Setting: an interview room.
Chair of Governors: So, Mr Freedman, do you have any questions you would like to ask US?
Terry Freedman: Yes. What are YOUR criteria of a successful ICT Co-ordinator?
Headteacher: I want to see teachers banging on the doors of the computer labs demanding to be let in.
Here is a competition which is aimed at secondary school students. I quite like the idea of this: both the topic and the nature of what has to be submitted by entrants: a video of not more than 90 seconds answering the question:
In the future, how will technology help an ageing population?
This is an opportunity to get some really interesting discussions going. Perhaps you could get other colleagues involved, such the RE department.
Whatever you think of the current debate over news that the US Government may have been monitoring the online activity of not only its own citizens but those of other countries too, you have to admit one thing. It provides a great opportunity for ICT teachers everywhere to bring some real-world issues into their lessons, in a very newsy (ie current) way.
When I last visited Cambridge, England, I thought the street signs were pretty good. Rather than display how far away things are, they tell you how long it will take to walk to them: far more useful.
But a new idea, called Points, goes way beyond that.
Cloud Education ICT Design (CEID), which is run by the South-west Grid for Learning Trust, has published a very useful White Paper on Cloud Computing. At only four pages long it explains what cloud computing is, and what the benefits and risks are from an education establishment’s point of view. CEID intends to expand on the list of risks and benefits once it has analysed the survey results.
How do you ensure that the ICT facilities at your school are attractive enough to be used by pupils and staff? Even if your school has a Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) scheme or a tablet-centred 1:1 scheme in place, you will want to ensure that the school’s own stuff is being used as fully and as effectively as possible. What can you, the ICT Co-ordinator/e-learning co-ordinator/senior leader in charge of ICT in the curriculum, do to help make that happen? Here are some suggestions.Mullah Nasrudin was in a village he was visiting for the first time. He rushed into a shop, and demanded of the shopkeeper:
“Have you ever seen me before?”
“No!” answered the owner.
“Well then,” asked Nasrudun. “How do you know it’s me then?”
You might think that an ancient Persian folk hero would have little to say a 21st century citizen, but I think you’d be wrong.
(c) Terry Freedman All Rights Reserved