“You may be aware that Google is a search engine.”
That seems such an odd thing to say these days, but back in the year 2001 Google was still very much the new-ish kid on the block. Unlike other search engines at the time, Google presented results based on the popularity of websites.
In my newsletter of January 2001, I mentioned the then new Google toolbar, the retirement of the wonderful Gabriel Goldstein, and the forthcoming Bett Show. With regards to the Google toolbar, perhaps this was rather prescient:
“But read the information that is provided before you install the toolbar, as it mentions certain privacy issues.”
Part of the Freedman archives. Photo by Terry Freedman
The original newsletter was in plain text format, and was called Computers in Classrooms. That, too, sounds terribly quaint now, but back then having even one computer in a classroom was regarded as cutting edge.
I haven’t changed any of the content or formatting of the newsletter. Not all of the links will work now. In fact, most of them don’t. The only ones that do are Google, Virtual Teacher and Bett.
On the subject of Bett, most of the advice still applies, although I expanded it quite a bit subsequently. For several years I published a pdf called Getting the best out of Bett, and eventually I expanded and generalised the suggestions into an ebook on getting the most out of education conferences.
The suggestions relatating to business cards are a bit passé, especially as exhibitors in 2022 are being encouraged to provide QR codes on their stands, as per the advice in the guidelines for exhibitors:
“Rather than exchanging business cards exhibitors have been encouraged to use data capture devices to ensure contact free sharing of business details – look out for QR codes on stands.”
As well as dud links, the books of mine mentioned are now out of print <sniff>. They had a good run at the time though, so I’m not complaining!
Incidentally, the newsletter is still thriving today, but under the name Digital Education. Click on that link to subscribe.
And now, grab a cup of tea, and enjoy this blast from the past!
Computers in Classrooms
===============================================================
ISSN 1470-5524
Edited by Terry Freedman
Home Page: http://www.ictineducation.org/compic.htm
Email: compic@ictineducation.org
Volume 1 Issue 7 *** 09 January 2001
===============================================================
This issue is sponsored by 2Simple Software: Software designed for Early
Years and Key Stage 1
Visit our website, and come and see us at Stand SW67 at the BETT Show in
January
www.2simplesoftware.com
nigel@2simplesoftware.com
===============================================================
In this issue:
---------------------------------------------------------------
* A note from the Editor
* News
* Gabriel Goldstein
* 2Simple Software
* Resources
* Free ebook: Using ICT -- nearly 200 hints and tips. The ICT in Education
* Website update * Other useful websites *
* Features
* Getting the most from the BETT show
* How to evaluate hardware
* How to evaluate software
* How to evaluate books etc
* Newsletter
* Surveys
* About the editor
* About the proofreader
* Subscription details
* Disclaimer
===============================================================
A note from the Editor
---------------------------------------------------------------
One of the problems of trying to produce a quality monthly newsletter is
that other things intervene: mainly work. That's the primary reason that
the December issue didn't materialise in the end. Plus, of course, the
fact that I was working on the ebook Using ICT. I hope that those of you
who have downloaded it have found it useful, and consider it to be worth
foregoing the usual newsletter. If you haven't already downloaded it, find
out more in the Resources section below.
This edition is a special BETT edition. For the benefit of non-UK
residents, BETT is the main annual exhibition dedicated to ICT. As well as
hundreds of exhibitors and products (and thousands of people!), it also
features seminars by well-known speakers and experts in their fields. It
is at BETT where the Government often announces new initiatives.
However, this edition should still prove useful even if you don't live in
the UK, because many of the suggestions can be applied to ANY exhibition.
Also, even you don't go to such exhibitions, the guidelines on evaluating
resources will, I hope, prove useful.
Normal service, including the Tips section, should be resumed by next
month.
===============================================================
News section
---------------------------------------------------------------
Gabriel Goldstein
Sadly, Gabriel Goldstein, the HMI with responsibility for ICT, retires
during BETT. Gabriel has done a tremendous amount of work over the years
to promote ICT as a subject. As a recent interview in TES Online
indicated, as did a talk he gave at last July's ICT Conference, he
believes that what is important is not so much cutting edge technology or
state-of-the-art software, but what you actually do with it. The research
and reports he has undertaken into the state of ICT teaching and learning
in the UK have been extremely useful in showing us what the true situation
is and, of course, what still needs to be done.
We wish Gabriel congratulations and much happiness on his retirement, and
congratulations and good luck to Ken Dyson, who takes over from him.
2Simple Software
This is literally hot off the press. Yesterday I received an updated
version of this software with a note to say that it has been improved
since I wrote my review of it in the last issue of this newsletter. I have
not had time to look at it since receiving it, but I mention this because
if you are interested in software for the very young, and are going to the
BETT show, it would be a good idea to go along to the 2Simple stand (SW67)
and look at the software for yourself. Alternatively, request an
evaluation copy (contact details are at the top of this newsletter).
===============================================================
Resources
---------------------------------------------------------------
Free ebook: Using ICT
This book, which is in pdf format, contains nearly 200 tips on using
computers in the curriculum. It's full of practical advice, in the form of
bullet points. As well as material taken from the ICT in Education
website, there are extra chapters, including "The teacher as Role Model"
and sections on assessing students' work in ICT.
It's available exclusively (apart from review copies) to subscribers of
Computers in Classrooms until the end of January. For details on how to
obtain your copy, send any email to ebook1@ictineducation.org
---------------------------------------------------------------
The ICT in Education website update
Over the holiday period I put a snowflake effect on the home page, with
the "snowflakes" being computers with Father Christmas hats. I removed the
effect a couple of days ago. Over the next week or so I hope to add more
links to the Resources section of the website, to include GlobalNet (see
below), the new BETT show website (see below) and possibly one or two
others.
If you haven't visited the website before, have a look when you can. It
contains quite a few pages of hints and tips relating to various aspects
of managing ICT and using computers to reduce the admin burden on
teachers, plus a number of articles and free resources.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Other useful websites
The Homework Website
http://www.standards.dfee.gov.uk/homework/
This is another website from the ever-busy DfEE. This one focuses on
homework, with links to homework guidance published in 1998, plus case
studies of good practice, taken from primary, secondary and special
education. There is a list of key points relating to developing a homework
strategy, all of which is fairly sound advice. The general message is that
homework should be an integral part of a school's planning, not a bolt-on
activity, and that homework SHOULD be set, for a variety of reasons. This
philosophy can obviously be applied to individual subject areas even if
the school you work in is not quite so enlightened. For example, in
"Managing ICT" I wrote:
"Homework can and should be set for pupils, even for younger ones.",
followed by a list of reasons. Then:
"Homework should be planned as part of the lesson or Unit.", followed by
further guidance on giving it out and marking it.
Getting back to the Homework website, it's very easy to use and well-laid
out, and the points it makes are well-worth reading -- especially if you
are in the process of devising a homework policy for ICT or for the school
as a whole.
The BETT Show
http://www.bettshow.com/
This is a much more useful website than last year's one. Not only is it
easier to use and with a faster downloading time, it now has a search
facility. Using this, I was able within seconds to generate a list of
publishers to visit at the show.
The list I generated included not only the companies' locations at the
show, but also links to their websites. I found this much easier to use
than a paper catalogue, although obviously you have to take into
consideration the costs of being on-line. One thing it does provide you
with, of course, is a list of all the exhibitors in a form which you can
fairly easily transfer to your computer for future reference.
GlobalNet
http://www.globalnetdata.net/Main/Teachers__links/teachers__links.html
GlobalNet have been involved in the creation of websites for a number of
educational organisations. This links page provides a handy (and, I
believe, growing) list of links to various organisational and other
websites, such as the General Teacher Council and others. Well worth a
visit.
The Google Toolbar
Google (http://www.google.com)
As you probably know, Google is a search engine. Now you can have Google
at your fingertips whenever you are on the internet. If you go to the
Google website, you will have the opportunity to download, and
automatically install, a toolbar that will reside on your browser. This
toolbar gives you access to the search engine, with other useful features
such as the facility for searching just the website you are visiting
rather than the wider web. Also, the highlight feature, whereby the terms
you searched on are highlighted in the search results, is quite useful.
I have been using the toolbar for a few weeks now and have found it
extremely handy. But read the information that is provided before you
install the toolbar, as it mentions certain privacy issues.
===============================================================
If you like this newsletter, tell someone about it!
===============================================================
Features
---------------------------------------------------------------
Getting the most from the BETT show
You can always tell who has been to the BETT show (or any other
educational exhibition) from their stooped shoulders and/or aching backs
from carrying all those bags of literature and freebies around for a whole
day, together with a glazed look from having looked at everything and
seen nothing. There are many guidelines at the moment on what to look for
in the BETT show, but as far as I know there is nothing available on HOW
to look. The articles in this section attempt to redress the balance.
One of the problems with visiting the BETT show and events like it is
that, because they occur just once a year, people who attend feel
duty-bound to look at everything they can. This is akin to going to the
Tate Gallery with the intention of looking at every painting. It is (just
about) possible, but the experience is horrible: it's exhausting, and
almost totally unsatisfying.
A much better approach is to regard the BETT show visit as a
reconnaissance exercise. You go to scout for possible new avenues and
leads to explore AFTER the show. (Before anyone protests that as a teacher
they do not have the time to do such follow-up afterwards, I have to say
that it IS possible, as long as you plan and prioritise well and don't
expect to have completed all of your phone calls or emails in just a week
or so.) In order to get the most benefit from a visit based on this
principle, planning is of the essence. Here is an 8 point guide to
planning your visit.
* Make a (short) list of the sort of things you're interested in, such as
networking products or books on particular areas.
* Make a list of people you wish to meet up with. BETT is a great
opportunity to maintain contact with people like suppliers and their reps.
* Look through the list of exhibitors using a printed catalogue or the
BETT show website in order to find out who can provide the information
you're looking for, and where they are located, and where the people on
your contact list are likely to be.
* Look through the list of exhibitors using a printed catalogue or the
BETT show website in order to see if there are any other stands you should
visit AFTER you have visited the main ones on your list.
* Plan TWO routes: one for your main list and one for the subsidiary list.
It's important to make sure that you get round the main ones on your list
while you are still fresh. So even though having two routes may seem like
twice the effort, it can often be a much better use of your time and
energy. Each route should involve as little back-tracking as possible:
endless walking backwards and forwards can be very tiring in itself.
* Get business cards printed before the show. Business cards fulfill two
functions. First, they mark you out as someone whom companies should take
seriously. Certainly in the UK at least, it is still so unusual for
teachers to carry business cards that if you do people assume you must be
important! Secondly, rather than lug around loads of literature, you can
simply give your business card to exhibitors and ask them to forward it on
to you after the show. (If they don't bother, that's OK: would you want to
do business with a company that apparently isn't interested in doing
business with you?) Not only will you lighten your load considerably, but
you will also have more room in your bags for the really important things:
mugs, pens, bookmarks and, if you're lucky, t-shirts.
If you want to do your own business cards, you can buy packs of business
cards at computer suppliers. These come on sheets of A4 and are
perforated. They may not always look the highest quality, but they do the
job. If the pack does not come with software, either use a program like
Word or a desktop publishing program, or download a shareware program from
the internet, using a search engine like Google (http://www.google.com) to
find one.
Alternatively, you can have business cards printed, sometimes by the
following day, at some photocopy shops or large stationery suppliers. You
have to choose from a number of pre-set designs, but on the other hand the
cards are of a higher quality (and look it) than you could probably obtain
yourself.
* Have a good breakfast. If you come over really hungry during the show it
can be an expensive business.
* After the show, write or email the companies that you were not able to
visit. You will need to allow at least a week for them to reply. The
Monday after the show is usually spent catching up on emails and other
correspondence. Then all the follow-ups are done: sending out literature
to all those people who left their contact details with them at the show.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Evaluating Resources
The remaining articles in this section have been summarised from "Managing
ICT" (in which many of the points are explained in more detail). There are
several periodicals whose current edition has a very useful supplement
about the BETT show, including thumbnail sketches of new products. I
didn't see the point of producing yet another one. Instead, these
articles, which are really simply checklists, are intended to help you
evaluate what's on offer.
In each case, you may like to ask the questions, perhaps on a form devised
for the purpose. Ask colleagues and, where appropriate, pupils to do the
same.
---------------------------------------------------------------
How to evaluate software
* What is the name of the program?
* What category does it fall into, eg Word Processing, Games?
* Which computer systems will it work on?
* How much is it?
* Where appropriate, how much is a site licence?
* Will users be able to understand the printed documentation?
* Is the on-line help good? Will pupils be able to understand it?
* Do the graphics enhance or detract from the program?
* What is the colour scheme like?
* Is the layout easy to follow?
* What print options are available?
* How suitable is it for the classes you want it for?
* Does it allow access by people with Special Educational Needs?
* Does it meet the National Curriculum requirements?
* Where appropriate, is it suitable for an examination?
* Is it suitable for the scheme of work being followed?
* How easy is it to use?
* Will it attract pupils' interest in the short-term?
* Does it make good use of the computer?
* Will it be able to maintain pupils' interest in the long-term?
* Is it good value for money?
* Will it enhance your existing software resources?
Note that most of these questions apply even to free software, because of
the opportunity costs involved.
---------------------------------------------------------------
How to evaluate hardware
There are many different kinds of hardware, and so you will need different
criteria for each type.
* Is it easy to set up?
* Is it easy for non-experts to use?
* Is it robust?
* Is it easy to maintain?
* Is it costly to maintain?
* Is it recommended in (educational) magazine reviews?
* Is it compatible with existing systems?
* How new is the technology it uses? (Newer may not mean better.)
* Is it good value for money?
* What technical support is provided?
---------------------------------------------------------------
How to evaluate books and other paper resources
ICT is not just about using computers, and it is useful to have teaching
resources such as books from which you can set work. Unfortunately, ICT is
still very much in its infancy in this context, compared with other
subjects such as Maths, Science and English. Nevertheless, there ARE books
out there, and there seem to be more and more titles coming out all the
time.
Obtain inspection copies where possible, and ask other ICT teachers what
they think of the books or resources you are interested in purchasing. (In
the interests of not making life difficult or more expensive for others in
the long run, please buy or return inspection copies, and only ask for
them in the first place if you are both genuinely interested and have an
influence on purchasing.)
* Will users be able to understand it?
* What is the layout like? Is it confusing?
* Is it accurate?
* Does it meet the National Curriculum requirements?
* Where appropriate, is it suitable for the examination?
* Is it suitable for the scheme of work being followed?
* How easy is it to use for finding information?
* Is it interesting?
* Is it challenging?
* Does it have non-computer based exercises?
* Are the tasks realistic for the people in your class?
* Is it good value for money? (It may be cheaper in the long run to buy
sets of photocopiable resources than sets of textbooks.)
===============================================================
Surveys
---------------------------------------------------------------
There are three main surveys running on my web site at the moment, these
being the ICT Co-ordinators' wish list, one on why teachers do or do not
use computers in their lessons, the response form to this month's Scenario
and your horror story about a management aspect of ICT. Details of all of
these can be found on my web site at
http://www.ictineducation.org/surveys.htm
===============================================================
About the editor
---------------------------------------------------------------
I work in ICT in education. You can find out more by going to
http://www.ictineducation.org/tfcv.htm, or by sending any email to
tfresume@fastfacts.net.
My most recent book is Managing ICT. My previous book was Make Time With
IT.
Managing ICT looks at all aspects of managing ICT in schools and colleges,
and provides checklists to help the busy ICT Co-ordinator. A review by
Cathy Brown in The Virtual Teacher Newsletter
(http://www.virtualteacher.com.au) said:
"This book puts ICT into perspective, and demonstrates excellent
organisational techniques and strategies which can be developed over time
to suit individual schools. It offers pro forma documents for classroom
management and organisation, as well as practical and useful solutions to
ICT development and planning. Despite its UK bias, this book offers a
great deal to the ICT co-ordinator at any school."
Managing ICT, Terry Freedman, £9.99, Hodder and Stoughton, ISBN
0-340-75334-X.
Make Time With IT considers numerous ways in which teachers and
school/college administrators at all levels can use computers to reduce
their workload. The tips contained in the book are summarised on my
website. The review in InteracTive said:
"...it tackles the complexities of computing across a wide range of
technicalities and procedures and does all this with a lightness of
approach and welcome snippets of humour..."
Make Time With IT, Terry Freedman, £19.95, Questions Publishing, ISBN
1-898149-54-2
Both of these books are available from Amazon via
http://www.ictineducation.org/buybooks.htm
===============================================================
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Disclaimer:
---------------------------------------------------------------
Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of this newsletter, T
Freedman cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the information
within it or for any consequences arising from it.
(c) 2000 T Freedman email: compic@ictineducation.org
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