ICT Resources in Schools

Good afternoon!

This week in ICT we were unfortunate not to have a computer room, so we went through some ways of using spreadsheets in the classroom for maths investigations, which the children would really enjoy, but there are not the resources in many schools to actually allow for this to really be developed. In my SBT1 class they go to ICT for 45 minutes once a week. By the time they get to the room, log in and fuss around for 5 minutes, log off and go back upstairs they only actually have 30 minutes of a lesson, which is not even taught by the class teacher, which would have helped as the input and plenary could be done in the classroom before and after the lesson, so that time on the computer is maximised. You could start the task, but by the time they have all understood and got into it it would be time to pack up, by the next week they will have forgotten what they did and it all has to be reiterated. Having said this I don't think it should put us off trying to show them how to use computers for maths investigations, I just think that it is ridiculous how little time the children get to use the computers each week!

There are only 13 classes in the school from reception to year 6. Each class is split in half to use the computers so that is only 19.5 hours a week for all children to use the computers for 45 mins a week, that leaves us 6 hours a week where the computers are not in use surely this time could be divided so that some classes get an hour one week and 45 minutes the next, or if more computers were brought then there would be a lot more time. I know that money and space are tight, but I think that in this day and age children should have a lot more than 45 minutes a week on the computer in a structured lesson. If the teacher wants to use ICT as a cross-curricular subject they can't, its very frustrating!!!!!

We also looked at some of the IWB software available for smartboard. I think IWB's are brilliant, I know they have problems, but doesn't everything!! I think that we should use them for their advantages which are huge and stop moaning about why they are problematic. At least we actually have this resource in the classroom available to us and the children love to use it in my experience. I was making a bit of a mess of it, I kept forgetting to put the pen down when I was trying to move something, or rub something out and the children were ever so helpful, telling me what to do. Anything that I can find to help me in the classroom this year I am going to embrace as it helps to make this very hectic and stressful year that little bit easier!

Okay, rant over for now! See you next week!