Education in the Information Age

Information Technology has become such a monumental aspect of Education today that it would probably be difficult for students to imagine school life without it. IT has revolutionised the way young people learn and opened new opportunities for further knowledge that wouldn’t have been available as recently as 30 years ago.

Computers

In my school, there is at least one computer in each classroom – and over 20 in each of the 9 computer rooms – and they play a huge role in both teaching and independent learning. From class work to online revision, computers cover many aspects of school life. Word processing programmes such as Microsoft Word work alongside textbooks and paper, researching online has replaced the need to search through library books and other sources, and emailing teachers with enquiries has become an alternative to seeking help in person – in short, the uses of computers are numerous within education.

There is an abundance in computer programmes that assist with everyday school tasks – an example of this is the use of SIMS for registration. SIMS is a programme used in my school, accessible only by staff members, that allows teachers to take the register from the computer and acts as a record of all student information e.g. targets, behaviour records and attendance. Teachers can also write progress reviews and reports on SIMS, so it has a function in both monitoring and feedback.

In every classroom in my school, an Interactive whiteboard is connected to the computer and acts as the focal point for most lessons – replacing the older option, the blackboard. Similar to blackboards, teachers write notes and explanations on an interactive whiteboard but, as they are connected to computers, they are able to do so much more in addition. Teachers can save the notes they make on the interactive whiteboard – a luxury its blackboard predecessors were without – which allows them to recover them at later dates, or even print them off and give them to students as aids for studying. Another key features of interactive whiteboards is that they are just that – interactive. They act as a visual aid that students can contribute to. As you can access the internet via the computer they are connected to, Teachers can open educational games and students can play on the whiteboard. Interactive whiteboards have the potential to add things to a lesson that a simple blackboard and chalk never could – positive student involvement.

The uses of computers within a learning environment are vast and value – they are a fantastic resource.

The benefits of the use of Computers, and computer-related technology, in Education

• Less paper used when work can be done and submitted using programmes and email
• Emailing teachers is instant and you don’t need to interrupt either persons school day in order to contact them, you can also send an email at any time including evenings and weekends
• Changes to any work can be done instantly and without the need to start again
• All work can be saved and stored in one place, rather than having piles of papers and school books
• The internet provides thousands of educational pieces of information – such as videos of science experiments or biological dissections
• Interactive whiteboards provide student participation
• With the use of SIMS, it is easier for teachers to keep a track of students’ progress and supervise their behaviour
• Computers are becoming increasingly present within society, so having computers within a school enables young people to become computer-literate from young age – this means they are lucky as they will not struggle as much with new technology in the future

The detriments of the use of Computers, and computer-related technology, in Education

• Computers are expensive, so this resource is not available to all schools
• Having so much information at their fingers can cause students to become lazy, and lack the drive to find their own alternative sources for study
• Students may copyright the work they find online, unaware that what they are doing is illegal
• Some of the information online may be incorrect
• If a teacher sets some work on the computer, students without access to a computer outside of school may not be able to do it
• It is difficult for schools to control how each and every students uses the computers and they may not be using it sensibly or for the correct reasons

My Opinion of the use of Computers etc. in my school

I think that the computers are a fantastic addition to my school as they open up a whole world of research opportunities – and their uses don’t stop there. You can email teachers about any work difficulties; you can find contacts for work experience and all the other amazing things the internet allows. In addition, without computers, IT certainly couldn’t be taught in the same way and I feel it would be near enough impossible to try and learn about computers and other technologies and what they have to offer without actually using them. I cannot really imagine my education without computers – both in school and at home for that matter. It is just a shame that schools who cannot afford computer systems are denied this resource.

VLE – Frog

VLE (Virtual Learning Environment) is a web based tool used by schools that provides two-way interaction between teachers and students. Although Virtual Learning Environments were originally created to enhance distance learning, they are nowadays used more as a popular supplement to a traditional physical learning environment.

At my school, the VLE we use is ‘Frog’. It can be accessed from school or from home and includes features such as the school calendar, notices from the school, homework set by teachers and links to the school network and the school email. Uploaded lessons, subject information and resources can also be found on Frog.

On VLE’s students can access handouts, videos, interactive material and worksheets. There are also features that provide group interaction and tutorials such as chat and conferencing.

The benefits of VLEs – Frog

• Frog is easy to use and has a friendly format
• Sources are more easily available to students so they can explore a variety of information from different places and various opinions and ideas
• Uploaded lessons can help students if they wish to re-cap, in order to retain more information than they may have done during the actual lesson. These can also help if a student is absent and they need to catch up with the work that they have missed
• In regards to homework, teachers can see which students have opened homework – not just when it is completed and sent back – so they know when a student deliberately hasn’t done it
• Homework can be set at any time of the day, and every day – even if School/ a lesson is cancelled due to bad weather or some other reason
• Frog provides students with new learning opportunities that could help them do better should they choose to use them e.g. the resources and uploaded lessons
• Parents can access their students work and information and keep an eye on how they child is doing and whether or not they are completing set tasks
• Frog saves paper as homework is set and completed and notices are sent over the VLE rather than on paper

The disadvantages of VLEs – Frog

• There is a worry that students become less concerned about missing school if all the work and lessons are available online anyway
• A huge drawback of VLEs such as Frog is the cost as it prevents many schools from becoming part of the Virtual Environment and means they cannot utilise the available resources and help
• Not all students have computers at home so the VLE would be of little use to them and they would benefit more from homework and other information being provided in the traditional way
• Teaching and learning via a VLE means the ‘personal touch’ from the lesson is missing as the teacher cannot add their own ‘flare’ to them. Also practical lessons e.g. a chemical experiment, cannot be imitated by students at home. The lessons provided on Frog are mainly done in written format and miss the occasional excitement that certain topics could potentially provide, if taught well
• If someone is doing homework or a lesson on Frog they cannot seek immediate help if they don’t understand something or need help

My Opinions of my schools’ VLE – Frog

As my school has only had Frog for around a year now, I don’t think I am familiar enough with it to have realised its full potential or to get as much out of it as I could yet. Furthermore, very few of my teachers set homework on Frog so I rarely feel I need to check it. I feel that although VLE’s work fairly well alongside regular school, I don’t think I benefit very much from Frog. I much prefer lessons in classrooms as I find the social interaction between my fellow students and teachers more useful and enjoyable. I do however think that on days when school is cancelled e.g. when it there has been heavy snow, Frog is useful for accessing work that has been missed. I can definitely see the major advantages of Virtual Learning Environments however at times I feel that, in my school at least, Frog is a little under-appreciated and so unnecessary. I would certainly use Frog as extra support for my learning, but it wouldn’t be my sole resource as I prefer books and having the work directly in front of me rather than on a computer screen.

Smart Cards

There are two types of smart cards used in my school – ‘card keys’ and ‘canteen cards’. Card keys, as they name suggests, act as keys – allowing the holder access into certain places that are closed to those without. The sixth form building uses this system to keep in remote from any of the students from the younger year groups, and the school gates have a similar system so that students cannot leave when they shouldn’t. They also ensure that people who shouldn’t are unable enter the school when it is locked up. Ultimately, the role of cards key is to maintain security.

The benefits of Smart Card keys

• Sense of increased security
• Each smart card key is allocated to a certain student so, unlike normal keys, people cannot swap
• You cannot make your own working copies of a smart card
• Once a card is reported lost, it is possible for it to be deactivated so it can no longer be used
• Lightweight to carry and can be simply kept in a wallet or pocket as they are thin

The detriments of Smart Card keys

• The card key systems are quite expensive – certainly more expensive than an average lock and key
• If a card is lost or stolen, the person without it can’t enter the buildings and the person with it may not be supposed to – so the security is lost, even if it is only for a short while before the key is deactivated
• Can be lost easily if the person isn’t responsible

The second type of Smart Card in use at my school is Canteen cards. There are sort of similar to credit cards – parents add money to the individual card over the school site, then the student need only take the card to school and are able to purchase lunch using the money on their card.

The benefits of Smart Canteen Cards

• Students don’t need to carry any money to school – so there is no risk of someone stealing it from them
• They can only be used by one person as they are personalised with their information and picture – so even if someone else takes it they cannot use it
• Cards can be deactivated if they are lost
• There is a daily limit on how much of their ‘credit’ someone can spend – so they don’t spend all their money in one day
• Lightweight to carry and can be simply kept in a wallet or pocket as they are thin

The detriments of Smart Canteen Cards

• For parents without internet access, it is difficult for them to add money to the card
• If someone forgets their canteen card, they cannot simply buy food with money
• Visitors to the school can’t use the canteen to buy food
• Can be lost easily if the person isn’t responsible

My Opinion of the use of Smart Cards in my school

I think smart cards have made a massive difference to my school since they were introduced. If anything, I like the Card keys as they add a sort of ‘exclusiveness’ to the sixth form building. However, they do make a lot of my friends far more complacent as they give a false sense of complete security in my opinion. The canteen cards I think are very good and I think they fulfil their job well as now no one can steal anyone else’s lunch money. It is slightly annoying that money can no longer be used at all in my school canteen as it means when I forget my card I have to either beg my friends to buy me lunch (which can be difficult due to the daily limit) or go hungry.

CCTV system

In certain places around my school there are CCTV cameras – particularly in the computer rooms and around the outside of the buildings. This surveillance equipment is used to watch over areas where problems are likely to occur. The CCTV cameras in the computer room are monitored in the ICT technicians’ room. They have only been used in the school for the past few years and, for the most part, you don’t even notice that they are there.

The benefits of the use of CCTV

• If there is an incident, CCTV footage can be used to find out what happened
• They make people think before they misbehave and can prevent unsafe/bad behaviour
• Students vandalising the building/computer room can be seen and stopped
• When a teacher leaves a computer room, they can check on their class in the technicians room to see if they continue working
• Parents may feel happier knowing that the wellbeing/behaviour of their child is being monitored at school

The detriments of the use of CCTV

• CCTV systems are very expensive
• Someone needs to be monitoring the cameras all/most of the time because there is no point there being surveillance equipment if no one is actually going to use it
• Some people may feel that their privacy is being breached if there are cameras watching them at all times
• Some believe the use of CCTV cameras as misconduct deterrents undermines the authority of the teaching staff

My Opinion of the use of CCTV in my school

I don’t have a very strong opinion about CCTV. I can definitely see the benefits of watching students, but I also agree that it takes away from the role of the teacher. As I previously mentioned, I don’t really even notice them unless they are pointed out to me – so I don’t have a problem with them.

Other examples of technology used in my school include

• Video cameras for subjects such as drama and English and P.E so that performances can be recorded for reviewing, analysing and marking
• TV/ DVD player for watching films and programmes that relate to the subject and the topic being covered

And many more which I probably don’t even realise as I have probably become used to them.