Resources, copyright, useful tips for using education technology in the classroom
This issue of my Computers in Classrooms newsletter, dates from 2001. I am reproducing these newsletters partly in order to make sure that some of the history of using education technology is preserved, and partly because some of it is still relevant. That applies especially to the Tips section.
Obviously, some of it will appear rather dated, particularly references to floppy disks, but the pedagogical aspects are still useful.
Another interesting aspect of these newsletters is their depiction of governmental involvement in education technology. An amazing degree of involvement, in fact. The Computers for Teachers scheme is discussed here, for example.
I’ve formatted the headings and added a table of contents to make the newsletter a bit easier to navigate and read. I’ve also added “[still works]” next to websites that still work.
Finally, I’ve anonymised the teachers and their schools whom I’ve cited.
If you enjoy reading this, you may be astonished to learn that the newsletter is still going strong, but with a more up-to-date name: Digital Education. Click that link to find out more, and to subscribe — for free.
Computers in Classrooms
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ISSN 1470-5524
Edited by Terry Freedman -- email compic@ictineducation.org
Proofread by Mark Adams -- email mark@eurobell.co.uk
Home Page: http://www.ictineducation.org/compic.htm
Volume 1 Issue 9 *** 01 May 2001
===============================================================
In this issue:
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* News
* Resources: The ICT in Education website update * Other useful websites
* Tips
* Over to you: Why do it?
* Features:
The classroom of the future
Getting the most from your ICT Co-ordinator
Something to ponder
* Newsletter: About the editor * About the proofreader * Subscription
details * Disclaimer
---------------------------Advertisement-----------------------
ACTIS SCIENCE ONLINE IS LOOKING FOR WRITERS
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If you reckon you're a bright spark in the world of ICT in science
teaching and you want to make an impact on the way ICT is used in the
classroom and the lab, please contact Simon de Pinna, the Editor of
Science Online, at simon.depinna@actis.co.uk. You might like to check out
the site in its prototype form at http://www.scienceonline.co.uk.
Many thanks.
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Actis Limited
Tel: 01xxx xxxxxx
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---------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to advertise in this newsletter, please see
http://www.ictineducation.org/compicads.htm
---------------------------Quick Test-----------------------
Any idea where the following quote comes from? Answer towards the end of
the newsletter.
"I was in a printing house in Hell, and saw the method in which knowledge
is transmitted from generation to generation."
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News section
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Newsletter news
In the last edition of Computers in Classrooms I asked you to let me know
how many people you pass the newsletter on to. Thanks to everyone who
responded. I can now tell you that the minimum readership is just under
2,500. This is a minimum figure because not everyone sent me information
-- so it could be a lot more.
The spread was quite wide, with some of you passing the newsletter onto
nobody else, and others of you circulating it to 200 others. This seems to
be quite common for teacher training lecturers to do, with the result that
in several cases students have signed up in their own right.
I linked a prize draw to the request for readership information, and I am
delighted to tell you that this was won by subscriber MC, who
lives in the USA.
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Essential ICT books
Also in the last edition, I mentioned that I intended to write an ebook of
reviews of books that could be of interest to ICT teachers. I haven't
forgotten this, but because of the volume of stuff I have had to do, I've
had to put it on the back burner as they say. I'll pick it up as soon as
possible.
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Assessment assistance
Thanks ever so much to everyone who responded to my cry for help, namely a
request to take part in a survey for some case studies on assessment for
the Guardian newspaper. Plus apologies to everyone who sent me items that
weren't used. I know how valuable everyone's time is these days, so I
really do appreciate the effort you made.
Go to
http://education.guardian.co.uk/itforschools/story/0,5500,459421,00.html [still works]
and
http://education.guardian.co.uk/itforschools/story/0,5500,459402,00.html [still works]
to see most of the case studies and articles online.
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Copyright concerns
A few issues ago I mentioned some concerns I had about the Contributory
Database, later renamed the Teacher Resource Exchange (TRE) --
http://contribute.ngfl.gov.uk --, with respect to BECTa assuming ownership
of the copyright in contributions. My main concern was that, because in
the UK the copyright in any resources produced for work belongs to the
employer, would-be contributors were being asked to assign rights to BECTa
that they did not actually own. Also, I felt that there was a principle at
stake, namely that people shouldn't be asked to give their copyright
ownership away, even to a benign organisation like BECTa.
As a result of my and others' comments to BECTa, the copyright statement
has been radically changed. In a nutshell, the copyright owner (ie you or
your school) retain the copyright, but grant BECTa and users of the TRE
the right to use the material. See
http://contribute.ngfl.gov.uk/f_information.html for details.
This is not only good news in itself, but also demonstrates that making a
few polite suggestions to the right people is usually more effective than
moaning in private! It also exemplifies the fact that BECTa intends the
TRE in particular, and the Virtual Teacher Centre in general, to be as
useful as possible.
Looking at this issue in a more general sense, there are several
non-governmental organisations that have the equivalent of the TRE. Before
uploading any resources, you should look in the small print to check that
the company doesn't claim copyright ownership of anything that people
contribute.
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The impact of ICT Resources on Achievement
According to the research reports on the Classroom of the Future, Primary
and Secondary, there is a positive correlation between the level of ICT
resources and the level of achievement. So far, so unexpected perhaps.
However, the effect is noticeable on subjects other than ICT as well.
For example, at Key Stage 3, 77% of pupils in schools with very good
resources achieved level 5 or above in English. Noticeable improvements
were seen in examination results at GCSE level and also at Primary level.
For more information go to http://www.becta.org.uk/sitewidesearch.cfm
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Internet safety
Michael Wills, the Minister for Learning and Technology, and Carol
Vorderman have teamed up to offer new safety guidelines to protect
children from the seamier side of the internet in schools. The new
guidance for schools is displayed on the DfEE's Internet safety web site
-- http://safety.ngfl.gov.uk --, from where you can download the entire
document.
ICT Co-ordinators in England take note: adherence to the guidelines is one
of the conditions governing schools' access to Standards Fund money.
The revised guidance to schools covers the following areas:
* children's e-mail addresses, both whole class and individual;
* identification of individual children via the internet, eg from pictures
on a school website;
* advice for pupils, teachers and parents about chat rooms in an
educational context, including a checklist of what to look for in a safe
chat room
The guidance has been produced by the DfEE and BECTa, with help from NCH
Action for Children, the Parents Information Network, the Internet Watch
Foundation, ChildNet, Disney and the British Educational Suppliers
Association.
There are a couple of useful printed resources that are related to this
area, both from Schoolmanager.net (The Stationery Office). "e-Policy
Guidelines for Education" takes the main areas of internet-related
activity, such as email, and points out the sorts of things that school
managers should be aware of, and what sort of advice/rules should be
included in a school policy. This costs £7.50. "A model e-Policy for
schools" is also available, free of charge, in both PDF and Word formats.
It makes a useful supplement to the book. For more information see
http://www.schoolmanager.net/
Still on the subject of email, Lyn Dawes, of BECTa, is putting together
some guidelines for using email in classroom projects at Key Stage 2. If
you would like to see a draft copy in order to comment on it, please email
Lyn at lyn_dawes@becta.org.uk
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Computers for Teachers
The UK Government is putting a further £50 million into the Computers for
Teachers scheme in England, to be spent over the next three years, which
will allow a further 70,000 teachers to get rebates of up to £500. By 2004
the Government will have spent a total £75 million, and over 100,000
teachers will have been helped in buying a personal computer. A
consultation exercise to decide which group of teachers will qualify for
this phase of the scheme will run until 22 June 2001.
The consultation exercise considers whether the computers should be
allocated to teachers or to schools, and several possible approaches if
the first option is preferred.
Look at http://www.cft.ngfl.gov.uk/consultation/index.html for a breakdown
of the options and their advantages/disadvantages, and the chance to have
your say.
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The Gender Gap
Employment Minister Tessa Jowell, E-Commerce Minister Patricia Hewitt and
Learning and Technology Minister Michael Wills have announced plans to set
up all-girl computer clubs in schools, aimed at girls aged between 8 and
14 years old. Jointly supported by the DfEE and DTI, the project will
encourage more young women to take up ICT as a career.
Michael Wills said: "We are acting swiftly to address this Task Force
recommendation by designing an all-girl computer club model that can be
replicated right across the school system. These clubs will help shift the
dowdy and dull image that computers have for girls by making computers
relevant to their lives -- they will not only see how it helps with
researching for school projects, but also how to design a best friendís
birthday card."
For more information on this news item, go to
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2001_0200. For an article I
wrote about this a couple of years ago -- yet still relevant,
unfortunately -- see http://www.ictineducation.org/artgender.htm
There is also another Government site on this subject, called Gender and
Achievement: it's address is
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/genderandachievement/index.html
It seems quite extensive, and focuses on the data and how it can be used
in a whole-school approach.
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An international perspective
For an international perspective on what you can do with computers and the
internet, "tune in" to the eSchola Week 'Learning Together' event, which
runs from the 7th to the 11th of May. For more information go to
http://www.becta.org.uk/eschola/
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For other DfEE press releases see http://www.dfee.gov.uk/pns/newslist.cgi
and scroll through the pages.
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e-mentoring
For the experience of discussing issues with members of an e-mentoring
team, visit http://www.compaq.co.uk/education or
http://www.mirandanet.ac.uk
===============================================================
Resources
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The ICT in Education website update
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---------------------------Advertisement-----------------------
Ebook: Using ICT
This ebook, Using ICT, consists of nearly 200 tips for using computers in
classrooms. In addition to the material that is already on the ICT in
Education website, such as how to start a lesson in a computer room, there
is advice on other issues too -- such as how to get the most out of your
school's ICT Co-ordinator!
Contents include:
* 11 Ways to be a good role model
* 8 reasons to use computers in lessons
* 22 example activities
* 16 ways of telling if you're doing a good job
* 17 ways to help your ICT Co-ordinator help you
It's in PDF format, so can be read by both pc and mac owners, and it's
available from the ICT in Education website. Download a limited trial
version, or buy the full version for £9.99 or $15, which includes a site
licence. See http://www.ictineducation.org/ebook01news.htm for details.
---------------------------------------------------------------
If you would like to advertise in this newsletter, please see
http://www.ictineducation.org/compicads.htm
---------------------------------------------------------------
New link
A link to the recently-formed Association of Teachers' Websites (ATW) has
been placed on the index page of the ICT in Education website,
http://www.ictineducation.org/. (See under Other Useful Websites for
further details of the ATW.)
I submitted my website's URL for approval, which was received, so it's now
listed on the ATW website.
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New search engine
For some time now I have been using Google as my site's search engine.
However, I wasn't completely satisfied with it because it included other
websites in the search results. I have just discovered, and switched to, a
search engine called Atomz. This took about 20 minutes to set up, from
registering to making it fully functional. I've tested it using several
kinds of searches, and it gives excellent results every time.
It also provides other information, such as page errors and various
statistics. What's more, it's free. If you have a website, I would
recommend that you consider this for your search engine. You can see how
it performs by going to http://www.ictineducation.org/sitemap.htm
The Atomz website is http://www.atomz.com
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A guide to the ICT in Education website
This newsletter is supported by the ICT in Education website. For example,
the section called Jargon Buster has been transferred to
http://www.ictineducation.org/jargon_buster.htm
You can access other information about the newsletter at
http://www.ictineducation.org/compic.htm
The aim of the ICT in Education website is to provide suggestions about
managing ICT in schools and colleges, and how to use computers to reduce
the amount of time and energy teachers expend on administrative tasks.
Sections include various "how-to" pages, downloadable utilities, book
reviews and others, including articles adapted from ones that I have had
published.
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Other useful websites
Building the Grid
At last, a central reference point on the internet just for ICT. Managed
by Helen Warner with support from Richard Selwyn and others at BECTa, this
website contains a wealth of useful information -- or, rather, links to
the relevant documentation. I discovered recently, and to my relief, that
I am not the only person who finds useful information on the world wide
web, and then cannot find it again! The Building the Grid site helps to
overcome that problem by centralising the information.
Thus there is a useful summary of the various Government-set ICT targets,
and a briefing paper on broadband, as well as other documents.
From what I have seen, this site is growing like Topsy, so it is
definitely worth bookmarking and returning to it once a week or so. The
address is http://www.becta.org.uk/buildingthegrid
Other official websites to investigate this month are the ones listed in
the News section, ie:
* the Teacher Resource Exchange at http://contribute.ngfl.gov.uk
* Internet Safety guidelines at http://safety.ngfl.gov.uk
* Computers for Teachers at
http://www.cft.ngfl.gov.uk/consultation/index.html
* girls' computer clubs at
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/pns/DisplayPN.cgi?pn_id=2001_0200 -- see also
http://www.ictineducation.org/artgender.htm and
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/genderandachievement/index.html
* the 'Learning Together' event, at http://www.becta.org.uk/eschola/
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*** STOP PRESS***
Changes to the Standards website
Just as this newsletter was about to be published, another set of changes
to the Standards site was announced:
* A new search facility has been installed at
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/findyourway/?page=start
This is stage 1 of an ongoing programme.
* Frameworks for teaching in Key Stage 3 have been published. These
documents and pages are well worth a visit. For example, there is an
excellent document called "Auditing a Subject" at
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/keystage3/?version=1
There is also a newly-published framework for teaching English, at
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/keystage3/strands/
* The Schemes of Work have been on the Standards site for some time; now
there is a bank of websites that may be found useful for helping to teach
certain units. Go to TeacherNet at
http://www.dfee.gov.uk/teachers/resources/
There have been several other updates to the Standards site -- too
numerous to mention here. Explore the site for yourself at
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/
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Other websites
The Association of Teachers' Websites (ATW)
The ATW's idea is to be a virtual school, categorised into Primary and
Secondary, with the Secondary being further subdivided into virtual
departments. Each "department" is managed by a volunteer who hosts the
relevant web pages on his/her own website. In other words, when you are
browsing the ATW website you may be under the impression that you are
looking at one actual site, but this is not the case.
Each "Head of Department" is responsible for maintaining his/her section,
and that includes approving or not approving websites to be listed on the
site. I was, in fact, approached by the ATW's founder, John Simpkin, to be
the Head of Department for the ICT section. That was very flattering of
course, but I declined the offer.
The rationale of the ATW is that websites for teachers should be created
and approved by teachers. Some of the websites featured are very good
indeed, particularly in the History section. Definitely worth a look,
especially by UK teachers. The secondary section is currently served
better than the primary section.
The address is http://www.byteachers.org.uk [still works, but appears to have a different purpose]
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Other people's lives
Question: What do John Glen, Mae West and Geoffrey Chaucer have in common?
Answer: They are all amongst the 25,000 people featured on the Biography
website at http://www.biography.com [still works]
The biographies are very variable. For example, Chaucer's is quite
substantial whereas Mae West's is just a paragraph long. Nevertheless,
it's a site worth bookmarking because it could save a lot of virtual
legwork. When you look someone up, there are other links too, for example
to more in-depth websites or to educational material.
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A useful reference site
An alternative, or a supplement to, search engines is the one-stop shop
reference site. One such site is http://www.infoplease.com/ [still works]
This takes the form of an online almanac, with headings such as Day in
History and Biography of the Day. Its summary of Great Britain is quite
good; this is at http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0108078.html [still works]
A section called Facts behind the News is very good, but will be of more
interest to students of US current affairs than anywhere else.
There is also an interactive almanac, and quizzes, and other useful
sources of information. Definitely worth a visit.
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Another useful reference site
The Reference Desk is also worth a visit. This site is jam-packed with
reference sources, and has several search facilities. For example, you can
search Encyclopaedia Britannica, or Reuters.
Its design leaves something to be desired: to say it looks daunting and
somewhat overwhelming is putting it mildly. However, it has so many
reference resources there at the click of a mouse that it would be silly
not to bookmark it and tell your pupils about it. The address is
http://www.refdesk.com/ [still works]
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A web-based guide to using ICT
Every so often I come across a website which stands out from the rest in
terms of its educational usefulness. There are many sites with scores of
links for all curriculum areas, and these can be very useful -- at least,
up to a point: sometimes the list of resources to explore can be almost
overwhelming!
What makes the Teacher Tools website so attractive is that it takes the
ICT teacher's tools, such as word processor, presentation program and so
on, and gives you advice on how best to use them to enhance your
educational goals for the pupils, as well as technical instruction.
Thus each tool has a section called "Reflections" in which the value of
the tool as a vehicle for teaching pupils how to think is discussed. For
example, in the section on word processing there is the following
observation:
"E-mail learning experiences include several benefits: they provide
students with a clear reason to learn, allow students to practice a second
language, enable students to act as teachers and learners, provide
multicultural learning experiences through discussion of holidays, word
spelling, seasons, television shows, music, school subjects and books...
See how this application of word processing skills leads to learning."
There follows a link to an interesting email activity for students.
This site should be made compulsory for all those teachers who still
believe that an adequate scheme of work for school pupils is something
like: Term 1, word processing, Term 2, spreadsheets and so on.
With plenty of useful links (sorry!), including links to sites about
evaluating sites, this is an interesting and very worthwhile site to
bookmark. http://www.2learn.ca/teachertools/
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Quality not quantity
Having lots of reference sites is all very well, but how do you know that
the information is any good? A site that attempts to get this point across
and to address it in a very practical and friendly way is the Quality
Information Checklist site at http://www.quick.org.uk/
This gives an 8 point checklist for evaluating websites, with questions
like "Is the site biased?" You can go a bit further into each point. In
this case, for example, it explains what bias is, and why a site might be
biased.
While the site does not go very deeply into some of the points it raises,
it is a good starting point. It also contains a set of links to reference
sites and search engines, and these are worth checking out as well. The
site as a whole is aimed at children rather than adults.
===============================================================
Book Review
Planning Good Change with Technology and Literacy, by Jamie McKenzie
It's easy to get caught up in the whirlwind of change on the ICT front.
Money is being poured into educational ICT by the Government, with the
result that computer-pupil ratios and school internet access have
increased dramatically, as has the quality of the infrastructure in
schools.
However, it's generally acknowledged that all of this counts for very
little if the quality of teaching is not high. And I am using "teaching"
here in a general as well as a specific sense, to include planning as well
as the activity itself.
As in many things, the USA got there before we in the UK did -- but
reading between the lines of this book, you may come to the conclusion
that we have not necessarily drawn the correct conclusions from what we've
seen. McKenzie's thesis is that filling schools up with infrastructure and
hardware is putting the cart before the horse: if there is no clarity of
purpose, we shouldn't be surprised when we discover that the equipment is
not being used -- so-called "screensavers disease". (This is just one of
several great phrases, including "dot.compost" and "PowerPointlessness").
We should also not be too scandalised when the medium appears to take on
greater importance than the message, especially in PowerPoint
presentations and much commercial software. Teachers and students need to
learn not just how to use the technology, but how to use it appropriately,
in an educational context.
A phrase which comes to mind when reading the book -- and is, in fact,
mentioned -- is "the Emperor's new clothes". The distinguishing
characteristic of that story is that people decided to see what they
thought they ought to be seeing, instead of what was really there. This
book takes on the role of the little boy who blurted out the awful truth.
In some respects, the book is perhaps too scathing of Governmental
approaches. The real world is not black and white, and the reality is
that, in the UK at least, a larger number of pupils are now getting the
access to ICT that is their right as a result of initiatives to put
equipment into schools and set up a training programme. I suspect the same
is true of the USA as well. We can argue that the cart was put before the
horse, but the process has to start somewhere.
You may not agree with everything this books says, but reading it
certainly makes you think. The problems it highlights, and the possible
solutions it suggests, should be considered by everyone in this field.
You can buy this book from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0967407834/itineducati/104-1668416-8352707
===============================================================
Tips
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If you have any tips you'd like to share with other teachers, please send
them to tips@ictineducation.org
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Word processing Tip
Whatever word processor you use, or the pupils use, make sure that you
show a healthy respect for fonts. The word "font" refers to a typeface and
its size, and there are some rules worth knowing about:
* Don't use more than 2 fonts -- 3 at the most -- per page. If you do, the
result is usually a mess that distracts the reader from the message you
are trying to get across. Note that different sizes of the same font count
as different fonts, even though the contrast may not be as stark as if you
used a different typeface altogether.
* If you do need to use different sizes of the same typeface, try to make
the different sizes relate to each other. For example, use 14 point and 12
point and 10 point, rather than 14 point, 13 point and 9 point. You'd be
surprised at how noticeable a lack of proportion can be.
* There are two types of font: serif, which have twiddly bits on (like the
text you're reading now), and sans serif, which don't. A good rule is to
use a serif font for the body of the text, because the twiddly bits lead
the eye on naturally to the next word, and a sans serif font for headings
or poster text, because it tends to stand out more.
* Encourage pupils to use the right font for the job. This is important:
using a cursive script may look great on a wedding invitation, but it's as
much use as a chocolate teapot on a poster. After all, the point of a
poster is to be readable at a distance: virtually impossible if a cursive
font is used (get the pupils to try this out for themselves).
* Explore the use of speciality fonts, like Wingdings. They enable you to
include symbols in your text quite easily. For example, if you are
producing a help sheet, typing the "less than" sign (<) and changing the
font to Wingdings results in a picture of a floppy disk.
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Data handling tip
A question that crops up every so often is whether pupils should be taught
Access. In my experience, the advocates of doing so always cite the
perceived advantages of Access over other data handling programs in terms
of the features of the programs. However, this is not the correct
educational approach.
The right approach as far as schools are concerned is to start with what
pupils need to know in terms of data handling skills. Now, it may be that
for some of these skills, Access, or a similarly advanced program, is the
best one to use; but the point is, that judgement must be made according
to educational criteria, not computer programming criteria!
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Internet Tip
If you come across a website you like, you can bookmark it for future
reference. (If you use Netscape as your web browser, this is called adding
a bookmark, while in Explorer it's called adding to your favorites.) If
you are not sure how to do so, go to the web browser's Help and find out
(sorry, but not everything gets handed to you on a plate in this
newsletter!).
However, if you are using a network in school, life may not be as simple
as that. If the ICT Co-ordinator or Network Manager is on the ball, s/he
will have set up restrictions which prevent ordinary users (ie most pupils
and teachers) from changing any settings -- and that may include adding
bookmarks or favorites. So, before you tell your class to bookmark
everything they come across that they will want to revisit, make sure that
the bookmarks will still be there when they next log on.
Even if stand-alone computers are used, it's still an issue, because the
pupils' bookmarks will be saved only on the computer they were using at
the time. You can move or copy bookmark files, but there's no need to go
to all that trouble.
A way around it, and one which makes good use of a very basic skill, is to
copy and paste each URL (web address) into a word processed document. Some
word processors, such as Word, will even convert the addresses into
clickable links. Pupils can each maintain their own bookmark file in the
form of a word processed document, and even carry it around with them on
floppy disk if necessary.
One thing which should be avoided is having the pupils write out the URLs
in their exercise books. Not only is it unnecessary and time-consuming,
but also it's a sure fire way to introduce errors -- not just in writing
them into a book, but typing them into the web browser at a later date.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Classroom Tip
If you take a class into the school's computer suite, make sure you allow
enough time for packing up at the end of the lesson. This ALWAYS takes
longer than you might expect. Here is a 3 point plan for ending lessons
smoothly.
1. Twenty-five minutes before the end of the lesson, announce that nobody
is to try to print any of their work after 15 minutes' time. Printing
always takes longer than you think it will, and it's frustrating for the
next teacher to have to put up with work from the previous class being
printed during her lesson.
2. Ten minutes later, tell the class that there is only 5 minutes of
printing time left.
3. Five minutes later, tell the class not to send any more work to the
printer, and to start saving their work. Remember: some pupils will not
make any attempt to save their work until you have to threaten them with
dire consequences, whilst other pupils find it hard to remember how to
save their work properly. Either way, it's not a process that takes just a
few seconds, although obviously you will need to adjust the timings given
above depending on the particular group.
What if you finish too early? There is no such thing! A gap of 3 minutes
between all the computers being silenced, and the roar of the lunchtime
bell, represents a perfect opportunity for a quick-fire round of questions
about terminology, say, or for someone to summarise what they have
achieved that lesson. One thing is vital: keep up the pace! Allowing
pupils to chat amongst themselves until the bell goes is a certain way of
guaranteeing that your lesson will end like a damp squib. Your motto
should be: if they aren't sweating, they're not working!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Word Tip
Some time ago we featured the RAND utility. This is where you type =rand
in order to generate a few paragraphs of The quick brown fox jumped over
the lazy dog. Here's a variation on it, which gives you more control. It
is =rand(x,y), where x is the number of paragraphs and y is the number of
sentences in each paragraph. Thus, typing =rand(100,50) followed by Return
will give you 100 paragraphs each consisting of 50 sentences. It's a very
fast way of generating dummy text for demonstrating search and replace or
for trying out different types of formatting.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Excel Tip
Don't cram everything onto one worksheet. Excel has the ability to create
as many worksheets as you need, subject to no limitation apart from your
computer system's capacity. For example, in a budget spreadsheet, you
could have one sheet for income, one for spending and one for the balance.
By the same token, don't retain sheets that you don't need. If you have
several sheets that have nothing on them, delete them.
As well as naming your workbooks sensibly, name each sheet properly. If
you are using one sheet for income, rename it from, say, Sheet1 to Income.
The test is this: could someone coming to your spreadsheet for the first
time make sense of what it's about very quickly?
To rename, add or delete sheets, click on the worksheet tab and then press
the right mouse button, and choose the option you want from the menu that
appears.
You can find utilities for worksheets in Excel at
http://www.ictineducation.org/downloads.htm
* "More Sheets" enables you add new sheets to an Excel workbook and
automatically update a summary sheet's columns.
* "My Sheets List Maker" is a variation on the More Sheets spreadsheet.
What it does is create a menu of all the sheets in the workbook, either
going across or down. What's more, each menu item is a hot link to the
worksheet it references.
* "Sheet Generator" enables you to type a list of names in Excel, and
create a new set of worksheet tabs corresponding to your names just by
clicking a button.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Faulty disk tip
If you have a floppy disk that appears to be faulty, as indicated by
problems accessing your data, try the following:
1. Put the disk in the drive.
2. Go into My Computer and right-click on the Floppy Drive icon.
3. Click on Properties.
4. Click on the Tools tab.
5. Click on Check Now.
6. Set it do a surface test and to fix errors automatically.
7. Tell it to go ahead.
Once you've run Scandisk in this way, try to access the data again. If
you're successful, make sure you backup all of the data on the disk to
another location, such as a directory on your hard drive or another floppy
disk.
---------------------------------------------------------------
For more tips, look at the ICT in Education website at
http://www.ictineducation.org, especially the articles section and the
Walk-throughs.
If you're interested in the kinds of things you can do with Excel, have a
look at the Utilities section of the website. One application that may
appeal is the Homework Excuse Management System!
===============================================================
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.
It seems to be still the case that some of you regard fear of the unknown,
fear of technology, or fear of the pupils knowing more than you do about
computers as reasons that some teachers are reluctant to use them. And, of
course, fear of the equipment breaking down.
Some of these fears can be addressed by practical means. For example, fear
of the pupils knowing more than you do could be balanced by the thought
that they don't know as much as you do about the educational aspects
involved. In a different context, I used to teach Economics. Some of my
students were sons and daughters of professional economists. But they
still needed me to help them pass their exams.
Equipment break-down can be addressed in several ways by the school, but
on a practical level it's imperative that you have a non-computer based
lesson as a back-up. This is no different to a situation in which you
intend to show a video in your lesson: if you are sensible, you will have
an alternative activity up your sleeve in case the tape gets broken or the
video player goes wrong.
Another problem is time. This is a real issue, and crops up in various
ways. For example, BE draws attention to the fact that the
pressure for good examination results means that computers won't be used
if it can be done quicker without them. Actually, this is a very sensible
decision! If you can achieve the same or better results, faster, without a
computer than you can with one, what's the point of using a computer?
However, this will not be true for all aspects of your subject, as
indicated in many, many research projects. Besides, how will you even know
if it's true unless you try it out as an experiment?
Other pressures, such as the Literacy and Numeracy hours (in the UK) and
only having one computer in the classroom also play their part, as pointed
out by SF of NHP School in the UK, and JS. It's worth looking at the resources cited in this newsletter, such as the Teacher Resource Exchange and the ATW, for ideas on using
computers in the Literacy and Numeracy hours. For help on using one
computer in a classroom, look at my ebook, "Using ICT", mentioned earlier.
So what about the positive side? IG, of WCS in the UK, mentions what he calls the "ooh aah" factor, when people realise that a computer can do something that they couldn't, or at least not as quickly or easily. A similar point, in relation to Control
technology, is made by COD, an IT Advisor and NOF trainer in
the UK, and by KS. DD, ICT Co-ordinator at the
VSS in the UK, mentions the fact that software can
make a teaching point easier to handle.
BF, who works in schools in the USA, tells his 4th Grade pupils --
approximately equivalent to Year 5 in the UK -- that when he puts their
work on websites that their work is on the biggest bulletin board in the
world!
JC, IT Co-ordinator at x in Malta, says that
teachers found it inspiring to have a First Aid course taught by the PSE
staff using an interactive whiteboard.
Other people find pupils' progress inspiring. For example, DJA,
ICT Co-ordinator at BS in the UK, cites the case of a low
ability maths group working well without any problems.
Several people have said that Government assistance has been very
valuable. LN, ICT Co-ordinator at MJS in
the UK, says, "...having their own computer with
school-compatible software via the Computers for Teachers scheme has made
a huge difference to several of my colleagues." A similar point is made by
HB.
BW, of SMC, in the UK, says that Primary teachers
can be empowered through the NOF training when supported by a headteacher
who gives it time and money.
If you would like to contribute to this section, complete the survey at
http://www.ictineducation.org/cics
When contributing, please bear in mind that one word comments are not
often useful, because the meaning can be ambiguous. On the other hand,
please do not write reams!
Thanks to everyone who completed the survey form.
===============================================================
Features
---------------------------------------------------------------
The Classroom of the Future
Many people have given their views about the classroom of the future. For
a variety of views by some well-known people in the UK, go to
http://futureclass.ngfl.gov.uk/
You will also come across a downloadable document called "Towards the
Classroom of the Future". Produced by the DfEE, it includes descriptions
of what some schools have been doing in this area.
These visions and the document are very interesting, and there is a
facility on the website to take part in the discussion by contributing
your views. I don't want to summarise these documents here, but to propose
a few suggestions on this topic. If you have any views on these points, or
wish to make some of your own, please email them to
cotf@ictineducation.org -- or contribute your views to the official
website given above.
Here, then, is my list of ideas; all the technology referred to is
available NOW:
* Much of the technology for the classroom of the "future" actually exists
now. The difference in the future will be that it will be much more common
and used as a matter of course.
* The classroom of the future will be a "smart" classroom. It should be
possible for desks to have computers built into them, much like you can
buy rulers and mouse mats with calculators built into them. The computer
would know who is sitting at the desk, and log on automatically and
produce a menu of options, including "Load last piece of work".
* Connectivity and "embeddedness" will be the guiding principles:
connectivity, in the sense that whatever device pupils do their work on
will not lead to a cul-de-sac: it will be straightforward to start work on
a handheld computer in one place and continue on a laptop somewhere else;
embeddedness, in the sense that you won't have to think about what you're
using, because it will all be part of the fabric of living. These two
ideas are, of course, closely connected.
* Schools as such won't disappear, but the widespread use of handheld or
laptop computers, the internet and teleconferencing will mean that those
who are unable to attend school because of, say, illness, will not be
excluded from the learning process. Also, guided learning time will be
extended beyond the normal school day.
* Students will complete online lessons and assessments. These will be
marked automatically, and the results emailed to both the student and the
teacher.
* Students will use hand held computers to read ebooks, or compilations of
resources in one or other ebook format. Likely contenders are Microsoft's
ebook reader and Adobe's new Palm computer version of PDF -- currently
available in a trial version at http://www.adobe.co.uk/betareg.html
* Schools will buy their lessons in a pick-n-mix style from online content
providers.
* Schools will print out books and similar resources through the use of
print on demand technology, perhaps through a licensing system similar to
the one used for photocopying resources at present. (Richard Charkin,
chief executive of Macmillan, has warned that the probable take-up of
print-on-demand by intermediaries such as libraries is potentially "the
biggest threat facing booksellers.".)
* Teachers will continue to be the single most important element in the
learning process.
* "Pundits" who plug only one vision of the future will be proved wrong.
* Anyone who produces a list like this will turn out to be wrong!
---------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the most from your ICT Co-ordinator
Remember: your ICT Co-ordinator is a human being! Here are a few tips on
getting the best out of him or her!
* If possible, ask the ICT Co-ordinator to work with you in planning the
use of computers in your subject.
* Book the computer room well in advance. Saying: "Oh look, it's raining;
might as well take the kids in the computer room." is not the best way to
obtain the ICT Co-ordinator's full co-operation!
* Tell the ICT Co-ordinator what you would like to achieve by going into
the computer room. Start from your objectives rather than software skills,
because s/he may be able to suggest a better way of achieving them.
* Find out what software is available.
* Ask the ICT Co-ordinator what you have to do in order to make files
available for the pupils, and how to make them read only (so that pupils
cannot change the originals) or read/write (so that they can).
* Ask the ICT Co-ordinator how to set up templates, such as in the word
processor.
* Does the room have help for the pupils in terms of using the software,
or will you be expected to produce your own?
* Find out how to enable printing, how to pause the printing, and who
pays, and how much, for the print-outs. Also, make sure you know how and
where to obtain more printer paper.
* Find out where pupils' work should be saved, including the drive and the
folder. For example, someone logged on as Fredsmith may save his work on
drive N in a folder called Fredsmith.
* Find out how you should report faults: is there a fault form available,
such as the one in "Managing ICT"?
* Upload any files you need to the shared area on the network, or copy the
files onto diskettes if stand-alones will be used. You may need to ask the
ICT Co-ordinator or a technician to do tasks like these. Don't leave such
requests till the last minute: find out how much notice is required, and
then provide the files at least a day sooner than necessary!
* Check that all pupils have User IDs for the network, that you have a
list of them (with passwords) and/or that there are "spare" User IDs that
pupils can log on with. If you do use spare User IDs, make arrangements
for transferring files to pupils' own areas before the next lesson.
* Check that the pupils' User Ids will give them access to the programs
and files you *want* them to have access to.
* Make sure you have your own User ID, and that you can gain access to the
same applications and files as your pupils. Also make sure that your
desktop looks the same as theirs, or it could confuse them when you
demonstrate something.
* Find out how you will demonstrate software skills to the pupils. Has the
projector for the electronic whiteboard been switched on, and do you know
how to use the whiteboard? How do you log on to the computer to which the
large display monitor is attached? Will you need to ask the pupils to
gather around a computer workstation? If so, which one will it be, and
which pupil will you ask to sit there (choose one who won't mind being
disturbed!).
* Make sure that you have reached a point in your scheme of work where the
computers will be used meaningfully, rather than used only because you've
got the room booked.
* Have some non-computer work available in the computer room just in case
there's a power cut in the middle of the lesson!
(Taken from "Using ICT" -- see
http://www.ictineducation.org/ebook01news.htm for details.)
---------------------------------------------------------------
Something to ponder...
The other day I had the dubious pleasure of reading a lesson plan for
teaching pupils about using email. It had obviously been written by a
teacher who was new to all this, because it had all the hallmarks of
someone who was terrified of missing something out or, heaven forfend,
losing control. It was the equivalent of those lessons where the teacher
stands at the front saying things like: And now all of you press the Enter
key". It was full of things like: Spend 20 minutes discussing when email
would be used, or when texting would be used.
I couldn't help a wry smile appearing on my face as I thought of all those
pupils in this lesson silently texting their friends on the other side of
the classroom about how boring the lesson is!
I think what is more important is to discuss the sensible use of email and
texting, and the importance of taking elementary personal security
measures.
Or am I simply throwing the baby out with the bath water?
===============================================================
If you like this newsletter, tell someone about it!
===============================================================
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 (printed) 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.
Janet Nock, writing on the Amazon UK website, said:
"What a useful book to any ICT Co-ordinator. Like many ICT Co-ordinators I
acquired the position by being confident enough to use computers with the
children in my NQT year. I was duly appointed in my first year as the ICT
Co-ordinator. I had to review the Policy and Scheme of work in a subject
that I had received little advice from my training institute. This book
rescued me and has become an invaluable resource. A must-have to
experienced and frightened Co-ordinators looking for advice on Schemes and
resources. Thank you, Terry"
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
===============================================================
---------------------------Quick Test Answer-------------------
Believe it or not, the quote is over 200 years old. It comes from William
Blake's "The Marriage of Heaven and Hell", which was produced between 1790
and 1793.
---------------------------------------------------------------
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 offers of work and enquiries about rates
to mark@eurobell.co.uk.
===============================================================
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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) 2001 T Freedman email: compic@ictineducation.org
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