According to the Digital Learning Environments newsletter, January 2011, school districts in the USA are allocating their hardware purchasing budgets as follows:
Read More7 ways to prevent vandalism to educational technology equipment
Around 10 years ago I visited a school in which the computers were in a dreadful state. The school’s response was to not bother to renew the equipment on the grounds that it would only get damaged again, so what was the point? I understood their frustration, but in sense all they did was set in motion a self-fulfilling prophecy. So what should they have done instead?
As is often the case, there were several factors at play. Some could be addressed almost immediately, whereas others required a longer-term approach. In my opinion, the school should have made the following changes.
The biological implications of social networking
I’ve just read a fascinating article which looks at what happens on a physiological level when someone experiences social isolation.
Read MoreComputers in Classrooms Update
I’m just putting the finishing touches to the latest edition of the newsletter, which will be published today after a gap of several months. It contains:
Read MoreAlso on the web: 02/03/2011 (a.m.)
Here are three great resources I came across this morning. They are from Dan Roberts, Shelly Terrell and Doug Woods. Please read, enjoy and pass on to colleagues and friends.
Read MoreComputers in Classrooms
The next edition of Computers in Classrooms, the free e-newsletter for educational ICT professionals, should be out later today. I’ve had to cut it off in its prime because it has already reached a length of 17 A4 pages. It’s all good stuff though! Here’s the list of broad headings:
Read MoreSwitched-On ICT
I must not correct that spelling error. I must ignore that apostrophe. I must -- Ah, good day to you; thank you for joining me. You have caught me reminding myself that the role of Series Editor does not include the usual sort of proof-reading. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Your Personal Support Network
What is a Personal Support Network (PSN) and why is it important? We often hear people refer to their PLN – their Personal Learning Network. Less frequently mentioned, but at least of equal importance, one’s PSN is crucial for success, especially if radical changes have to be made.
A person’s PSN comprises any or all of the following:
25 ways to make yourself unpopular: #11 Ask questions
It’s a very sad thing, I think, but one thing I have discovered is that if you ask questions, or at least the wrong type of questions, that’s a sure-fire way of attracting opprobrium. A strong word to use, perhaps, but there is little doubt in my mind that daring to question the current conventional wisdom is indeed often regarded as shameful, and usually indicative of not having fully understood the situation.
For example, a lot of people think that one device per child is a good thing to aim for. It certainly sounds admirable, especially in the context of wanting to reduce the digital divide. But when it comes to making purchasing decisions in a school, is it the most sensible or desirable target to aim for? The questions I would ask here are:
Learning Platforms: 2 Resources and a Conference
One of the things we tend to forget when it comes to major upheavals – such as, in Britain, the so-called “bonfire of the quangoes”, which has seen the disbandment of Becta, Qualifications & Curriculum Development Agency and the Training & Development Agency – is a fundamental law of nature, namely Nature abhors a vacuum.
Read MoreTechnology in the media
I'm interested in how technology is used in the media, and think that in many respects the media is more innovative than schools when it comes to using the technology.
I think it would be interesting to explore this, and perhaps a good way of starting off would be to join an online discussion this evening with Tony Johnston of the Press Association.
Read More3 professional development opportunities, and they’re all free
In these austere times, free is good, right? Here are three sources of professional development that you will, I’m sure, find useful.
Another year, another BETT
It’s been a week of three conferences including, of course, the BETT show. I really enjoyed it, and will be writing about it in more depth in Computers in Classrooms in the very near future. But for now, here are some reflections.
Read MoreBETT Bulletin #2
This is a combination of "My personal BETT Day 2" and my BETT Bulletin.
Things to go to today, if you can:
Read MoreBETT Bulletin #1: ICT in the curriculum, plus first looks
This is a quick note, in effect, not an in-depth analysis. That will come in the newsletter Computers in Classrooms, after the show.
Read MoreEvaluation of Learning Without Frontiers Pre-Conference
I was looking forward to hearing some great presentations and startling revelations at the Learning Without Frontiers Conference. But I spent almost my whole time there talking to people. The way I figure it, if something is really good I'll get to hear about it anyway, so given the choice between listening to a talk, and discussing –and-catching up-and-networking type of activity, I choose the latter. At least, I did yesterday.
So, how was it for me?
Read MoreBETT presentation: sorted!
Woo hoo! I have now finished preparing my presentation, "20 must-have tools in 45 minutes". Except that it's now 31 tools in 60 minutes, with one "tool" that I'll mention in passing, plus a further 7 tools if there is time to go into them.
Like I said before (see link above), my presentation is for leaders and managers or would-be leaders and managers of educational ICT.
Hope to see you there.
Be organised, be informed and plan
The title comprises the theme I’ll be following in my seminar at the BETT show. It’s called “20 must-have tools in 45 minutes”, and is firmly targetted at leaders and managers of ICT or educational technology – or people who aspire to such a position. What that means in practice is that I’ve followed these principles:
Quick look: interactive whiteboards come of age
Is this the year of the interactive whiteboard? If you’re going to BETT this year it will be worth your while to check out the latest offerings from SMART and Promethean, as well as one or two others which are smaller in terms of education market share but no less inspired.
Read MoreMore about the free leadership event
I recently wrote about Collaborate for Change. Here’s a very brief video about it, and an interview with Lord Jim Knight, the Schools Minister in the previous government in Britain, and Dave Smith, organiser-in-chief. The interviewer in each case is Russell Prue, of Anderton Tiger Radio.