I C T M AT T E R S
I N N O VAT I O N S
We’ve always done it that way! NIGEL MILLIGAN, IT manager to schools and businesses, argues now is the time to stop ‘doing it the way it has always been done’
'W
e’ve always done it that way!’ These are the most expensive words to hear in any organisation, especially a school. As we come to the end of what is turning out to be a very expensive year, with the costof-living skyrocketing, it’s certainly a time to review everything you do and ask some serious questions about how you could be more costeffective. For many years. in my role as an IT manager in schools, I have experienced a lot of opposition to doing things in a different way in order to innovate, and become more effective. Gen Z and many other generations in 2022 do not have any computers in their homes; most online content and apps are accessed with smartphones, tablets and smart home devices such as Alexa and Google Home etc.
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December 2022
Many businesses now use mobile devices for home delivery and service technicians etc. By the time adults have to use a Windows-based business system they already understand the fundamental skills involved and, in most cases, will receive some form of formal training. Why then do we need to force pupils from early years into having to sit at a Windows desktop or laptop in preparation for a future that will either have completely transformed again or which they can easily adapt to when they get there? Schools need simple, manageable, solutions that work and don’t need a large amount of support to maintain. So, here’s the big question: why is it that Microsoft Windows is regarded as the main goto solution for education? Answer: Generation X