Research, teacher training, teachers' email addresses -- in the year 2000
The archives, by Terry Freedman
This newsletter from the year 2000 is quite interesting I think. It includes information about research showing a positive link between the amount of new technology in a school and pupils’ achievements, copyright considerations for teachers, plus various tips.
I had a pop at the then Teacher Training Agency:
“It seems to me that the folks at the Teacher Training Agency have not so much *lost* the plot as are still looking for it.”
Several teachers shared what their idea of what characteristics someone needed to be a good ordinator of ICT across a school. I especially liked the contribution from RD:
“Having the patience of a saint, eyes like an eagle, Superman's energy, a photographic memory, dexterity of a locksmith, tact of Ghandi and above all - smile:)."
The newsletter also contained guest articles and book reviews.
I’ve anonymised teachers’ contributions, but kept the names of the people who contributed articles. Most of the links don’t work now, but amazingly, http://www.startspot.com/ still does. It’s a great directory of links, such as to book reviews, and although you’d never know it from the way it looks (circa 1995 I should think), all of the links I tried are up-to-date.
I’ve touched up the formatting a bit, but it’s not wonderful: the original newsletter was text-only I’m afraid, and the only formatting available in the email provider I was using for it comprised asterisks, spaces and dotted lines. It’s a lot more colourful now, and has a different name: Digital Education. IF you enjoy reading this blast from the past, why not subscribe? It’s free.
Anyway, here is Computers in Classrooms #6, from the year 2000. Hope you like it.
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 6 *** 19 November 2000
===============================================================
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
===============================================================
Sponsorship sought...
... for two important projects. Email sponsorship@ictineducation.org for
details.
===============================================================
In this issue:
---------------------------------------------------------------
* A note from the Editor
* News
National and international news * Competition results
* Resources
The ICT in Education website update * Other useful websites * Book review
* Software review
* Tips
Email Tip * Internet Tip * Classroom Tip * Admin Tip * Word Tip * Excel
Tip
* Over to you
Why do it?
* Subscribers' matters
* Features
Terry Freedman on PowerPoint * Chris Wood on Digital cameras * Vivi Lachs
on Multimedia in the classroom
* Moot Point
The Qualified Teacher Status tests in ICT
* Newsletter
Next issue's Features
* Surveys
* About the editor
* About the proofreader
* Subscription details
* Links summary
* Disclaimer
===============================================================
A note from the Editor
---------------------------------------------------------------
Welcome to the "new look" newsletter. I've cut out the Scenario section,
and added to the Tips section, in order to re-focus the newsletter towards
classroom practice, and away from what some people regard as management
issues. I have also reorganised the sections and replaced some of the
regular items with web references. If you have any comments about these
changes, email me at compic@ictineducation.org.
Apologies for the late arrival of this issue, but hopefully you will think
it was worth the wait.
===============================================================
News section
---------------------------------------------------------------
Organising pupils in primary schools
It has long been the conventional wisdom that pupils learn better when
seated in groups than when seated in rows. However, a recent study
challenges this view. "Space for Learning in Primary Classrooms: Bridging
the Gaps" states that there is "a body of classroom-based studies which
consistently shows that the normal primary classroom practice of sitting
children in groups to undertake individual tasks makes work difficult for
most of them and especially difficult for the most distractable."
Are these findings relevant to the teaching of ICT?
You can read the report, by Nigel Hastings and Karen Chantrey Wood, of
Nottingham Trent University, at
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00001532.htm
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Teachers' email addresses and other online stats
According to the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), the
percentage of secondary school teachers with their own email addresses has
risen from 9% to over 50% since 1998 -- a rise of 91,000 teachers. Here
are some more stats along similar lines:
The number of primary school teachers with their own email addresses has
increased from 2 per cent (3, 600) in 1998 to 15 per cent (32,800) in 1999
to 32 per cent (80,600) in 2000.
The equivalent figures for secondary school teachers are 9 per cent
(18,200) in 1998, 32 per cent (65,800) in 1999 and 52 per cent (109,200)
in 2000.
The Government is aiming for 75% of teachers to have their own email
address.
In 1998 an estimated 6,500 schools were connected to the internet in
England. This figure is now over 20,200 out of 22,910 schools in England,
or 88%, are now online.
(Thanks to Stuart Edwards, DfEE, for emailing me the press release from
which this information was taken.)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Subscriber RF has very kindly prepared and sent me the following
extract from the DfEE's information about funding in 2001-2002. It
concerns some new targets:
* All primary schools to reach pupil:computer ratio of 11:1 by August 2002
(currently 12.6:1).
* Ditto Secondary Schools 7:1 (currently 7.9:1).
* 20% of all schools to be connected to broadband Internet by August 2002.
* At least one "Network computer connected to the Internet for
administration and management in every school".
* 77% of NGFL is for ICT & Infrastructure, 17% for broadband projects and
6% for "encouraging innovation" - for those schools who've already reached
the computer:pupil ratio.
* The circular says that LEAs must tell schools of their funds allocation
by the end of February.
The DfEE document is at http://www.dfee.gov.uk/standardsfund
I have not had the time to study the document with the scrutiny I should
have preferred, but I wonder if schools can "reach" the target by
connecting inappropriate hardware? Inappropriate? Well, it seems to me
that there are some excellent potential uses for an old 486, but that
plugging it in to the internet is not necessarily one of them. It can be
used for admin in the staffroom, or to put extra computers for word
processing and other basics in classrooms. But attempting to use old kit
for high speed internet connection probably doesn't achieve very much of
practical use. Now, I should like to point out that that is only my
opinion. If I am wrong, for technical reasons, or because you happen to
know of a fantastic product that transforms old 486s easily and cheaply,
please let me know by emailing me at compic@ictineducation.org with the
subject line 486.
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Here is an interesting item from a conference called Fusion 2000. Betsy
Brand, Co-Director of the American Youth Policy Forum reported research
which indicated that 84% of young people aged 18-24 are more likely to use
the internet than a library for 'finding out', and around 15% of US
teachers are judged to have at least a little competence in ICT use. If
similar trends obtain in the UK, then the increases in internet and email
access reported above would seem to be extremely timely.
(Taken from the letter of the National Association of Advisers in Computer
Education.)
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ICT and educational achievement
A new report from BECTa shows that there is a positive relationship
between the amount of new technology a primary school has and pupils'
achievements in key areas of the curriculum.
For example, 54 per cent of schools with good technology rated above
national standards at ages 7-11 in English. For Maths and Science the
figure was 58% and 57% respectively.
Bear this in mind the next time your Headteacher tells you that money
cannot be spent on ICT because it's all going into English, Maths or
Science.
You can look at the report itself online at
http://www.becta.org.uk/news/reports/summary.html
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Teachers' Online Week
Taking place during the week of 20 - 24 November 2000, this event seeks to
help you find the answers to questions like "How can I manage my ICT
resources, time and costs effectively?" and "How can I use the internet in
the classroom?"
Each day there will be a theme, as follows:
Monday: Raising standards with ICT
Tuesday: Connecting teachers and schools
Wednesday: Leadership
Thursday: European and International links
Friday: Community links and citizenship
This site, and its numerous offshoots, seems quite good. These offshoots
include a contributory database and a free school website building kit.
The contributory database looks promising, but you will need to be careful
when you contribute something. Why? Because BECTa retains the copyright of
everything that is contributed (see below). The online web-building kit
seems very good indeed.
Look in the Resources section of this newsletter, under the heading "Other
useful websites", for the web addresses (URLs) of these sites.
Incidentally, Teachers Online Week is in association with Netdays Europe
2000. It would be interesting to hear of your experiences and opinions of
these kinds of events, especially from people living outside the United
Kingdom. Write to compic@ictineducation.org with the subject header Online
Events.
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The contributory database and copyright
This is the relevant section of the "small print":
"Copyright
Copyright in all material within the Contributory Database belongs to
BECTa. Materials may be reused free of royalties or other charges for
educational, non-commercial purposes within the United Kingdom. Any other
use will be at the discretion of BECTa and will require written
confirmation from BECTa that such use is acceptable."
I have written to BECTa humbly suggesting a rethink of this approach. In
the meantime, if you wish to contribute, I would suggest doing the
following:
* Make sure that the copyright owner, eg the school or the LEA, is happy
to assign copyright to BECTa. Get this in writing, in case there is a
change of Headteacher.
* Ensure that you include school details and website details.
* Tailor it so that the version you provide for the database is not the
same as one you might consider trying to have published elsewhere.
* Make sure that you and your employer are aware of the legal small print,
which includes an agreement to cover any legal costs that could arise.
(This is a standard clause in publishing contracts, by the way. My point
here is that you must ensure that your employer is aware of what they're
agreeing to when they allow resources to be submitted to the database.)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Competition results
Last month I ran a competition to find out what people think it means to
be an effective co-ordinator of ICT. Easy-peasy you might think -- except
that in order to qualify entrants had to express it in 25 words or less.
The prize? A signed copy of "Managing ICT".
The answers were diverse, but not as much as you might think, especially
in view of the fact that they came in from the US and Australia as well as
the UK. Most mentioned the need to be responsive to teachers' and pupils'
needs, and many emphasised the need to help teachers help themselves.
Several answers focused on the technology, and how far it is embedded into
the fabric of the school. A variation of this theme (but along similar
lines) was the view of appropriate use of ICT. Interestingly, relatively
few entrants expressed the feeling that the ICT Co-ordinator needs to be a
technical expert. In fact, rather more suggested that the key to success
was the ability to listen to people's needs and respond accordingly.
Of course, the very best answers, and therefore the winners, managed to
encapsulate the whole range of attributes needed to be an effective ICT
Co-ordinator.
JS, who is a professor of computer science in a community college
in the USA, defined the effective ICT Co-ordinator as "being
"whole-brained" enough to act as psychologist, hardware specialist,
software specialist, educator, diplomat, help desk operator, technology
forecaster, salesperson, writer, presenter, and policy maker.". That
pretty much covers everything!
Cathy Brown, an Australian ICT Co-ordinator who runs a newsletter from
www.virtualteacher.com.au, came up with:
"1. Providing an enjoyable computing environment that is non-threatening.
2. Responding to student and teacher needs.
3. Keeping computers running optimally.
4. Empowering teachers.
5. Make it fun."
AM, an ICT Co-ordinator in the UK, neatly summed up
effectiveness as "Successfully communicating with colleagues to ensure
optimum utilisation of all ICT capability, thus assuring progression in
children's learning, knowledge and skills."
In contrast, RD, a Technology Instructor in the USA, prefers to
think of the role in more homely terms: "having the patience of a saint,
eyes like an eagle, Superman's energy, a photographic memory, dexterity of
a locksmith, tact of Ghandi and above all - smile:)."
Perhaps, though, the final word should go to DC, lecturer in
Primary Education in ICT in the UK: "Through modelling good practice, to
be able to inspire confidence and increase competence in children and
teacher colleagues with effective ICT skills, knowledge and understanding."
===============================================================
Resources
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The ICT in Education website update
The ICT in Education website was presented with the November MirandaRose
award, from Mirandanet. The email message I received read:
"MirandaNet is delighted to present you with its November
Educational-site-of-the-Month MirandaRose Award for a truly useful
teachers' resource - and one that is constantly updated. I don't think
we've presented one to a Fellow before."
MirandaNet is a unique not-for-profit community of trainer-educators
working at the cutting edge of ICT power and practice in schools. It has
strong governmental as well as international links. MirandaNet
investigates opportunities for developing innovative strategies using
computers in teaching and learning methods. It also emphasises the
importance of entertainment both in education and in life generally. Each
month it presents a Rose to the best educational site of the month and the
best community site of the month.
Visit Mirandanet at http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk
While on the subject of accolades, Jack Kenny, writing in the Times
Educational Supplement last week, said:
"Terry Freedman's site is mainly for managers of ICT in schools and is
full of practical information. If anyone has hit a snag, Terry probably
has a scenario to cope with it. ...Bookmark this."
About a month ago I published a page containing tips on how to start a
lesson in a computer lab. As a result of an overwhelming response, I made
some changes to the page and wrote several others. The topics covered are:
* Planning the use of computers
* Planning the use of computers -- guidelines
* Before the lesson
* Starting a lesson
* During the lesson
* Finishing the lesson
* Setting ICT homework
* Activities which do not require a computer
You can see these pages at http://www.ictineducation.org/lessonintro.htm
Another section of the website that you may find useful (although not a
*recent* update) is that on managing emails between parents and the
school. This starts at http://www.ictineducation.org/email.htm
Those sections are two of 4 "Walk-throughs" I've devised. These are sets
of self-contained pages covering, at the moment:
* Using ICT in lessons
* Email management
* Managing ICT successfully
* Developments in ICT
I hope to add more as time goes by.
I have transferred some of the information from this newsletter to the
website. For example, the section called Jargon Buster has been
transferred to http://www.ictineducation.org/jargon_buster.htm
Access other information about the newsletter at
http://www.ictineducation.org/compic.htm See
http://www.ictineducation.org/compicindex.htm for an alphabetical index of
articles that have appeared so far. For a guide to past articles organised
by issue, see http://www.ictineducation.org/compicguide.htm
Finally, I rejoined the Staffroom Web Ring. This is a collection of
educational websites. The link is on the first page of the ICT in
Education website, ie http://www.ictineducation.org/
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Other useful websites
First, a few official UK sites. A relatively new site is
http://www.ukonline.gov.uk, which is an attempt to bring together much of
the UK Government's news and advice on e-everything, not just education.
Have a look -- it has a nice interface and is well organised.
A good sub-section of the website, especially in the light of recent news
items in the UK, concerns safety on the internet. This is at
http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/sub_safety.htm. On a related subject, see
http://www.chatdanger.com/ for good material about the dangers of internet
chat rooms and what to do about them.
The DfEE's TeacherNet site, at http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/, is a useful
portal to various DfEE sites and sub-sections. It also has a search
engine. If you find it hard to keep track of the different official
websites, this will be a good starting point.
A very useful news and support site for teachers is
http://teachersonline.ngfl.gov.uk (see the News section for more details
of this and the next two websites).
Go to http://contribute.ngfl.gov.uk/ for the contributors' database, and
to http://www.schools.ik.com/ for the free website-building kit for schools
If you are training to be a teacher of ICT, or even if you already are
one, have a look at the support materials provided by the Teacher Training
Agency (TTA) at http://www.canteach.gov.uk/info/ict/index.htm
For a nice bit of fun, with useful instructions on how to draw different
kinds of cartoon, have a look at http://www.unclefred.com/
Just before going to press, I received an email telling me that someone
had just created a link on their website to the ICT in Education website.
I've had a quick scout around http://www.clickteaching.com/, and it looks
very good. It's easy to use, with an appearance that is easy on the eye. I
will try to look at this in more depth in the next issue of Computers in
Classrooms, but have a look for yourself in the meantime. It isn't only
concerned with ICT, but with other subjects as well. Like BECTa's
contributory database mentioned earlier, you can upload resources to the
site. Unfortunately, I haven't had time to look at the small print yet, or
even to find out if there *is* any!
Finally, take a look at http://www.startspot.com/, a site I discovered
through the Virtual Teacher newsletter which I reviewed in the last issue.
Try not to be too put off by the techno-babble that describes the site as
"high-utility vertical information portals...". The site is actually very
good, and consists of several sections, such Library Spot and Homework
Spot which are, in effect, pages of links to useful educational resources.
Well worth a browse, and covers all subjects as far as I can tell.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Book Review: Making Multimedia in the Classroom
---------------------------------------------------------------
How many of us regard multimedia as something we'll do if we have the
"right" group, or enough time? Even those of us who are convinced of its
usefulness in the mainstream may be daunted by the prospect of organising
it and making it happen.
Vivi Lachs' book is a refreshing mixture of practicality and solid
academic foundations. She writes from the standpoint of knowing from
experience that the use of multimedia can enhance learning, and she is
able to draw the reader's attention to the theories that explain why this
should be the case.
There are two aspects of the book that teachers will find very useful. The
first is that the author relates the multimedia to the requirements of the
UK's National Curriculum, both in ICT itself and in other subjects. This
is important, because by so doing she is able to show that multimedia can
be used to address the National Curriculum rather than act as an
alternative to it. Secondly, the book is full of practical advice in the
form of checklists, evaluation questionnaires, figures and illustrations.
Armed with this book, the newcomer to using multimedia could plan a unit
of work and, other things being equal, get some good results.
If you're not sure what to buy in the way of software, don't fret: there's
a checklist to help you. Indeed, it's one of the strengths of this book
that whatever you think might be useful to know seems to be covered
somewhere.
A plus or a minus point of the book, depending on your point of view, is
the writing style. The author writes in a lively, engaging style, which
makes the book eminently readable. But is this necessarily a good thing?
My own preference is for books to have as many bullet points as possible
when it comes to practical advice. There are bulleted and numbered lists,
but I wonder if the balance is quite right? Having said that, if you're
prepared to put the time in, it's a good read.
The CD-ROM containing examples is a welcome bonus, as all too often
accompanying CD-ROMs are full of stuff which is less than useful!
Using multimedia could be a way of starting to integrate ICT into the
schemes of work of other subjects in the curriculum: pupils can learn a
lot about the subject itself, and become proactive learners into the
bargain. Interested? Then you should buy this book.
Making Multimedia in the Classroom. Vivi Lachs, £19.99, Routledge Falmer,
ISBN: 0-415-21684-2
Order direct from
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415216842/itineducati02
Note: See Vivi Lachs' article later in this newsletter.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Software review: 2simple Infant Video Toolkit
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Designed for use with children from nursery age to about 5 or 6 years old,
this "toolkit" comprises six separate programs: 2paint, 2publish, 2count,
2go, 2graph and 2question. These programs are what their names suggest:
programs that allow children to paint, desktop publish, count, use an
elementary form of LOGO, create graphs and create a branching database.
The interface of each program is very easy on the eye, and is uncluttered
-- an essential consideration for this age group. Also, there are teacher
options available for each program, accessible by pressing the kind of key
combination (Shift-Ctrl-O) that children would be unlikely to discover for
themselves.
Installation of the suite of programs was fairly straightforward: the
vendor has very sensibly included a sheet entitled "Quick Start Guide.
Help is available in the forms of a thin, easy to use manual and "videos"
which illustrate how to do various things -- there are over 60 of these
"shorts".
So much for the facts; what about the programs? The "toolkit" is very much
like the curate's egg: parts of it are excellent. The interface, as
mentioned earlier, and the manual are both very good. Also, although the
programs look simple at first sight, they do have hidden depths, either in
the teacher's options or by selecting the new file icon.
For example, in the 2count program, clicking on the new file icon calls up
a large list of options for the "counters", such as dominoes or different
forms of transport. This is a great way of introducing children to a range
of ideas, such as surveys, graphs and, in particular, pictograms.
It's also very good that the program utilises the same icons as "grown up"
programs: there is nothing more infuriating than having to "unteach"
pupils as they progress onto more advanced software.
However, there are some areas where a bit of tweaking would not come amiss
in a later version. In the meantime, you need to be aware of them in order
to pre-empt any confusion that may arise from them.
The 2paint and 2publish programs do not allow pupils to save their work --
that has to be done by the teacher. That's not an attractive option if you
have several children all using the software at the same time. The 2paint
program also suffers from the limitation that it does not allow you to do
anything but draw with different coloured "felt tip pens". You can't
change the brush size, for example, and there is no fill option. Of
course, it has to be said that some teachers will regard the absence of
too many options as a positive advantage, since there is less to distract
the child. By all accounts, this is what the programmer discovered in his
consultations with teacher groups.
On the other hand, 2publish does give the pupil access to a wide range of
layouts, and could prove to be an excellent introduction to desktop
publishing for young children. In National Curriculum terms, it certainly
addresses the requirement for children to be able to combine text and
graphics.
The 2go program is, perhaps, the most disappointing if you regard it as a
LOGO program. There are three options in 2go that the teacher can set:
without diagonals, with diagonals and programming. This may in principle
be a good way to introduce the child to the idea of programming, and the
backdrops you can choose, such as a town map, are very good indeed.
However, there are three things about it which are not especially good.
First, when you make the screen turtle move, the colour changes in a way
that makes it appear to have moved by one more unit than you told it to,
which could obviously be quite confusing. Secondly, the diagonals option
includes eighth turns, ie 45 degrees, but children at this age are only
required to know about quarter turns and half turns. Finally, the
interface for the programming seems somewhat confusing.
However, to some extent this is a little unfair. The program was designed
as a way of introducing very young children to the idea of direction, and
in this sense it works quite well. Also, using backdrops like the town map
does require the child to undertake a rudimentary form of modelling, in
the sense that s/he has to try to work out in advance how far to go, and
in which direction, in order to navigate the roads.
Another area where there is potential confusion is in the 2graph program.
This is not bad at all, since it enables you to introduce the main types
of graph to children. As a teacher, you can even control what kind of
graphs the pupil sees. However, it is spoilt somewhat by the text "Axis
Label" which will mean very little if anything to the younger children in
the age range the software is aimed at.
Notwithstanding these criticisms, the 2simple Infant Video Toolkit
represents an inexpensive way of procuring a range of programs for young
children. There is certainly enough within the programs to keep young
children interested in using a computer for a purpose. Also, it has been
designed with education very much in mind rather than as an afterthought.
You can obtain an evaluation copy of the CD-ROM by contacting Nigel Canin
at the company on 0208 203 1781, or at the email or web addresses at the
top of this newsletter.
Prices range from £175 for up to 5 users to £349 for any number of users.
===============================================================
Tips
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you have any tips you'd like to share with other teachers, please send
them to tips@ictineducation.org
This month, there are tips on:
* Internet
* Classroom
* Admin
* Word
* Excel
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Email Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you receive an email that has been sent to a number of people, you can
send your reply to all of those people, simply by clicking on the Reply To
All option.
However, use this option with care. If everyone on the list replies to
everyone else on the list, that represents a lot of time being wasted by a
lot of people, reading several email messages which perhaps shouldn't have
been sent in the first place. Ask yourself: "Do I really need to let
everyone on the list see my reply?"
A case in point is when you subscribe to an email discussion list. Before
you hit the Reply button, check the Reply To box to see who you're
actually replying to. If it's the list itself, your reply will go to
everyone on the list. (You'll be able to tell, because the address in the
Reply To box will be something which includes the name of the list.)
Sending an email to the whole list along the lines of "Hi, Jo, how are you
keeping?" wastes a lot of people's time.
Similarly, avoid sending messages like "Unsubscribe". There is always a
set procedure to unsubscribe, and the best thing to do is to keep the
instructions for doing so as soon as you receive them -- which will be
when you subscribe. Sometimes, messages in the list contain instructions
on how to unsubscribe -- just as the Computers in Classrooms newsletter
does.
However, there will be occasions when it's a *good* thing to reply to the
whole list. If someone sends a message to the list asking for advice or
people's opinion on something, it's a good idea to send the reply to the
whole list so that everyone can benefit from what you say rather than only
the person who sent the original message.
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Internet Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------
Unfortunately, websites change addresses, or are sometimes inaccessible
because of a glitch or because of site maintenance. (Don't forget that if
an enlightened webmaster in Los Angeles decides to do site maintenance at
6 am, on the grounds that no pupils will be trying to access the site at
that time, it's 10 am in New York, and 2pm in London.) In order to
minimise the inconvenience caused, there are some options open to you:
* Download the website, or the parts of it that you need, and save it onto
the network server or your computer's hard disk. This has the advantage of
being accessible, but has several disadvantages: it infringes copyright,
it lacks the immediacy of the live internet and it can take up a huge
amount of space.
* Have several alternative websites noted or bookmarked, so that the loss
of one, while inconvenient, doesn't mean the complete disintegration of
your lesson.
* Devise activities that require the students to find their own websites.
Who knows: they may well come up with a better source of information than
you were able to find.
Finally, just in case the internet itself is inaccessible, make sure you
have a viable alternative lesson "up your sleeve". You should always have
an alternative whenever your lesson depends on technology working, whether
a computer, internet or video player or whatever. Sooner or later
something is bound to go wrong -- that's not being pessimistic, but
realistic. So be prepared.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Classroom Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------
What do the walls tell you? It's a good idea to reinforce what you're
trying to do in your computer-based work by making sure that key words are
on display. The words will change according to the age ranges of the
classes you teach. For example, words like "monitor" and "keyboard" will
be appropriate for younger children, while words such as "database" and
"spreadsheet" will be more appropriate for older children.
You may even want to think about having a "This Week's Key Words" section
on the wall.
When producing the key words, use a font like Arial, because that is a
very clear, easily-read, typeface. Letters should be about a centimetre
(approximately half an inch) high for every 3 metres (just over 9 feet) of
floor length. Photocopy the print-outs onto brightly coloured card to grab
the kids' attention.
Make sure you spell-check the words before putting them up!
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Admin Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------
I'm all in favour of keeping things as simple as possible, but there are
occasions when this approach can backfire. Computers are much more than
glorified typewriters, and modern office software have quiet a few "bells
and whistles" designed to make our lives easier.
For example, most word processors have a feature called "fields" or "power
fields". These are pieces of code that can put variable text in your
documents, ie text that changes from one occasion to another.
For example, today's date will always be different on different days. If
you have a letter template, instead of inserting the date by typing it in,
insert the field code for it so that the actual date is inserted
automatically.
There are other types of code too, such as one that will insert a number
on each label you print (with the number on each label being the next
number up from its predecessor), or the number of words in the document.
When you have a few minutes to spare, experiment with the fields feature
of your word processor. You should be able to find what you're looking for
by clicking on Help.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Word Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you use Microsoft Word, here is a tip that could save you a lot of
time. Sometimes, especially when practising things like formatting or
search and replace options, all you need is a sizeable chunk of text to
work on. Usually, you have the choice between working on a document you
already have (remembering to save it under an alternative name so as to
avoid ruining the original) or spending time typing something in. Either
way, it's a time-waster.
However, if you type =rand() and then press the Enter key, you'll end up
with 3 paragraphs of "The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog". If
you then press the F4 function key several times, you'll generate several
pages in no time. (The F4 key repeats the last thing you did.)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Excel Tip
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you use Microsoft Excel, here is a tip that can save you having to
enter a formula when all you want to do is a quick calculation.
For speed, just enter figures in a spreadsheet, select them using the
mouse, and then look at the status bar at the bottom right hand corner of
the screen. There should be a message which tells you the total. (If not,
right-click on the status bar message and choose SUM from the list.) You
can use this method for working out the total, the average and for
counting the number of items, as well as other types of calculations.
---------------------------------------------------------------
For more tips, look at the ICT in Education website at
http://www.ictineducation.org, especially the articles section and the
Walk-throughs.
===============================================================
Over to you
---------------------------------------------------------------
Why do it?
---------------------------------------------------------------
In this section of the newsletter we look at why teachers use computers in
their schemes of work and lessons -- and what puts them off. This section
is, in effect, written by you. If you have any views on what makes
teachers reluctant or willing to incorporate computers in their curriculum
work, please complete the survey form at
http://www.ictineducation.org/cics. I won't use your name or position
unless you authorise me to do so.
Let's face it: there are good reasons for *not* being willing to try to
incorporate the use of computers in lessons. Not only are teachers feeling
overwhelmed with work, but there is also some truth in the saying "if it
ain't broke, don't fix it". In other words, if other methods have served
you perfectly well for years, why change now?
Valid reasons, but are they always the *real* reasons, as opposed to a
kind of defence mechanism? And where they *are* genuine, are they based on
a broad enough view of the situation? After all, used wisely, computers
can reduce teachers' workload, and they can help pupils achieve more in
the same amount of time.
Of course, convincing teachers is another matter. For example, Beth Evans
points out that the pressure on teachers to improve examination results
tends to make teachers say that they can do it faster without computers!
CS points out that teachers may not realise their own
capabilities, and think "I can't do this?" MR, an ICT
Co-ordinator in the UK, also cites a lack
of confidence as one of the reasons for staff being reluctant to use
computers. Is that the case in your school, or for you personally? If so,
what can you do about it?
CS is not alone in this regard. For example, N F, of
a College of Arts and Technology in the UK says, "I often find
that colleagues have an unprecedented fear of using a computer, ... and
then not having the opportunity to be taught in advance to the level of
students' requirements or needs".
CS maintains that a factor that encourages teachers to get to grips
with using computers is the increasing number of staff who are buying
their own computer system (no doubt partly because of the computers for
teachers scheme under the auspices of the New Opportunities Fund training
in the UK). CS also points out that having the facility to use
email means that teachers can distribute documents without having to get
to a photocopier! Please note: the aim of the paperless office is not a
small part of the UK Government's reasons for pushing e-everything!
DC, a lecturer in Primary Education at a college in the UK, mentions several factors that tend to put people off using computers, including the rapid pace of change, technical glitches, lack of time to practise and teachers' perception of themselves as learners. She
feels that an important factor in encouraging teachers to start using
computers is a good ICT co-ordinator, one who can motivate, train and
encourage. (See DC’s definition of an effective manager of ICT earlier in
this newsletter.) For proof on an anecdotal level that laptop schemes
actually work, DC says that the BECTa laptop project helped enormously,
through increasing their expertise and familiarity with a range of
software, peripherals and the internet.
JL, ICT Co-ordinator at a community college in the
UK, also mentions machine faults as a factor that puts people off . On the
other hand, like several other respondents over the months, she feels that
the standard of work produced by students, and the interest of students,
are factors that can be encouraging to teachers.
Unfortunately, I have had such a large response to the ongoing survey,
that I can't really spare the space to include much more in this edition
-- apologies to those whom I've not quoted. I will try to include more
next time.
OK, here is a challenge for you. In my book, Managing ICT, I have devoted
a lot of space to suggestions about how the manager of ICT in a school (or
college) can help to minimise disruption from equipment breaking down, and
encourage teachers to use the computers, such as through providing plenty
of assistance in various forms. My challenge is this: what can the
ordinary teacher do to make it easier for the ICT manager to help the
ordinary teacher?!
Is that a circular argument? I don't think so. I am currently working on
an article, for this newsletter in the first instance, on this very
subject. But before I send that out, I'd like to hear your views first.
(You can tell I used to be a teacher, can't you!)
Send your views to compic@ictineducation.org, with the subject line
poachers.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Subscribers' matters
---------------------------------------------------------------
In the last issue I printed this cry from the heart from SC:
"Dear Terry
My school uses apple macs. We have Microsoft office and need a relational
database, preferably Access. At present we are using Filemaker Pro, but
the A'Level ICT students have Access at home!!
Do you know of a solution to my problem?"
One way around this problem appears to be to use a software emulator.
SM replied to say "My solution is to run Access 98 under
'SoftWindows98 98' on the 333 MHz iMac."
===============================================================
Features
---------------------------------------------------------------
Feature (1): PowerPoint without tears -- an 8 point guide
This is adapted from an article called "How to manage presentations" that
I wrote for InteracTive.
1. Think about colour schemes. People who are colour-blind will probably
not be able to read any of your green text on a red background. A recent
presentation I attended used black text on a navy blue background. It was
illegible 3 rows back from the front.
2. Think about the size of the text. Letters should be about a centimetre
(approximately half an inch) high for every 3 metres (about 9 feet) of
floor length. In other words, if the room you are using stretches back 6
metres, your letters need to be about 2 cm high for anyone in the back row
to be able to read the text without straining. Whatever you do, don't
simply import a page of closely-typed text into a slide: there will be no
point, because it will be illegible.
3. Think about the purpose of the presentation. The format and effects
used should support the message, not take over from it. If your audience
is thinking about what the next effect might be instead of what you're
saying, you might as well pack up and go home.
4. Check the technology before the presentation is due to start. If that
is not possible, because you follow directly on from another speaker, try
to arrange for there to be a 15 minute tea break while you set up and
check things. It is bad manners to fiddle about while people are waiting
for you to start: their time is at least as important as yours.
5. Always have a backup. If the display unit freezes up just as you start
your talk, you should be able to switch immediately to an overhead
projector with the minimum of delay.
6. Think low-tech. If you are not sure of the facilities that will be
available, produce your presentation on PowerPoint by all means -- but
print it out onto overhead projector transparencies. At a recent
conference, I witnessed 3 system breakdowns during presentations.
7. Have print-outs of the presentation available. If you print the slides
in Handout mode, you can squeeze a 12 slide presentation onto a
double-sided photocopy. If you print the slides using the "with notes"
option, each slide is accompanied by blank lines that people can make
notes on. If you can't afford the printing costs, make sure there is a
version on the web somewhere. It is scandalous to give a presentation
about ICT to an audience and force them into reproducing, in effect, a set
of notes that you have already created! Besides, whilst they are taking
notes, they are not actively listening to what you are saying.
8. Assume that people in the audience can read. I have never understood
why some people read out each slide. If they need to, because people
cannot read them, the slides have not been well-designed, or people have
not been given a copy of the presentation to look at close up. The slides
should be a starting point for more material, or a summary of something
you have said. If all you're going to do is read out the slides, why not
just give them a set of notes and head for the nearest cafÈ?
---------------------------------------------------------------
Feature (2): Digital cameras -- gotta love 'em
by Chris Wood
If I were asked what piece of technology has been the most successful
after being introduced to schools I would have to say the digital camera.
The internet, new computers, scanners, printers, data logging hardware,
camcorders and laptops all pale compared to the impact digital cameras
have made on our schools.
This is not to say the other equipment is not useful -- in fact without a
good computer and printer the cameras mean little -- but the fact is the
digital camera has caught our teachers' imaginations like nothing else
has. I haven't been in a school with one that didn't make excellent use of
it.
The reasons for this could be twofold. Firstly they are a definite
improvement on existing methods and secondly, they are based on familiar
technology.
A definite improvement:
No more developing costs or waiting, no more initial film costs, no
inhibitions about taking poor pictures. Take 1000 pictures and keep one,
it costs nothing. Even the batteries are re-chargeable.
Of course if you print the pictures out it will cost something, but a
fraction of that of a photograph. If you use photographic paper (which has
tumbled in price due to demand) you can achieve photo quality prints with
the standard ink jets that many have. Often you needn't print out the
pictures at all, if you are keeping evidence for example, it can all be
kept and viewed on a computer. If you have a CD writer you can keep albums
and albums on one cd and then use it with any computer.
Also with less moving parts they are more reliable and cheaper to build.
The criticism of digital cameras used to be the quality, but no more. The
latest versions can match any of the traditional cameras, the benefit of
removing the celluloid from the process is just too good a thing to ignore
for professional photographers. Add to that the ability to manipulate the
picture afterwards.. remove red eye, brighten dark pictures.. not to
mention a host of gimmicky features that some creative soul will find a
use for.
Admittedly this can also be done with a conventional camera and a scanner,
but a long winded process by comparison. In short, they are a step in the
right direction to a process that now appears awkward.
Familiar technology:
I firmly believe that a major cause of the digital camera's success is
that teachers are already familiar with the operation. "It's just like
using a camera reallyÖ" Indeed. The importance of basing new technology on
familiar concepts should not be ignored. If people are comfortable with
using a traditional camera, the step to a digital one has been made easy
by good design, and the benefits immediately reassure. "Don't worry if you
take a bad photo, just delete it." "Really?" "Yes, really".
Interestingly the other area I see this success in the early stages of
being repeated is with the interactive whiteboards, again a familiar
concept improved upon but easy to access due to prior knowledge.
Ideas:
The possibilities are endless. Portfolios of displays for evidence,
personalized certificates with children's faces on, sports certificates of
the winning moment, personal books that can be created in an hour rather
than a week, children's work published on the internet, postcards emailed
across the world of you and your class, a photo-story board, a carousel
slide show of your topic in the display area... many things that used to
be prohibitive due to cost are banished. Creating your own posters of ICT
skills or techniques is a real possibility. (How about a picture by
picture reminder of a class lesson displayed in the computer corner?)
Choices:
Now this changes all the time, models are getting better and better, and
cheaper and cheaper.
For a full review of cameras you should check out the latest computer
magazine but I will share my experiences so far.
You get what you pay for, and the cheaper you go the less quality the
pictures are. Expect to pay £4-500 (between approximately $240 and $300)
for anything decent at the moment, but prices change all the time. The
following two cameras have been extensively tested and abused by children
in my borough and here are the conclusions.
Without a doubt, for class use, standing head and shoulders over all the
others on offer are the various versions of the Sony Mavica
(http://www.sony.com).
The design is so easy to use and sturdy in abuse. The fact that it uses
normal floppy disks and saves (as most do now) in standard jpeg format
makes it a sure fire winner. Even the LCD screen is easier to use for
young children than squinting through a viewfinder.
In use with 30 children nothing else comes close. Put your floppy in the
camera, take your pictures, remove your floppy and pass the camera on.
Everyone can share the camera but immediately be able to have their photos
and get on with their work. No wires, no installation software, slap the
floppy in the computer and go. Superb. No fuss. Sony really got it right
with this, it also has the ability to take up to 60sec of mpeg video.
(Yes, with sound) Adding video clips to your website has never been so
easy. Expect to get about 20 average pictures on a floppy or 3-4 on high
quality.
The other model worthy of mention is the Kodak DC-280
(http://www.kodak.com). It's won loads of awards. I would recommend this
for colleagues use and for better quality pictures than the Mavica. I
currently use the 290 and find the images stunning. However on full
setting the images can be as big as 2 megs and this is not recommended for
pasting several into a word document! Computers all over the world groan
and grind to a halt. However, average settings still produce excellent
results and are more manageable at about 200k a file.
Floppy drives can be seen as too slow and too small nowadays for storage
as the quality of pictures and file sizes increase. The Kodak is actually
the better machine for the future, it stores 20 megs of pictures using a
standard flash Rom card (a floppy only takes 1.44 megs), so depending on
your quality settings expect to be able to take 40-100 pictures.
Admittedly the floppy drive makes the Mavicas the simplest to use, but the
USB connection of the Kodak is also very easy and much faster in
transferring the information.
In conclusion then, I confess to being a closet photographer, but I was
always intimidated from experimenting by the cost of snapping. The advent
of digital cameras has actually dispelled my inhibitions and I have
improved enormously as a result. Digital cameras? You gotta love 'em!
Chris Wood is an ICT Advisory Teacher in Greenwich, London. He has
contributed to the development of Snowball, an interim plan for ICT, and
is the editor of the Greenwich ICT Co-ordinators' Email Newsletter. He may
be contacted at chris.wood@greenwich.gov.uk
---------------------------------------------------------------
Feature (3): Making Multimedia in the Curriculum
by Vivi Lachs
Let me introduce you to Hackney multimedia created by primary and
secondary school students for primary and secondary school students.
On the screen is a rather colourful character holding two objects. In the
left hand, a feather and in the right a hammer. "Which one do you think
will land first on the moon?", The text challenges. There are two buttons
below to discover the answer which produce animations of the falling
objects on Earth and on the moon. This astronaut is not in full gear,
(indeed he rather looks like a Hackney schoolchild!), so on another screen
there is an interactive puzzle to put the correct equipment on the
astronaut.
Another project has a screen showing a rather chubby penguin and asks the
user to consider how it is adapted to life in the arctic. By clicking on
different parts of the body information boxes pop up to give details, such
as "The penguin's body is covered with a coat. The coat is oily so that
water slides off it". It is also possible to see what will happen if this
penguin is taken out of its natural environment and put somewhere else. In
a desert we watch our poor penguin burning while a voice-over gives us the
penguin's thoughts "this sun is so hot" and a pop-up text box offers us
an explanation for a sun tan.
A third project is a story of some children who find a strange creature in
the playground. In order to find out where it comes from they have to
visit exotic places from New York to Saturn to McDonalds on Mare Street!
The screen children and teacher (and indeed the strange creature) all take
part in additional role play. By clicking on them, they speak their parts.
Students also isolated particular rhyming words with hypertext links which
linked to screens about these words.
Using computers creatively can be a big motivator for students, and
multimedia and web authoring can provide the framework for this. Students
always present their work in some way, usually on paper. Giving them the
opportunity to present it in an interactive form that includes images,
text, sound and animation allows them greater scope. Students working in
this way can become engaged with the subject matter they are learning from
the perspective of telling someone else about it, and making a computer
game as a way of telling them, testing them and amusing them.
Multimedia projects become cross-curricular as there are many new skills
to be learned. Some of these are about using particular software and
computer skills, but more importantly most of these new skills are about
learning.
In order to create multimedia projects students will have to have
something they want to communicate, decide who their audience is and then
consider the most appropriate way of making the material suit the
audience. They will then need to plan out this non-linear project,
deciding what will be on each screen, where each screen will lead to, and
what interactive elements will be on each screen (putting the life cycle
of an insect in order by dragging the images to the right place, making
choices about which hieroglyphics password to click on). Students will
work both in groups, in pairs and independently in creating artwork,
writing and re-writing text, taking photographs, sequencing animations,
scanning onto the computer, linking pages together. Basically a classroom
full of multiple activity with a joint (hopefully collaborative) focus.
And the outcome? Concentrated learning on a particular aspect of the
subject matter, engaged discussion around what they want to communicate,
and a snazzy little game that they can put on a website or CD ROM and
watch with satisfaction as students from another class in the school play
it.
Of course, it's not quite that easy, and teachers worry that making
multimedia in the classroom is time consuming. The answer is that it does
take more time than teaching the subject in a traditional way, and it does
take a fair amount of planning and forethought. However, the outcomes in
Hackney have proved well worth putting in the time. One primary school
doing a multimedia piece on the Greeks followed it up later in the year
with a Geography project on climate. Their class teacher explained that
the planning stage for the second project had been both quicker and
produced more complex ideas than the first time round. The students had
already understood the process, knew what the software could do, and hence
produced a more interesting piece. A secondary school English teacher
doing a debating project using video argued that even her statemented and
most difficult students were engaged.
The real danger for teachers is that making multimedia is a bug, and do
you want your students to be bitten by it? Indeed, do you?
Vivi Lachs is the author of Making Multimedia in the Classroom. This is a
guide for teachers that comes with a CD ROM and goes through the whole
process of planning, designing, making and evaluating multimedia projects.
It gives theoretical background, numerous detailed examples, and practical
step by step ideas for the process.
Making Multimedia in the Classroom, which is reviewed in this newsletter,
(£19.99) is published by Routledge/Falmer and can be ordered by ringing
08700 768853, or via the web at
http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415216842/itineducati02
Hackney have produced seven CD ROMs. The Moving Picture Science Show, The
Electricity Line, Expedition Space and The Genetics Fair are particularly
science CD's and can be bought for £5 each. Ring 020 8356 7431 or visit
the website at http://www.hackney-making-multimedia.org.uk
===============================================================
Moot Point
---------------------------------------------------------------
This is a new feature of Computers in Classrooms, in which a guest writer
puts forward his or her point of view. You are invited to offer an article
yourself, but send a query in the first instance to
mootpoint@ictineducation.org.
Disclaimer:
Please note that I do not necessarily agree with any of the views
expressed in this column.
JS writes:
No-one forgets a good laugh!
Remember that dreadful campaign to recruit teachers in the UK, with that
slogan "Nobody forgets a good teacher" (which is almost as good as British
Rail's one, "We're getting there" -- remember that?)?
Well, it seems to me that the folks at the Teacher Training Agency have
not so much *lost* the plot as are still looking for it. I refer, of
course, to the forthcoming tests for would-be teachers. After May 2001,
training teachers will only attain qualified teacher status (QTS) if they
pass tests in literacy, maths and ICT (there are other benchmarks before
May 2001 too). After May 2001, candidates will have 4 chances to pass each
of the tests. (That seems a bit excessive: why not a "three strikes and
you're out" approach?).
The tests will be computerised, which I suppose ought to set off the
warning signals straight away. I say that because unless some pretty
sophisticated software has been developed, there will not be any room for
answers which may be correct but which do not meet the criteria of the
designated "correct" answer.
The main sections for the tests are:
* gathering information for professional use
* handling information
* presenting information
* communication
* operation
The last two of these aren't formatted properly, which may not be
important in itself, but it does rather beg the question as to whether
some people in the TTA would pass their own tests. Still, let's not
quibble: there are more serious issues here.
First, why does the TTA feel the need to run such tests at all? Are
teacher training institutions not trusted to assess their students
accurately before awarding them a pass?
Secondly, the scenario set for the tests (the one I looked at was a
parents' evening type idea) seems a bit artificial in a way. Why not just
test candidates with a set of applications of skills questions and be done
with it?
Thirdly, *real* understanding of ICT entails understanding when *not* to
use ICT, and which software applications to use when you do feel that
using a computer is appropriate. I didn't see any evidence of such
sophistication -- although I have to admit to giving the questions a
pretty cursory once-over, so it's possible that I missed it.
Fourthly, there seems to be a lot of help. For example, the internet
search question suggests key words to use in the search. So presumably
that question is a test of the candidate's ability to read the hints
rather than an understanding of searching?
It seems to me that an awful lot of time, money and energy is being
squandered on this ill-thought out attempt to ensure quality, especially
in a time of a recruitment crisis. Once somebody has gone through a
teacher training course, the only important question to be answered, and
the one that should decide whether the person achieves QTS, is whether or
not they're an idiot. Fortunately, there is an excellent test on the
internet athttp://www.jokeserver.com/idiottest.asp. This also gives
instant feedback, thereby saving a great deal of time and money, and
allowing the teacher training institutions to carry out the *proper*
evaluation of "nearly qualified" teachers.
If you wish to comment on this article, please email your thoughts to
janetsoames@ictineducation.org. You can see the sample tests for yourself
by going to http://www.canteach.gov.uk/info/skillstests/ict/index.htm
===============================================================
Next issue's Features
---------------------------------------------------------------
PS has been conducting some interesting research into ICT
"heresies". We hope to get a summary out for the next newsletter.
Also, the myth of the teacherless classroom.
There may also be another feature. I have had several articles sent to me
for consideration, but it is taking time to get through them. If you wish
to contribute, please send a short proposal rather than the whole article.
Send it to compic@ictineducation.org, with the subject "Article proposal".
Thanks. I am working on a set of guidelines for articles. If you're
interested in receiving them, send any message to
compic@ictineducation.org, with the subject "guidelines".
Plus, of course, tips, news and reviews.
If you like this newsletter, tell someone about it!
===============================================================
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
===============================================================
And finally...
---------------------------------------------------------------
From The Farmers'Almanac, 1978: To err is human but to really foul things
up requires a computer.
===============================================================
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 in
InteracTive said:
"Essential reading for anyone establishing an ICT policy or interested in
raising or monitoring pupils' ICT skills."
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
===============================================================
About the proofreader
---------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Adams works as a primary mathematics advisory teacher/numeracy
consultant. He is married to an ICT advisor and enjoys proofreading a
variety of documents. (Please send comments/suggestions to
mark@eurobell.co.uk.)
===============================================================
To subscribe to this newsletter...
---------------------------------------------------------------
Send any email to compic-subscribe@listbot.com
Please feel free to pass on this newsletter or extracts from it to anyone
whom you think might gain some benefit from it, but please acknowledge the
source.
If you like the ICT in Education website, please click to Recommend-It
(r): http://www.recommend-it.com/l.z.e?s=677651
===============================================================
Links summary
---------------------------------------------------------------
2Simple Software
http://www.2simple.org.uk
BECTa report
http://www.becta.org.uk/news/reports/summary.html
Cartoon drawing
http://www.unclefred.com/
Click Teaching
http://www.clickteaching.com/
Computers in Classrooms: Guide to past issues
http://www.ictineducation.org/compicguide.htm
Computers in Classrooms: Home Page
http://www.ictineducation.org/compic.htm
Computers in Classrooms: Index to past issues
http://www.ictineducation.org/compicindex.htm
Computers in Classrooms: Survey
http://www.ictineducation.org/cics
Dangers of chat rooms
http://www.chatdanger.com/
Hackney multimedia
http://www.hackney-making-multimedia.org.uk
ICT in Education
http://www.ictineducation.org/
Idiot test
http://www.jokeserver.com/idiottest.asp
Internet safety guidelines
http://www.ukonline.gov.uk/sub_safety.htm
Jargon buster
http://www.ictineducation.org/jargon_buster.htm
Kodak
http://www.kodak.com
Mirandanet
http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk
QTS tests
http://www.canteach.gov.uk/info/skillstests/ict/index.htm
Report about seating arrangements
http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/documents/00001532.htm
Resources database
http://contribute.ngfl.gov.uk
School website creation kit
http://www.schools.ik.com
Sony
http://www.sony.com
Standards Fund
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/standardsfund
StartSpot (Resources links)
http://www.startspot.com/
Surveys
http://www.ictineducation.org/surveys.htm
Surveys on the ICT in Education
websitehttp://www.ictineducation.org/surveys.htm
Teachernet, the DfEE's teachers' portal
http://www.teachernet.gov.uk
Teachers Online
http://teachersonline.ngfl.gov.uk
Terry Freedman's CV (Resume)http://www.ictineducation.org/tfcv.htm &
tfresume@fastfacts.net
TTA's resources for teachers of ICT
http://www.canteach.gov.uk/info/ict/index.htm.
UK Online website
http://www.ukonline.gov.uk
Using ICT in lessons
http://www.ictineducation.org/lessonintro.htm
Vivi Lachs' book, Making Multimedia in the
Classroomhttp://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0415216842/itineducati02
Website problems
ict@ictineducation.org
Why do it? Survey
http://www.ictineducation.org/cics
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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Terry Freedman qualified as a teacher in 1975, has written for educational publications since 1989, and has published this website since 1995.
