselves:

• If a teacher pays for an Internet connected computer at home, can an employer expect them to use it for work related activities.
• If a teacher does not have an Internet connected computer at home, are they seen as less productive?
• If an Internet connected computer is an expectation for modern teaching, should it be provided by the employer or the employee.

Microsoft reveals how to avoid forced IE7 upgrade

Microsoft has released instructions for network administrators who want to avoid a forced upgrade to the latest version of Internet Explorer, version 7, due to occur on February 12. How considerate ... for those who know its coming!

Teachers as victims

Soaring numbers of teachers are calling helplines for advice on how to cope after being "cyberbullied" on the internet by their pupils...according to the Assoc. of School & College Leaders, who are urging their members to be cautious about content and ease of access to material they put on the internet.

Struggling with technology?

According to a Teacher Voice Omnibus Survey report published by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER), a third of teachers struggle to use the technology schools are equipped with and want more support and training.

Since the survey is a measure of the opinion of teachers, it isn't possible to disagree with the report findings, however, I have raised the issue before of the time (18 months to 2 years) it takes for a teacher to become competent at a new technology. Andrew Pinder the Chair of Becta commented recently about technophobe teachers.

What support and training do they want? My guess is that they don't really know, and my experience is that there is tons of ideas and support already available through Teachers TV and many other sources; teachers are just not pro-active in using them.

Reliability is imprtant and its about getting technical support right. Training is a sensitive issue, and perhaps we are trying to impose a model of training and CPD that just doesn't work where technology is concerned.

So, is training teachers in the use of technology value for money? Does it make a measurable difference to effective practice? I have compared below some 'school approaches' with 'home approaches'.

Typical School training approaches:

• Inset days - limited number each year, crowded agenda and mostly groups of teachers.
• Twilight sessions – end of day, staff tired, go home, have glass of wine, back to school, forgotten within a week. It is the experience of most network managers and Heads of ICT that when they offer ICT training, few bother to attend unless its compulsory.
  
• 3rd Part Training - Cover provided for release of staff to attend a course. Considered by teachers as the gold standard; teacher is out of the classroom to concentrate on the matter in hand. Often a box-ticking exercise in CPD than changing the way teachers teach, and needs to be followed up with opportunities to practice? If you run these courses you will know that teachers are often keen to get away early!
  

On the other hand, when we buy home technology …

• Resources: You have the kit because you chose it (and paid for it).
• Motivation: You want to demonstrate your proficiency and impress your family and friends. Its fun and interesting or does something useful.
• Time: You make sure you spend time playing with it, exploring features and testing its potential.
  

In learning at home the following information may be referred to:

• Read the instructions (females only!!?)
• Research features on the web.
• Ask a friend / family member who already has one.
• Sit with family and friends and work it out together.
• Try it out and learn by mistakes until its figured out.

Contrast the way that we learn technology at home and in our practice. What should we learn from this? Social networks are important!

I’ve been picking up innovative approaches from various sources. The most impressive is that of Ewan McIntosh.

I think ...

• Popular technology must be simple to use and intuitive.
• Where technology is not intuitive or is complex it ends up being rapidly 'binned' and/or used only by enthusiasts.
• Online / On demand services are more accessible than those where local server installation and configuration are required.
• Massive improvements in connectivity are shifting applications and services from local servers to the web. As Sun Microsystems would say, "... the computer is the network".
  

My Conclusions

• The motivation to learn and try new technology is a personal attribute - Many teachers don't have it!.
• Time to play with technology is more important than formal training.
• Formal training may be a waste of money.
• Learning technology MUST be a hands-on experience.
• Its often cheaper to give teachers free kit for personal use than pay for the training.
• Give every teacher a laptop. The cost per year should be no more than £170 per year or around 0.6% of their salary.
  
• The availability of knowledgable friends and on-demand resources has more value.
• If it isn't reliable, it will fail.
• If it isn't intuitive, it will fail.
• Teachers want to impress (but want quick wins) but don't want to spend hours learning something new so use intuitive applications.

http://education.guardian.co.uk/elearning/story/0,,2248219,00.html

Original NFER survey

www.nfer.ac.uk/what-we-offer/teacher-voice/ExampleReport.pdf

'Repurpose, Create and Share' - call for Bids

Are you using and sharing digital resources for learning and teaching? Becta and the National Education Network invite English schools to join a programme to:

• exploit online digital resources
• create new materials to support learning and teaching for secondary aged students using those online digital resources
  
• work with your RBC (and possibly your Local Authority and other schools) to produce these materials and then share them across the NEN.
  

Projects last from April to December 2008. Funding will be up to £25,000 per project. Bids are required by Friday 22 February 2008.

Go to the NEN website to find out more www.nen.gov.uk