start_to_finish: teacher at a blackboard (Default)
[personal profile] start_to_finish
I figure I might as well post this here since I have the computer in front of me.

  • Point one: Don't be frightened of ICT. Well, I've got that covered.
  • Note to self, don't get too cross and involved in the whole "sitting in front of the computer is bad" debate. Some people don't believe that you can have a conversation through the screen, they're wrong, you know that but you're not going to convince them. It's like reading Have Your Say or something.
  • Oh god, we're going to cover the definition of blogging later. I think I will just tune out of this until we get to the things like turtles and voting machines that I don't yet know how to use.
  • e-Safety policy. It's a fair point - even if I know stuff is not a problem I still need to stick to the policy. On the other hand, she's now recommending that they don't use Google because it doesn't filter. Fortunately, I already know that the staff at our school all recommend Google to the children. Actually, IMO, children need to learn to filter themselves- after all, they're going to get loads of this stuff when they start using the internet in the real world and if we start telling them not to use Google, they're just going to give us pitiful looks, particularly because they're getting it at home.
  • OK, not only can you not lock these computers but they log you off if you leave them alone for 10 minutes. I assume this used to be a communal computer room rather than a training room and so they needed to prevent you from hogging the machines.
  • EasyScope - microscope with USB, takes picture. There's also an Intel microscope that was apparently free to schools so they should have one somewhere.
  • BeeBot - replaced Roamer. Basically a turtle mover. Use them for numeracy. Also, ProBot. Note that you will need to check that the batteries are charged - quite often battery organisation is an issue. Lego buggies with remote controls are also good.
  • I think the thing with teaching ICT is that people on the computer can totally amuse themselves if you're not interesting so it's a huge challenge. You have to really engage the children and the moment you lose them there's a whole world out there that will do it instead. Which is why I've been catching up on XKCD instead of listening to this (did you know that you can get microphones to connect to your computer and record the children? Seriously, we're just listing the possible equipment and what lessons you might use it in - that's not what I wanted to know!)
  • Ok and now she tells us that you can get old word processors (i.e. pre-laptops) for 2-300 quid. Or you could buy an EeePC. FAIL.

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start_to_finish: teacher at a blackboard (Default)
A primary teacher

April 2010

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