Is it true that 'ICT' and 'Interactive Whiteboard' have become synonymous? After a number of years of hype, a great deal of drilling, a lot of money for manufacturers and suppliers as well as for 'putter-uppers, a good deal of discovered asbestos, a mountain of resources and web sites and some excellent teaching (as well as some appalling stuff), we have reached the tipping point. There is no way back so what is forward?
Small is beautiful
Web 2.0 is coming!! Web 2.0 is coming !! ... and what will we run it on?
In his book 'The Tipping Point', Malcolm Gladwell explains quite clearly the mechanics of change that need to happen before something is adopted or goes 'viral'. I sense that there is a rise in the tide of accessible hardware and it is being pushed by a north wind. When will the surge happen? I suspect at BETT 2008 !
At the 'Handheld' Conference recently RM featured their new Asus Mini Book. Tim Pearson, RM's MD led with: My presentation was called 'Towards the perfect device' and in it I announced the introduction of our new small computer - the RM Asus miniBook. and I read today in PC Pro Magazine an upbeat review of the beast. Commercially called an 'Asus Eee PC 701', PC Pro have it down as A genuine step forward for the laptop, with unbelievable capabilities for the price, plus an ultra-low weight
It deals with the three '95s' ... 95% of the people, 95% of the things, 95% of the time!
A base selling price from RM of £169 (I am told it has been available for 10 days already)or on the open market for (currently) £180, this might have found its way into some Christmas Stockings, although I did hear that they were snapped up like 'hot cakes'.
It certainly will set the cat amongst the pigeons as its 900MHz Intel Celeron M and 512MB DDR2Ram with 4G solid-state flash disk and integrated graphics might be more than enough for most jobs. The OS is a custom version of a Xandros version of Linux and it cleverly comes with Internet, Work, Play, Settings and Favorite tabs ... each with its own set of apps. Open Office and Firefox 2 are preinstalled.
There are more goodies in the shape of an integrated webcam, SD card reader, 802.11bg wireless.
I think it might just catch on ... or it might provoke a move by competitors to begin to deliver ubiquitous, portable machines that pull everything from the web and don't cost the earth.
I also note from Andrew Brown's blog that they will be in lots of lovely colours!!
Also listen/watch the video from John Connell's site.
A machine/child could be just around the corner.
Did you read this:
I was alerted to a BBC report from England's Children's Minister Kevin Brennan where he says '...electronic toys, music players and phones often appear in schools as the new term begins. Children often bring the fascinating gadgets they were bought as Christmas presents into class, but these can cause disruption and hamper learning. Teachers can and will confiscate such items if they see them being used in lessons.'
The idea that some of the powerful tools that children now have access to at home are essentially disruptive and hamper learning almost says it all. It is no wonder that our young people feel that they 'dumb down' to go to school and that many of them feel that the tools that they have at their disposal do not actually meet their needs.
As part of the report the General secretary of teaching union the NASUWT Chris Keates said: "Every year some youngsters arrive back at school with MP3 players, mobile phones and electronic games. This can be a real headache for teachers when they are trying to get everyone settled down to start learning. Teachers would be grateful if pupils just brought a pen."
So as we move further and further into a technological age one of the 'influences' on educational policy sees the major tool for learning as a pen.
The report goes on '... Some schools have a "no gadget" policy where all non-educational equipment is banned ' . So who says what and what isn't educational then ? And who defines 'gadget'?
I feel so cross about the whole thing. We need a 21st Century education for our young people !!
Internet Access
The Guardian reports that the Government has a plan to give every child internet access at home.
In the report Jim Knight, the schools minister, said: he is in talks with companies such as Microsoft, BT, Sky, Virgin and RM to help close the widening achievement gap between pupils from the richest and poorest families...
In the interview Mr Knight says: .... that the government was putting pressure on IT firms to bring down the cost of equipment if internet connections are in effect made compulsory for nearly six million children.
It is the 'made compulsory' bit that interests me. How so can access to the Internet be made compulsory ... the implication being in homes throughout the land? ( England that is !!) Interestingly it all seems to be about reporting rather than learning.
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