According to Paul Ainsworth in last weeks SecEd, interactive whiteboards are becoming as 'irreplaceable to teachers as the humble blackboard was 30 years ago'. But ICT doesn't come cheap. Hence the need to make the best decision for your school when looking at equipment to buy. Do you go with infrared and ultrasound, passive membrane whiteboards, active or hard boards? Deciding which type of interactive whiteboard is essential to ensure that you make the most of it in your school. Flick to page 10 of this edition of SecEd - Paul Ainsworth and Kevin Bennett (both senior leaders in a Leicestershire secondary school) discuss different types of whiteboard, their advantages and disadvantages and the key things to consider before making your purchase.
Paul Ainsworth regularly contributes to SecEd - to read his recent article on Self-Evaluation click here. In June we will be publishing Developing a Self-Evaluating School with Paul. Do check back on our blog in June for a free online preview!
If technology is something that you are particularly interested in then keep reading SecEd - they are now doing weekly articles exploring new technologies and their potential in education. Flick to page 10 in this edition to read Kieron Kirkland's take on 3d printers.
Jennifer Tighe
Marketing Executive
It's always good when somebody passes on a link to a good website - instant resources at your fingertips! This week I have John Potter (of the London Knowledge Lab) to thank, who emailed me about http://www.futurelab.org.uk - an organisation dedicated to transforming teaching and learning through the use of innovative practice and technology. There are a wide range of podcasts available to support practitioners - and in episode 5, John discusses primary school technology with Sue Cranmer. All the podcasts are available to download and share - so do take a look!
In March we are publishing Primary Schools and ICT, written by John, Sue and Neil Selwyn. This book explores how ICT can be improved in primary schools - drawing on the experience of over 600 pupils. Check back on our blog in March to see a free chapter and preview of this book!
Enjoy your weekends!
Jennifer Tighe
Marketing Executive
This week the much-publicised Apple iPad has hit the headlines to a mixed response, and I for one am curious to see how it will be received when it hits the market in March. The iPad offers many of the same features as the iPod Touch (internet, music, videos and so on), but most notably it is the first non-reader device that allows users to read ebooks. It has a larger, 9.7" screen, making it the size of a large-ish book or a small magazine, and it's half an inch thin.
A recent article reported that the Department of Education and Training in Queensland, Australia is considering the possibility of equipping high-school students with iPads for use in the classroom. This isn't such a huge leap - for years now schools have been investigating and investing in new technology to enhance the learning skills of students, and with its £55bn Building Schools for the Future (BSF) initiative the Government says it is hoping to change the face of education. The vision for schools of the future is all about modern ICT.
So what do you think about the idea of iPads for schools? Could they be useful tools or would they be an expensive distraction for students? Would you use textbooks and coursebooks in ebook format? Would you read novels, or do research?
Ania Leslie-Wujastyk
Editorial Assistant
Carol Potter and Roger Olley: Engaging Fathers in the Early Years
Lorraine Radford: Rethinking Children, Violence and Safeguarding (New Childhoods)
Edited by Sara de Freitas and Jill Jameson: The e-learning Reader
Brian Male and Mick Waters: The Secondary Curriculum Design Handbook
Dean Garratt and Gillian Forrester: Education Policy Unravelled
Edited by Nick Mitchell and Joanne Pearson: Inquiring in the Classroom
Mike Ollerton and Peter Sykes: Getting the Buggers to Add Up
Chris Pim: 100 Ideas for Supporting Learners with EAL (Continuum One Hundreds)
Edited by John Sayer and Lynn Erler: Schools for the Future Europe
Edited by Chris Atkin: Education and Minorities (Education as a Humanitarian Response)
Mike Ollerton and Peter Sykes: Getting the Buggers to Add Up
Chris Pim: 100 Ideas for Supporting Learners with EAL (Continuum One Hundreds)
Edited by Chris Atkin: Education and Minorities (Education as a Humanitarian Response)
Paul Ashwin: Analysing Teaching-Learning Interactions in Higher Education
Sam Duncan: Reading Circles, Novels and Adult Reading Development
Edited by Paula Cowan and Henry Maitles: Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom
Edited by Claire Taylor: Teaching and Learning on Foundation Degrees
Brian Male, Forword by Mick Waters: The Primary Curriculum Design Handbook
Edited by Paula Cowan and Henry Maitles: Teaching Controversial Issues in the Classroom
Erica Frydenberg, Jan Deans and Kelly O'Brien: Developing Everyday Coping Skills in the Early Years
Edited by Claire Taylor: Teaching and Learning on Foundation Degrees
Anthony Edwards: New Technology and Education (Contemporary Issues in Education Studies)
Edited by Trevor Kerry: Meeting the Challenges of Change in Postgraduate Education
Emmanuel Mufti and Mark Peace: Teaching and Learning and the Curriculum
David Blundell: Education and Constructions of Childhood (Contemporary Issues in Education Studies)
Chris Turner: Taking Responsibility for Learning and Teaching
John Smyth: Critical Pedagogy for Social Justice (Critical Pedagogy Today)
Joanna Swann: Learning, Teaching and Education Research in the 21st Century
