Education Technology in Schools

ICT Suites ... dead or alive?

“Schools have successfully created a demand from teachers to be able to use ICT to improve learning in other subjects but are rarely able to meet it. Most primary and secondary schools have chosen to centralise the bulk of their ICT resources in networked computer room…but the result is that resources are often extremely limited elsewhere for work in other subjects. It is still common to see students taking work from other subjects to the computer room where they are using ICT, in effect, only to present their ideas well. When ICT is unavailable to students in their classrooms when they are studying other subjects, it is unable to contribute to improving learning."

Quote from The Importance of ICT (OFSTED 2009)

Thought provoking critique of the ICT suite HERE.

Re: Don't let your mind die

This creased me up and I can't resist a comment!

I hope the article is meant to be tongue-in-cheek as I have this horrible vision of elderly drivers swerving across motorway lanes as they do brain training on long journeys. I also love the thought that designing buildings that are difficult to get around provides challenges that delay death; ah, but would one get through the school design DQI's or CABE Review ... Who'd a thought it!

OFCOM report - young people's web access has doubled

An interesting read is the recent OFCOM UK Children's Media Literacy report.

Here are a couple of the key findings:

• 16% of 11 year olds and 35% of 12 -15 year olds go online in their rooms.
• A fifth of 12 - 15 year oldsdon't know how search engine results are ordered.
• One third of 12-15 year oldsthink search engine results are in order of truthfullness.
• Most children don't have filtering or controls in place.

The report is a good starting point for schools engaging with families on e-safety. It's interesting that the forthcoming Home Access scheme provides default filtering as standard, but allows parents to alter the settings ... On the basis that in many cases children probably know more about computers and the Internet than their parents, it won't be long before the settings are changed. Interestingly with LA funded computers distributed through Home Access for Targetted Groups funding, filtering remains the responsibility of the LA.

It is a sobering thought that a major study into tthe influences on young peoples sex lives reveals more than 83%of 13-25 year olds have viewed pornography! A further report, Life Support: 'Young People's Needs in a Digital Age' confirms young peoples reliance on the Internet, with a reported 45% happiest when they are online and a thirdthat feel it is better to find information online than talk to a real person

The divergence between the restricted school ICT experience (e.g. no social networking etc.) is becoming more stark, as schools continue to filter and block sites that are available to children out of school.