A new class of technology
Over the last three years we’ve seen an investment of £600 million distributed to schools in the UK from the Government. Getting students the best tools is clearly a priority in the public sector but there is still demand for more. Earlier this year Michael Gove called for the teaching of computer science in schools to be radically overhauled. Our own research found out that 22 per cent of businesses have called for increased investment in hardware for schools and 21 per cent suggested more children should be using e-learning tools. Mark Heraghty looked at this in more depth in his blog ‘Forget the abacus, children need tablets to get ahead’.
But there are many schools taking the initiative and using new technologies to provide a more interactive learning experience for pupils. With technology constantly evolving it’s about making savvy business decisions to get the best technologies for value for money.
One school, Hockerill Anglo-European College, has already radically changed the way it teaches by bringing virtual foreign exchanges into the classroom. Now the college’s 820 language students are able to have regular contact with students across the globe, without having to leave the classroom. This is a wonderful tool for the students to practise their language skills and will certainly ensure they aren’t getting bored in their lessons.
Hockerill is also one of many schools to start using multimedia iBooks and video tutorials. With access to a high capacity network, teachers can introduce more and more interactive and online teaching tools. This gives students hands on experience of new technologies, something that 42 per cent of businesses have been callin for. With demand so high, it’s important we’re introducing children to specialist IT skills at an early age, where better to start than school?
