Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
school. This section of the chapter considers the use of time and space for effective
learning with e-tools. Some ideas will be beyond what is possible in some spaces but
are perfectly feasible in others. Devices to be used and connectivity influence use as
much as the physical space and the timetabling.
In terms of hardware, the most flexible approach is to have enough classroom
laptops for a group to work together as well as a suite for whole-class, timetabled ses-
sions. This feasibility allows technology to be embedded in everyday teaching (which
mirrors the use of technologies in real life), but also allows for more intensive follow-
up or the teaching of discrete skills in technology-suite-based lessons. Wireless access
to the Internet supports experimental pedagogies but can be difficult to achieve cost-
effectively in buildings of certain types.
Teaching spaces
There will always be a need for physical spaces such as individual classrooms, offices
and libraries, but there is also a need for 'agile spaces' - big spaces for 'lectures' with
teachers freed to support where appropriate with teaching approaches including the
use of mobile devices and small flexible spaces for group work. Schools need to be
designed for blended learning.
Having chosen the technologies to use, unexpected building-related issues can
hinder implementation. Some older buildings are difficult to network (even wire-
lessly) and do not accommodate IWB technology easily. Some specific challenges in
widening the scope of the school or college beyond the physical space the building
inhabits are:
· overloads on the digital systems
· bans on teachers using the computers for personal uses in school or college
· the impact on initiatives when the innovator leaves (knowledge should not
be held by one person).
Where will 24/7 learning take place?
The concept of the 24/7 school forces teachers to re-think their approach to
teaching and learning and parents to consider what the role of the school is -
are parents willing to support learners' working from home? Teachers contributing
to the Education Futures research suggested schools of the future will dispense
with timetables and encourage teachers to facilitate learners to learn as they wish,
such as geography all day Monday, something else Tuesday. Some contributors
to the research said this approach was unrealistic, but some schools are already
experimenting with it and it also mirrors the pedagogical approaches of some
schools independent of state control and of some home educators.
Solutions fell into four categories:
· physical space : building schools and colleges for learners from 3 to 16 so that
all can benefit from bounded finance and resources
· connectivity : the use of 3G connection (QIK) phones that can be used to film
and connect wirelessly to computers
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