Under the Spotlight

It’s ipod white, slimmer, smaller and lighter than a text book and has all the power of the Internet. Solid state, no moving parts, the first has arrived in school and it’s only £169. All singing and dancing (yes it plays music and video as well as taking photos), it will transform the way our students learn. About the only thing it can’t do is the washing up. No, it’s not the new iphone, but the world’s newest lap top which, this week, we tested to destruction- but it didn’t break. Richard Penhale (ICT Systems Manager) has been hard wired to it. It’s more than a glass ball into which we can see the future- it is the future.

No more waiting to book ICT suites- in fact soon no more ICT suites all. This cool tool will become text and exercise book, pen and pencil, calculator and coursework file. Using the wireless system, every student will be able to access all the knowledge in the world. That’s the power and that will be the reality. Now what were you thinking you needed this Christmas?

Schools will be run more like universities. We will have large presentations by teacher experts, followed by smaller group seminars, and small sessions supported by non-teachers with more personalised, individual work by students.

And our high printing costs will also soon be a thing of the past. Staff now communicate either in person or by email. Documents are sent as attachments and we read them on screen. Whilst my in tray is now fairly empty, my email box is generally overflowing. If I’m in meetings in my Office, I can hear the quiet ping that taunts me with the information that yet another is waiting to be answered.

We’re thinking about giving all students a printer limit- beyond which they will be able to go by paying privately. It would be fair because we’d set the limit at what is realistically needed for coursework. Much of the work students do can be uploaded onto the VLE where teachers can gain easy access to assess it- another new world.

Meanwhile big brother technology is featured in a TV programme to be broadcast in January. The data system that we use to manage our behaviour information was under the spotlight. Susan Groves played a starring role with one of her favourite English groups who, I’m told, behaved superbly as always. Her lesson planning took time, but not as long as deciding what to wear for the TV cameras!

The Tor was filmed and some disgruntled teenagers who had been parked were invited to give their views. “I like it here,” boasted one , "because it’s warm and quiet." Wait until I see the programme and find out who it was. We can block book him in to the Tor for the rest of his days. And he can forget about having an ipod-style laptop in with him! Did I say like universities or like prisons?