That seems such an odd thing to say these days, but back in the year 2001 Google was still very much the new-ish kid on the block. Unlike other search engines at the time, Google presented results based on the popularity of websites.

In my newsletter of January 2001, I mentioned the then new Google toolbar, the retirement of the wonderful Gabriel Goldstein, and the forthcoming Bett Show. With regards to the Google toolbar, perhaps this was rather prescient:

The original newsletter was in plain text format, and was called Computers in Classrooms. That, too, sounds terribly quaint now, but back then having even one computer in a classroom was regarded as cutting edge.

I haven’t changed any of the content or formatting of the newsletter. Not all of the links will work now. In fact, most of them don’t. The only ones that do are Google, Virtual Teacher and Bett.

On the subject of Bett, most of the advice still applies, although I expanded it quite a bit subsequently. For several years I published a pdf called Getting the best out of Bett, and eventually I expanded and generalised the suggestions into an ebook on getting the most out of education conferences.

The suggestions relatating to business cards are a bit passé, especially as exhibitors in 2022 are being encouraged to provide QR codes on their stands, as per the advice in the guidelines for exhibitors:

As well as dud links, the books of mine mentioned are now out of print <sniff>. They had a good run at the time though, so I’m not complaining!

Incidentally, the newsletter is still thriving today, but under the name Digital Education. Click on that link to subscribe.

And now, grab a cup of tea, and enjoy this blast from the past!

Computers in Classrooms

===============================================================

ISSN 1470-5524

Edited by Terry Freedman

Home Page: http://www.ictineducation.org/compic.htm

Email: compic@ictineducation.org

Volume 1 Issue 7 *** 09 January 2001

===============================================================

This issue is sponsored by 2Simple Software: Software designed for Early

Years and Key Stage 1

Visit our website, and come and see us at Stand SW67 at the BETT Show in

January

www.2simplesoftware.com

nigel@2simplesoftware.com

===============================================================

In this issue:

---------------------------------------------------------------

* A note from the Editor

* News

* Gabriel Goldstein

* 2Simple Software

* Resources

* Free ebook: Using ICT -- nearly 200 hints and tips. The ICT in Education

* Website update * Other useful websites *

* Features

* Getting the most from the BETT show

* How to evaluate hardware

* How to evaluate software

* How to evaluate books etc

* Newsletter

* Surveys

* About the editor

* About the proofreader

* Subscription details

* Disclaimer

===============================================================

A note from the Editor

---------------------------------------------------------------

One of the problems of trying to produce a quality monthly newsletter is

that other things intervene: mainly work. That's the primary reason that

the December issue didn't materialise in the end. Plus, of course, the

fact that I was working on the ebook Using ICT. I hope that those of you

who have downloaded it have found it useful, and consider it to be worth

foregoing the usual newsletter. If you haven't already downloaded it, find

out more in the Resources section below.

This edition is a special BETT edition. For the benefit of non-UK

residents, BETT is the main annual exhibition dedicated to ICT. As well as

hundreds of exhibitors and products (and thousands of people!), it also

features seminars by well-known speakers and experts in their fields. It

is at BETT where the Government often announces new initiatives.

However, this edition should still prove useful even if you don't live in

the UK, because many of the suggestions can be applied to ANY exhibition.

Also, even you don't go to such exhibitions, the guidelines on evaluating

resources will, I hope, prove useful.

Normal service, including the Tips section, should be resumed by next

month.

===============================================================

News section

---------------------------------------------------------------

Gabriel Goldstein

Sadly, Gabriel Goldstein, the HMI with responsibility for ICT, retires

during BETT. Gabriel has done a tremendous amount of work over the years

to promote ICT as a subject. As a recent interview in TES Online

indicated, as did a talk he gave at last July's ICT Conference, he

believes that what is important is not so much cutting edge technology or

state-of-the-art software, but what you actually do with it. The research

and reports he has undertaken into the state of ICT teaching and learning

in the UK have been extremely useful in showing us what the true situation

is and, of course, what still needs to be done.

We wish Gabriel congratulations and much happiness on his retirement, and

congratulations and good luck to Ken Dyson, who takes over from him.

2Simple Software

This is literally hot off the press. Yesterday I received an updated

version of this software with a note to say that it has been improved

since I wrote my review of it in the last issue of this newsletter. I have

not had time to look at it since receiving it, but I mention this because

if you are interested in software for the very young, and are going to the

BETT show, it would be a good idea to go along to the 2Simple stand (SW67)

and look at the software for yourself. Alternatively, request an

evaluation copy (contact details are at the top of this newsletter).

===============================================================

Resources

---------------------------------------------------------------

Free ebook: Using ICT

This book, which is in pdf format, contains nearly 200 tips on using

computers in the curriculum. It's full of practical advice, in the form of

bullet points. As well as material taken from the ICT in Education

website, there are extra chapters, including "The teacher as Role Model"

and sections on assessing students' work in ICT.

It's available exclusively (apart from review copies) to subscribers of

Computers in Classrooms until the end of January. For details on how to

obtain your copy, send any email to ebook1@ictineducation.org

---------------------------------------------------------------

The ICT in Education website update

Over the holiday period I put a snowflake effect on the home page, with

the "snowflakes" being computers with Father Christmas hats. I removed the

effect a couple of days ago. Over the next week or so I hope to add more

links to the Resources section of the website, to include GlobalNet (see

below), the new BETT show website (see below) and possibly one or two

others.

If you haven't visited the website before, have a look when you can. It

contains quite a few pages of hints and tips relating to various aspects

of managing ICT and using computers to reduce the admin burden on

teachers, plus a number of articles and free resources.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Other useful websites

The Homework Website

http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/homework/

This is another website from the ever-busy DfEE. This one focuses on

homework, with links to homework guidance published in 1998, plus case

studies of good practice, taken from primary, secondary and special

education. There is a list of key points relating to developing a homework

strategy, all of which is fairly sound advice. The general message is that

homework should be an integral part of a school's planning, not a bolt-on

activity, and that homework SHOULD be set, for a variety of reasons. This

philosophy can obviously be applied to individual subject areas even if

the school you work in is not quite so enlightened. For example, in

"Managing ICT" I wrote:

"Homework can and should be set for pupils, even for younger ones.",

followed by a list of reasons. Then:

"Homework should be planned as part of the lesson or Unit.", followed by

further guidance on giving it out and marking it.

Getting back to the Homework website, it's very easy to use and well-laid

out, and the points it makes are well-worth reading -- especially if you

are in the process of devising a homework policy for ICT or for the school

as a whole.

The BETT Show

http://www.bettshow.com/

This is a much more useful website than last year's one. Not only is it

easier to use and with a faster downloading time, it now has a search

facility. Using this, I was able within seconds to generate a list of

publishers to visit at the show.

The list I generated included not only the companies' locations at the

show, but also links to their websites. I found this much easier to use

than a paper catalogue, although obviously you have to take into

consideration the costs of being on-line. One thing it does provide you

with, of course, is a list of all the exhibitors in a form which you can

fairly easily transfer to your computer for future reference.

GlobalNet

http://www.globalnetdata.net/Main/Teachers__links/teachers__links.html

GlobalNet have been involved in the creation of websites for a number of

educational organisations. This links page provides a handy (and, I

believe, growing) list of links to various organisational and other

websites, such as the General Teacher Council and others. Well worth a

visit.

The Google Toolbar

Google (http://www.google.com)

As you probably know, Google is a search engine. Now you can have Google

at your fingertips whenever you are on the internet. If you go to the

Google website, you will have the opportunity to download, and

automatically install, a toolbar that will reside on your browser. This

toolbar gives you access to the search engine, with other useful features

such as the facility for searching just the website you are visiting

rather than the wider web. Also, the highlight feature, whereby the terms

you searched on are highlighted in the search results, is quite useful.

I have been using the toolbar for a few weeks now and have found it

extremely handy. But read the information that is provided before you

install the toolbar, as it mentions certain privacy issues.

===============================================================

If you like this newsletter, tell someone about it!

===============================================================

Features

---------------------------------------------------------------

Getting the most from the BETT show

You can always tell who has been to the BETT show (or any other

educational exhibition) from their stooped shoulders and/or aching backs

from carrying all those bags of literature and freebies around for a whole

day, together with a glazed look from having looked at everything and

seen nothing. There are many guidelines at the moment on what to look for

in the BETT show, but as far as I know there is nothing available on HOW

to look. The articles in this section attempt to redress the balance.

One of the problems with visiting the BETT show and events like it is

that, because they occur just once a year, people who attend feel

duty-bound to look at everything they can. This is akin to going to the

Tate Gallery with the intention of looking at every painting. It is (just

about) possible, but the experience is horrible: it's exhausting, and

almost totally unsatisfying.

A much better approach is to regard the BETT show visit as a

reconnaissance exercise. You go to scout for possible new avenues and

leads to explore AFTER the show. (Before anyone protests that as a teacher

they do not have the time to do such follow-up afterwards, I have to say

that it IS possible, as long as you plan and prioritise well and don't

expect to have completed all of your phone calls or emails in just a week

or so.) In order to get the most benefit from a visit based on this

principle, planning is of the essence. Here is an 8 point guide to

planning your visit.

* Make a (short) list of the sort of things you're interested in, such as

networking products or books on particular areas.

* Make a list of people you wish to meet up with. BETT is a great

opportunity to maintain contact with people like suppliers and their reps.

* Look through the list of exhibitors using a printed catalogue or the

BETT show website in order to find out who can provide the information

you're looking for, and where they are located, and where the people on

your contact list are likely to be.

* Look through the list of exhibitors using a printed catalogue or the

BETT show website in order to see if there are any other stands you should

visit AFTER you have visited the main ones on your list.

* Plan TWO routes: one for your main list and one for the subsidiary list.

It's important to make sure that you get round the main ones on your list

while you are still fresh. So even though having two routes may seem like

twice the effort, it can often be a much better use of your time and

energy. Each route should involve as little back-tracking as possible:

endless walking backwards and forwards can be very tiring in itself.

* Get business cards printed before the show. Business cards fulfill two

functions. First, they mark you out as someone whom companies should take

seriously. Certainly in the UK at least, it is still so unusual for

teachers to carry business cards that if you do people assume you must be

important! Secondly, rather than lug around loads of literature, you can

simply give your business card to exhibitors and ask them to forward it on

to you after the show. (If they don't bother, that's OK: would you want to

do business with a company that apparently isn't interested in doing

business with you?) Not only will you lighten your load considerably, but

you will also have more room in your bags for the really important things:

mugs, pens, bookmarks and, if you're lucky, t-shirts.

If you want to do your own business cards, you can buy packs of business

cards at computer suppliers. These come on sheets of A4 and are

perforated. They may not always look the highest quality, but they do the

job. If the pack does not come with software, either use a program like

Word or a desktop publishing program, or download a shareware program from

the internet, using a search engine like Google (http://www.google.com) to

find one.

Alternatively, you can have business cards printed, sometimes by the

following day, at some photocopy shops or large stationery suppliers. You

have to choose from a number of pre-set designs, but on the other hand the

cards are of a higher quality (and look it) than you could probably obtain

yourself.

* Have a good breakfast. If you come over really hungry during the show it

can be an expensive business.

* After the show, write or email the companies that you were not able to

visit. You will need to allow at least a week for them to reply. The

Monday after the show is usually spent catching up on emails and other

correspondence. Then all the follow-ups are done: sending out literature

to all those people who left their contact details with them at the show.

---------------------------------------------------------------

Evaluating Resources

The remaining articles in this section have been summarised from "Managing

ICT" (in which many of the points are explained in more detail). There are

several periodicals whose current edition has a very useful supplement

about the BETT show, including thumbnail sketches of new products. I

didn't see the point of producing yet another one. Instead, these

articles, which are really simply checklists, are intended to help you

evaluate what's on offer.

In each case, you may like to ask the questions, perhaps on a form devised

for the purpose. Ask colleagues and, where appropriate, pupils to do the

same.

---------------------------------------------------------------

How to evaluate software

* What is the name of the program?

* What category does it fall into, eg Word Processing, Games?

* Which computer systems will it work on?

* How much is it?

* Where appropriate, how much is a site licence?

* Will users be able to understand the printed documentation?

* Is the on-line help good? Will pupils be able to understand it?

* Do the graphics enhance or detract from the program?

* What is the colour scheme like?

* Is the layout easy to follow?

* What print options are available?

* How suitable is it for the classes you want it for?

* Does it allow access by people with Special Educational Needs?

* Does it meet the National Curriculum requirements?

* Where appropriate, is it suitable for an examination?

* Is it suitable for the scheme of work being followed?

* How easy is it to use?

* Will it attract pupils' interest in the short-term?

* Does it make good use of the computer?

* Will it be able to maintain pupils' interest in the long-term?

* Is it good value for money?

* Will it enhance your existing software resources?

Note that most of these questions apply even to free software, because of

the opportunity costs involved.

---------------------------------------------------------------

How to evaluate hardware

There are many different kinds of hardware, and so you will need different

criteria for each type.

* Is it easy to set up?

* Is it easy for non-experts to use?

* Is it robust?

* Is it easy to maintain?

* Is it costly to maintain?

* Is it recommended in (educational) magazine reviews?

* Is it compatible with existing systems?

* How new is the technology it uses? (Newer may not mean better.)

* Is it good value for money?

* What technical support is provided?

---------------------------------------------------------------

How to evaluate books and other paper resources

ICT is not just about using computers, and it is useful to have teaching

resources such as books from which you can set work. Unfortunately, ICT is

still very much in its infancy in this context, compared with other

subjects such as Maths, Science and English. Nevertheless, there ARE books

out there, and there seem to be more and more titles coming out all the

time.

Obtain inspection copies where possible, and ask other ICT teachers what

they think of the books or resources you are interested in purchasing. (In

the interests of not making life difficult or more expensive for others in

the long run, please buy or return inspection copies, and only ask for

them in the first place if you are both genuinely interested and have an

influence on purchasing.)

* Will users be able to understand it?

* What is the layout like? Is it confusing?

* Is it accurate?

* Does it meet the National Curriculum requirements?

* Where appropriate, is it suitable for the examination?

* Is it suitable for the scheme of work being followed?

* How easy is it to use for finding information?

* Is it interesting?

* Is it challenging?

* Does it have non-computer based exercises?

* Are the tasks realistic for the people in your class?

* Is it good value for money? (It may be cheaper in the long run to buy

sets of photocopiable resources than sets of textbooks.)

===============================================================

Surveys

---------------------------------------------------------------

There are three main surveys running on my web site at the moment, these

being the ICT Co-ordinators' wish list, one on why teachers do or do not

use computers in their lessons, the response form to this month's Scenario

and your horror story about a management aspect of ICT. Details of all of

these can be found on my web site at

http://www.ictineducation.org/surveys.htm

===============================================================

About the editor

---------------------------------------------------------------

I work in ICT in education. You can find out more by going to

http://www.ictineducation.org/tfcv.htm, or by sending any email to

tfresume@fastfacts.net.

My most recent book is Managing ICT. My previous book was Make Time With

IT.

Managing ICT looks at all aspects of managing ICT in schools and colleges,

and provides checklists to help the busy ICT Co-ordinator. A review by

Cathy Brown in The Virtual Teacher Newsletter

(http://www.virtualteacher.com.au) said:

"This book puts ICT into perspective, and demonstrates excellent

organisational techniques and strategies which can be developed over time

to suit individual schools. It offers pro forma documents for classroom

management and organisation, as well as practical and useful solutions to

ICT development and planning. Despite its UK bias, this book offers a

great deal to the ICT co-ordinator at any school."

Managing ICT, Terry Freedman, £9.99, Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN

0-340-75334-X.

Make Time With IT considers numerous ways in which teachers and

school/college administrators at all levels can use computers to reduce

their workload. The tips contained in the book are summarised on my

website. The review in InteracTive said:

"...it tackles the complexities of computing across a wide range of

technicalities and procedures and does all this with a lightness of

approach and welcome snippets of humour..."

Make Time With IT, Terry Freedman, £19.95, Questions Publishing, ISBN

1-898149-54-2

Both of these books are available from Amazon via

http://www.ictineducation.org/buybooks.htm

===============================================================

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Disclaimer:

---------------------------------------------------------------

Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this newsletter, T

Freedman cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information

within it or for any consequences arising from it.

(c) 2000 T Freedman email: compic@ictineducation.org

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