ICT in 2014

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Take me to the cloud How to shift your school’s operations skywards

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The Midas touch

Innovative uses of touch screen technology

A BYOD revolution

Bring your own device or bring your own disaster?

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W EL CO ME 04 TOP OF THE CLASS

Why ICT is providing huge benefits to schools across the globe

08 THE BYOD REVOLUTION

Bring your own device or bring your own disaster?

14 TAKE ME TO THE CLOUD

Shifting your operations to this increasingly used platform

18 THE MIDAS TOUCH

Innovative uses of touch screen technology

22 ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

The benefits of a 1:1 device policy

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Why apps are proving to be indispensable in the classroom

Like us, you’ll be well aware of the transformative nature of technology in the classroom: when it comes to ICT, today’s kids are switched on, clued up and ready to go. But the flip side of the proliferation of ICT in schools does mean that heads, school business managers and network managers need to be up to date with the latest trends in order to make sure they’re procuring the right tech for their school. With budgets increasingly stretched, every procurement decision deserves careful consideration.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a mini-mag that explores the latest trends and looks at how they can be embedded into classroom learning. Our team of reporters have got to grips with the BYOD revolution, discovered some innovative uses of touchscreen technology, and examined the clever role that apps can play in learning.

Plus, we find out about the benefits and perceived risks of moving your operations to the cloud. It turns out that there are significant cost-savings associated with moving everything skywards. Find out more on page 14.

We hope you find this guide full of useful tips on the fast-moving and exciting world of education technology. Enjoy!

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ICT is providing huge benefits to schools across the globe and has gained acceptance as a vital educational tool. George Carey looks at the benefits it offers and schools’ attitudes towards it The pervasive spread of ICT in schools is testament to the huge advantages it offers those teaching and learning. From music lessons to physical education, with algebra in between, the subjects that are now enhanced with thoughtful use of ICT devices such as laptops and tablets are limitless. No longer are students crammed into a computer room for their weekly dose of ICT education; they’re learning about the subject in every other lesson – often unwittingly. And it’s not just those receiving education that are reaping the rewards. Teachers everywhere have been doing some amazing things with new technology in the classroom to the extent that cutting edge techniques such as ‘flipped learning’ now seem to be second nature.

A notable study conducted by Blanskat, Blamire and Kefala in national, international, and European schools investigated the evidence regarding the benefits of ICT in schools’ achievements, measuring the impact of ICT on students’ outcomes. The study also tried to establish a link between the use of ICT and students’ exam results. It found that ICT has a positive impact on students’ performances in primary schools, particularly in English language.

Schools with a higher level of e-maturity show a rapid increase in performances in scores compared to those with lower level. It also found that a high percentage of teachers in Europe (86%) said that pupils are more motivated when computers and internet are being used in class.

This huge sea change in education led David Hanson, chief executive of the Independent Association of Prep Schools, to state at last year’s association conference: “I predict that in 10 years’ time maths, English and science will still be core subjects but technology will have been completely embraced and will be used extensively by a generation of teachers who grew up with it.

Assessment will be by online adaptive tests.”

Schools clearly recognise the importance of technology and, perhaps in anticipation of Hanson’s predictions, have been increasing their spending, as demonstrated in the findings of the British Educational Suppliers Association’s 16th annual survey into the opinions and trends of ‘ICT in UK state schools’. The survey of 1,238 UK primary and secondary schools, carried out last year, found that in the next academic year, schools forecast their ICT expenditure will be higher in cash terms than at any other time on record. Investment in hardware replacement, peripherals, software and technical

ICT has a positive impact on students’ performances in primary schools, particularly in English language support will reach £14,220 per primary school and £65,570 in each secondary school. The increase in secondary school ICT budgets in particular is expected to continue into 2014 by a significant 11%.

Budgets may increase in secondary schools alone to more than £280m.

The huge importance of this area of provision and the sums of money involved are exemplified by the popularity of education technology shows, and none more so than Bett. The 2014 conference marked the show’s 30th anniversary since it first launched in 1985, and attracted more than 35,000 attendees and 700 exhibitors. It’s clear that to deliver the best possible education, schools must continue to adapt to and embrace the many uses of ICT in the classroom. 

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The global education system is undergoing an enormous transformation.

As students discover new ways to communicate and interact, the school environment must adapt to keep pace.

10 ways that

Acer’s goal is to foster a new kind of interaction between teachers and students through the introduction and use of technology, to help students gain all the skills they will need to compete in an increasingly digital global marketplace. And this starts in the classroom with Acer Classroom Manager, which combines advanced classroom PC monitoring and management with multimedia teaching and learning.

Acer Classroom Manager can help teachers for free!

Specifically designed to help teachers forget any concern about how to use the software and focus on teaching, Acer Classroom Manager comes with an intuitive and easy to use interface. It allows for the global education is undergoing enormous creation The of more engaging lesson contentsystem whilst helping you easily managean your classroom PCs to keep transformation.

As students discover new ways to communicate students on task.

and interact, the school environment must adapt to keep pace.

Acer’s goal is to foster a new kind of interaction between teachers and students through the introduction and use of technology, to help students gain the skills they will need to compete in an increasingly digital global marketplace. This starts in the classroom with Acer Classroom Manager, which combines advanced classroom PC monitoring and management with multimedia teaching and learning.

Acer Classroom Manager.indd 1

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Specifically designed to help teachers forget any concern about how to use the software and focus on teaching, Acer Classroom Manager comes with an intuitive and easy to use interface. It allows for the creation of more engaging lesson content whilst helping you easily manage your classroom PCs to keep students on task.

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POWER ON AND LOG ON COMPUTERS With one click from the teacher’s computer, simultaneously switch on all of the computers in the classroom and log them in to save valuable time at the beginning of the lesson. At the end of the day, log out and power off all of the computers in the classroom.

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EASILY SHARE CONTENT WITH STUDENTS Simply drag and drop files or folders to the student’s desktop or document libraries.

Alternatively, hand out and collect student work with each student’s completed work being organised in their own individual folder.

KEEP STUDENTS ON TASK AND AVOID DISTRACTIONS Stop students from being distracted during lessons and keep them on task by restricting access to certain websites and applications.

If necessary, stop students from using their computers altogether using the Lock Mouse and Keyboard feature.

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DRIVE DOWN COSTS BY MANAGING AND CONTROLLING PRINTER ACCESS Save money and free up printing resources by controlling and monitoring printer usage, setting thresholds and preventing students from sending duplicate output to the printer.

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EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE WITH STUDENTS Send students a message, chat with them discreetly or collaborate as a group.

Students can also request help from the teacher without alerting the rest of the class.

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PLAN LESSONS AND PROVIDE EFFECTIVE END OF LESSON REVIEW Plan lesson activities and provide students with a personalised Student Journal summarising subject matter for future reference.

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QUESTION AND ASSESS STUDENTS Test students’ comprehension and understanding using a range of audio, visual and text-based questions. Tests are auto marked and the results can be displayed to students. Alternatively, use student surveys for instant feedback.

LAUNCH APPLICATIONS AND WEBSITES FOR STUDENTS Save time by launching applications or websites simultaneously on all student desktops. You can also provide students with shortcuts to all of the documents, folders, applications and web content they may require during the lesson using the Student Information Bar. MONITOR ALL STUDENTS’ ACTIVITIES IN REAL TIME - VIA AUDIO AND VIDEO Watch and listen to what students are doing using intuitive thumbnail views of each student computer. Screenshots of students desktops can be captured to record their progress or highlight something that they should not be doing.

SHOW STUDENTS YOUR DESKTOP, A VIDEO OR AN APPLICATION Demonstrate to students by showing them your screen, multimedia, or highlight another student’s work by showing their screen to the rest of the class.

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The

BYOD

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Bring your own device or bring your own disaster? Jess Pike looks at one of the most popular classroom trends around and finds out what challenges and benefits it can bring We wouldn’t be surprised if the whole question of BYOD leaves you somewhat baffled. That’s pretty much how we feel. And it doesn’t help that opinions seem to be polarised over the latest ICT classroom trend; while some schools are leading the way, others are approaching with extreme caution.

Valerie Thompson, chief executive of the e-Learning Foundation, says there are many advantages to a BYOD scheme. “Parents don’t have to be asked to pay for a special school device when they’ve already bought their children their own laptop or tablet,” she explains. “And BYOD can work well with older students, such as sixth formers, who are most likely to have their own devices.”

The cost element also shouldn’t be overlooked – with a BYOD policy in place, schools no longer have to purchase lots of costly devices for e-learning.

Proponents of the scheme also point out that breakages are likely to be reduced due to the fact that children (and adults!) tend to take better care of their own property than devices owned by schools or employers.

Furthermore, with a BYOD policy in place, pupils can use devices they are familiar with, says Thompson.

Some children will prefer Apple, others will be

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Windows aficionados; most are reluctant to forgo their personal favourite for something unfamiliar.

TREADING CAREFULLY As with any new classroom trend, there are potential sticking points to consider. Many of the positives have their attached disadvantages; for example, with children free to bring in their own different types of device (all of which will use different operating systems), teachers may find it hard to deploy the educational software and apps they’d like to use as part of their lessons. This in turn might limit the way they work with their students.

Inequity among children is another contentious aspect of the BYOD trend. “BYOD enshrines inequity,” says Thompson. “Better-off pupils have an unfair advantage over their classmates because of the better devices and the wider range of materials they can afford. Pupils whose families can’t afford devices may feel stigmatised by having a ‘free’ device provided by the school.” Another major consideration is the fact that a BYOD scheme might result in lessons having to be driven by use of the least sophisticated device in the classroom, narrowing learning opportunities for all.

However, don’t be put off by BYOD difficulties, as such schemes can prove transformative to learning in the classroom. As the head of Hove Park School, Derek Trimmer, tells us: “BYOD will become a key strategy for schools in the future and we have learnt a huge amount by including this as part of our implementation. We maintain a high level of control over the devices in school through our use of a mobile device management system and this allows us to provide a secure platform for staff and students to experiment with the terrific suite of creative tools that come with the iPad in their day-to-day learning.”

With a similar approach to Hove Park – and an awareness of the various challenges that may lie ahead – your school could also be riding the BYOD wave and introducing a new way of learning for students. This looks like a trend that’s definitely here to stay. 

BYOD will become a key strategy for schools in the future

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Making education incredible ASUS. The world’s leading enterprise in the new digital era is committed to supporting education with its innovative products.

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Our inspiring array of notebooks, tablets, desktops and all-in-one PCs provide reliability, comprehensive support and unparalleled performance for your school. We are passionate about inspiring achievement through innovation: preparing your school for a technology-based future and creating incredible experiences in the classroom.

ASUSPRO SERIES The ASUSPRO Series is one the first business-specific Ultrabook ranges on the market. Their slim 20mm profile and lightweight designs (from just 1.64kg!) deliver improved mobility; work flexibly anywhere, anytime. The ASUSPRO Series is optimised through rigorous drop, hinge cycle, and panel pressure tests, and uses a reinforced carbon fibre structure, antishock hard drive, and spill-resistant keyboard. This range is durability and endurance epitomised, offering better productivity with business-class security and manageability in the classroom.

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ASUS TRANSFORMER BOOK T100 The ASUS Transformer book T100 is an inspiring, ultraportable laptop that transforms into a tablet, creating a fun, interactive working environment in your school. The T100 provides you with both choice and mobility: learn anytime, anywhere, any way you want.

The powerful Intel® Atom™ processor runs your programs faster than ever before – especially useful with the pre-installed Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013! The T100 also boasts optimumcomfort keys and an astounding 11 hours of battery life, enhancing productivity and providing continuous enjoyment throughout the school day and beyond.

ASUS VIVOTAB NOTE 8

ASUS VIVOTAB NOTE 8 ASUS VivoTab Note 8 is designed especially for one-handed use, making it perfect for writing notes on-the-go. At just 380g it’s light enough to use for long periods, and with up to eight hours battery life – it will last the whole day too! Powered by the latest Intel® Atom™ Z3740 processor, this tablet provides you with the ideal balance of multi-tasking performance and outstanding energy efficiency. It also comes with the intuitive Windows 8 OS and Microsoft Office Home & Student 2013 pre-installed, so your productivity will know no bounds.

ASUS VIVOPC The ASUS VivoPC provides all the functionalities and power of a Desktop PC in a chic, compact box – just slightly larger than a standard DVD case! The VivoPC VC60 Series is powered by 3rd Generation Intel® Core™ processors and features exclusive ASUS SonicMaster technology, giving you unparalleled multi-tasking and entertainment performance. Nothing is compromised in this innovative little box, with ultra-fast USB 3.0 data transfer and charging capabilities built-in, alongside the intuitive Windows 8.1 interface. The VivoPC ensures your school is supported by the latest technology, and handles all your day-to-day computing needs whilst also providing greater adaptability for different learning scenarios. 

ASUS VIVOPC

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We’ve teamed up with some fantastic manufacturers to give you the chance to win a great bundle of prizes, including a projector, a tablet, a desktop, a printer and software.

ACER - X1263 PROJECTOR Whether you’re projecting presentations, academic lectures or photographs draw your classroom audience in with the impressiveness of 3D. Colours remain balanced and images accurate with advanced Acer technologies.

ASUS – VIVOTAB NOTE 8 With up to eight hours battery life, the VivoTab Note 8 can last for a full school day before it needs to be recharged and with Microsoft Office Home and Student 2013 supplied preinstalled your students’ productivity will know no bounds.

FUJITSU – EPRISMO Q520 DESKTOP Its slim-line design means it’s easy to attach directly onto the back of bigger monitors, offering more room for the display and more collaboration as students have the space to use multiple devices.

HP – OFFICEJET PRO X476DW The printer offers outstanding print quality at low cost. It’s fast, flexible and takes up little room making it ideal for the staff room environment.

MICROSOFT OFFICE 365 EDUCATION Office 365 has your favourite Microsoft Office features online and allows you to better prepare coursework, create sophisticated reports and presentations, and collaborate over the web with fellow teachers or students.

Visit the website to enter and for more information: edexec.co.uk/sustain-innovate-improve/ Terms and conditions: To be eligible to enter this competition you must agree to the following terms: you must be a fully functioning educational institution. You must be willing to participate in a follow up article in Education Executive regarding the competition if you are the winner. You must agree to your information being passed on to no more than one carefully selected ICT supplier for educational guidance.Subject to change and availability.

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The future of ICT in schools is about anytime, anywhere learning, which relies heavily on the cloud. Nikki Withers speak to the experts about how the cloud is changing the way children learn and how you can shift your operations to this increasingly used platform We’ve been talking about anytime, anywhere learning for years but it’s only recently that schools have started moving away from storing data and learning materials on networks that only allow access on the school’s site. “Finally, cloud-based models can blow that away and access can be made available from anywhere,” says James Penny, solutions director at European Electronique.

Anytime, anywhere access brings with it a new flexibility for education and, as Charlie Harrington, co-head of Knewton’s London office tells me, increases the ability of students and teachers to access educational materials. “Furthermore, we can now capture and analyse data about how students learn,” he says.

In addition to educational benefits there are significant cost benefits for schools introducing cloud-based technologies. “Amongst other things, cloud technologies facilitate the deployment of BYOD policies in the classroom,” says Benjamin Vedrenne Cloquet, CEO of Edxus Group. “As a result less money is spent on hardware for schools, which currently takes up 60% of the IT budget. More money can then be spent on smart learning software, providing tailored lesson plans and innovative digital content which all aid and facilitate a better learning experience for the pupil.”

However, despite the benefits of the cloud, many schools are still apprehensive about adopting it, but why is this? Christian Nagele, CEO and cofounder of CentraStage, believes there is “inevitable confusion” caused by the generic application of the

term ‘cloud’ to any technology that isn’t hosted on site. “Therefore, whilst ‘hosted services’ are popular in the education sector, the adoption of ‘true cloud’ services has been quite slow,” he says. There’s also the fact that access to the cloud requires good wifi connections and access to a suitable device.

“In theory [the cloud] should mean that children are free to learn when and where they wish but, in practice, there are still limiting factors,” says Ian Skeels, managing director of Point2School.

“Having access to the necessary bandwidth and devices is still something that cannot be taken for granted, in school or at home, and any system that excludes some learners because of their circumstances is faulty.”

Although there aren’t any specific educational risks associated with the use of cloud services there are several other risks linked to cloud computing that schools should bear in mind as Rick Van Sant, senior educational strategist at Blackboard, tells me.

“The biggest risk I see is that the learner becomes too reliant on the cloud for ‘lower order’ types of learning,” he says.

“Another risk is that the information accessible on the cloud, even when curated by an expert, remains subject to human errors that might spread rapidly.”

If your school is thinking of shifting to the cloud Van Sant notes the importance of finding a reliable technology partner to manage the installations, upgrades and day-to-day system maintenance.

“It’s not only a question of setting up a technical infrastructure, but also creating a virtual learning environment that helps teachers deliver better courses and enables students to learn more and achieve success.” 

Cloud technologies facilitate the deployment of BYOD policies in the classroom

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Powering progressive education The challenge for educational providers is how to combine technology with teaching to the advantage of students, propelling them forward onto the next stage of life.

Ensuring that educational providers have the infrastructure they need is an absolute priority.

Without it, there is a risk of failing to meet targets as educational standards shift.

Fujitsu brings years of experience in education sectors around the world. Our real-world innovations are backed by well-funded research and development to ensure that the best technology is available to classrooms.

With the pressure on to balance student demands with restricted budgets, educational establishments need to invest wisely for long-term success. Fujitsu provides the solution with quality, intuitive products that are both accessible and affordable.

INSPIRE TODAY TO SHAPE TOMORROW Fujitsu has teamed up with Microsoft as part of its global technology access programme to help education providers overcome this issue. Under the programme, Microsoft is offering Windows 8 Pro software for just £1 – a saving of approximately £60-£70 per device. This frees education providers to invest in the quality hardware they need to meet modern education standards.

Accessible to schools that teach pupils aged five to 19 (Key Stages 0-5) and at least 50% funded by the Department for Education, the technology access programme actively supports access to the latest technology for education institutions across the UK. Learn more by contacting us at TAPFM@uk.fujitsu.com

CASE IN POINT – UNIVERSITY TECHNICAL COLLEGE READING In a partnership facilitated by key reseller EE, Fujitsu was selected to equip UTC Reading with a complete range of hardware capabilities. The result has seen industry-standard technology installed in every classroom to ensure the next generation of employees is well equipped to meet the demands of the modern workplace.

Noted successes were the Fujitsu ESPRIMO Q520 desktop solution, which has been particularly valuable for its space-saving capacity. Its slim-line design means it is easy to attach directly onto the back of bigger monitors, offering more room for the display and more collaboration as students have the space to use multiple devices.

With Fujitsu CELSIUS W530 workstations a key feature in computer-aided design classes, UTC Reading is placing itself at the cutting-edge of education.

Students now have the processing power they need to complete entry-level 3D design courses as well as the core technical ICT skills they need to succeed.  Contact us: 0845 634 5376 / education@fujitsusales.co.uk

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The Midas touch The innovative use of touch screen technology is enhancing learning. Austin Clark finds out how

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Information technology has opened up a world of opportunities, transforming how students learn and teachers teach. At the heart of this tech-led classroom revolution is touch screen technology, with everything from tablets to interactive whiteboards and touch tables enhancing the education experience.

While tablets may be the widest reaching touch screen technology, interactive touch screen whiteboards and touch tables are perhaps changing the way lessons are presented the most, as this technology is all about collaborative learning.

THE VALUE OF COLLABORATION Supporting collaborative learning and creating lessons that encourage social interaction provides students with a better and more engaging way to learn together. It also encourages the development of essential life skills such as the ability to communicate and discuss issues.

The latest whiteboards are multi-touch, meaning two students can both work on the board doing different tasks at the same time. They are also gesture-enabled so, for instance, you can use Google Earth to find a landmark such as the London Eye and then, moving your fingers on the board’s surface, manipulate the landmark and turn it in any direction you like. A Himalayan explorer could give a talk about how he or she climbed Everest and show exactly where they went via satellite photos, taking students ‘through’ valleys and ‘round’ rocks or the children themselves could explore an ancient castle or a volcano – offering one of the closest experiences you can have to 3D in two dimensions.

Touch tables allow groups of students to learn together at the same time, interacting with activities

on the multi-touch surface. When touch tables and screens are connected together, and to tablets or notebooks, group and individual work can be shared with other class members.

TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION Pheasey Park Farm School in Walsall introduced a collaborative classroom last year, complete with interactive whiteboards and touch tables, and is already reaping the rewards. “My role as a teacher has transformed as the touch technologies enable me to set active, differentiated and collaborative activities which give each child true ownership of their learning,” says Mark Hartwright, Year 4 classroom teacher at the school. “For one of my English lessons I produced an activity on how to use speech marks. To make it more appealing to pupils I used cartoon characters that they like and are familiar with.

I developed a number of speech bubbles plus text associated with each cartoon character. I then asked the pupils to put the text in the order in which the characters would have spoken it, together with the appropriate speech marks. This activity was aimed at a Year 4 low ability literacy group and the results were amazing, with nine out of 10 of the pupils getting the right answers.”

One of the big upsides of collaborative teaching is the ability to run differentiated activities while working towards the same learning outcomes, learning through discussion, communication and collaboration.

Hartwright concludes: “Seeing pupils working collaboratively to teach one another provides a true reflection of their deeper understanding of concepts. That’s made possible through touch screen technology.” 

Seeing pupils working collaboratively to teach one another provides a true reflection of their deeper understanding of concepts

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E Q U I P P I N G T H E N E X T G E N E R AT I O N

OF ICT USERS “HP is the unique IT player in the industry offering end-to-end solutions for next generation teaching and learning. With access and quality, schools can achieve outcomes, whether that be social or learning. Children need access to educational content, curricula and communities that will prepare them to thrive in today’s global economy. This information—and the people responsible for delivering it—must also be accessible whenever, wherever and however they are needed. HP technology is able to provide all of this on an unrivaled scale by offering end-to-end

HP Elitepad 900

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solutions. When the right people are given the right tools, almost anything is possible.

Opportunities blossom when everyone is empowered to control their own educational experience. Knowing how to get the most out of technology—and being given the opportunity to do so—not only makes things easier, it makes them greater. At HP, we don’t just hand out gadgets. We provide the support and training necessary to turn a device into an instrument of change.”

Mark Davitt, HP’s education lead

HP Officejet Pro X476dw

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MINI CASE STUDY Crescent Primary School Flexible, cost-effective MFP brings superb colour printing to teachers at Norwood and Crescent Norwood and Crescent Primary Schools were lumbered with a bulky single function printer, which meant teachers had to waste time travelling to the only photocopier on campus.

They replaced it with an HP Officejet Pro X476dw which brings fast colour printing, copying and scanning to the staff room. Using an ePrint solution, the ICT manager can easily manage and monitor print usage, keeping costs down.

“The new printer offers outstanding print quality at low cost. It’s fast, flexible and takes up little room making it ideal for the staff room environment.

Furthermore, by using the ePrint facility I can easily monitor and authorise the print jobs,” says Brian Jukes, ICT manager at Crescent Primary School.

MINI CASE STUDY Sonans Education Sonans Education is a leading provider of private student teaching in Norway, with the emphasis on modern technology and innovative teaching methods.

After testing various tablets, Sonans has purchased more than 300 HP Elitepad 900 Tablets via HP partner ePartner to provide an alternative learning experience to traditional education through books and paper.

“We need tablet devices that are easy to use, quick to start and have a good battery life,” says Terje Ravnsborg, IT-director and CIO at Sonans Utdanning.

“The HP Elitepad 900 has everything that we expect from an ordinary tablet, plus it works seamlessly with our existing operating system and Its Learning learning platform, which are already familiar to teachers. The HP Elitepad 900 distinguishes itself from other tablets with robust materials and a unique set of accessories. It also showed better performance than the other portable tablets we tested. Our students and teachers can look forward to a new semester in which they will use the best materials available, in line with Sonans Utdanning strategy.”

LEARNING DEVICES It’s a multi-platform, multi-OS world.

From tablets to workstations, HP offers schools more options than ever to find the right platform to deliver next-generation learning.

PRINTING From the school office to the classroom.

HP is the world leader in printing. Schools choose from high performance, high-PPM office printers to vivid inkjet printers for class projects.

PD AND TRAINING Empowering teachers, developing leaders.

Through education research, HP helps discover, support and share the most effective instructional innovations.

ADAPTIVE CONTENT Hybrid content means the best of both worlds: print and online.

MANAGEMENT AND ASSESSMENT Managing outcomes, starting with the classroom.

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All for one

and one for all Many schools around the country have seen first-hand the benefits that a 1:1 mobile device policy can offer teachers and learners alike.

George Carey looks at some of the great work being done

The use of ICT in schools now has an impact on every conceivable lesson with pupils reaping countless benefits from devices such as laptops and tablets. And it’s because of the considerable advantages bestowed on students using a mobile device that many institutions have now chosen to implement a 1:1 policy.

Someone intimately aware of the fantastic effects such a policy can have on a school is Steve Morton, IT development manager at West Derby School in Liverpool. “I think the benefits have been progressive rather than immediate and at different rates and for different reasons when considering pupils and educators,” he says. “For pupils, the benefits have been the freedom to study and learn at a pace that suits them and to a degree at a time that suits them.

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I often wander around the school during breaks and lunchtime and see boys sitting in corridors or corners of classrooms browsing the internet, reading a book or doing their homework, so I think it’s been fairly liberating for them. I see pupils taking more care and ownership of these devices, knowing that the only person impacted by not caring for them or charging them is themselves.”

Another school that has opted for a 1:1 strategy is King Edward VI School in Southampton, where assistant head, digital strategy and ICT, Bob Allen has been overseeing the change. The school has worked with teaching staff to get them ready, while also preparing for the technical and procedural challenges, like how to distribute apps for the students. “I think we felt it was important to have a consistent device as opposed to a total bring-your-own-device approach,” he says.

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The future at the school will also be about rethinking how classes are taught, structurally, and exploring the different pedagogical avenues opened up by the tablets. “It will be quite interesting to see how the change affects what we do in terms of teachers and their expectations because teachers expect to be the sage at the front,” says Allen. “The idea of – and I don’t like the term – ‘the flipped classroom’ is an interesting concept for a school that is fairly traditional.”

Morton has seen a constant evolution and innovation in the way devices are used at West Derby and is keen to see what else can be done. “The boys have been more creative, taking screenshots of

their timetables to use as a lock screen wallpaper, for example, or taking photos of the interactive whiteboard and the teachers’ flip charts to store in subject containers within Evernote. They’ve been using QR codes to create links to important resources, using apps like Coaches Eye to video their sporting performances and analyse them afterwards, even some stop motion video work.

Much of this has been unprompted,” he enthuses.

With such exciting things being done with these devices, it can’t be long until many more schools around the country are saying yes to 1:1 implementation. 

We felt it was important to have a consistent device as opposed to a total bringyour-own-device approach

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One-to-one computing One to one computing in education is the simple concept of every child and member of staff in a school or institution having access to a personal computer. Over the years, the definitions have evolved to replace the words ‘personal computer’ with ‘laptop’ and more recently ‘device’. A device might include an ultrabook, two-in-one or tablet.

One to one (1:1) is not a new concept. It has been around and promoted for a number of years but only in recent times has it has started to become mainstream as devices have become more readily available and affordable. At the same time, school leaders and policy makers have really started to see the value and impact of 1:1 computing on pupil motivation and raising attainment.

Indeed 1:1 computing is increasingly seen by education visionaries as a key component within the bigger picture of how we deliver education to young people. Anthony Salcito, the VP of Education Worldwide at Microsoft, describes this as an evolution from a traditional (industrialised) approach, through the automated and access age, to an age of holistic transformation.

Of course, we know that the adoption of 1:1 in isolation will not be enough in itself to drive the holistic transformation that is needed within many education systems. Infrastructure, good pedagogical practice, school leadership and teacher professional learning are all key ingredients for success.

For the schools and systems that get this right, 1:1 computing has the potential to unlock the wonders of an education future that we are only just starting to imagine such as data driven personalisation, learning analytics, seamless collaboration, rich meta- tagged content, stage-not-age assessment and technology-enhanced reflective practice.

WHY GO FOR A 1:1 LEARNING ENVIRONMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE? Different people will tell you different things when it comes to actually describing the benefits of 1:1 learning environments, but generally speaking the research suggests that when used in the right way:  Most students are more motivated to learn in 1:1 environments  1:1 learning environments allow for students to access a greater range of personalised learning opportunities and have the additional benefit of being able to learn when and where they choose  Differentiation can be easier to achieve with 1:1 – including stretching and accelerating the learning of more able students  Communication improves between staff and staff; students and staff; students and students; and the school and home  Over time 1:1 can improve the administrative functions of the school, making systems more efficient and allowing resources to be better deployed elsewhere. Pressure is reduced on other school resources e.g.: computer labs.

As well as the technical elements that need to be addressed in any 1:1 deployment, it is important to think about what you are trying to improve with 1:1 and what we want our students to be able to do with their devices.

Questions around what you want the learning to look like in a 1:1 environment also need to be addressed.

With these questions evaluated and the support of the teaching community in place, 1:1 has the potential to transform teaching and learning and improve attainment across the institution.  To learn more about how Microsoft can help realise your 1:1 learning objective, please visit: www.eduempowered.com www.slideshare.net/microsofteduk www.tablet-academy.com

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want to know more? edexec.co.uk/microsoft/

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Despite apps once being associated with downtime, they’re now playing an important role in accelerating learning in the classroom.

Jess Pike explores their impact and asks the experts how to go about the procurement process If you’re anything like me your phone screen is awash with app icons – little magical bundles of code that help me navigate my way around London, find the best places to grab lunch and even book flights abroad (when it all gets too much!) and apps are now making their presence felt in classrooms around the world – which is actually pretty unsurprising given that the younger generation has grown up with whizzy technology evolving around them.

Debbie Forster, UK managing director of education technology charity Apps for Good, believes that using apps in the classroom can help students develop a range of digital skills such as how to understand and navigate technology. “Using apps can also help students see subjects that they might not have a natural affinity with in a new way,” she explains.

“There are number of interactive apps that bring an innovative and fun approach to learning modern foreign languages or basic arithmetic skills, for example.”

When searching for apps to use in your schools, be aware that popularity among students doesn’t necessarily denote quality. “This may sound obvious,” says Forster, “but it’s important to take the time to read product reviews, both via the app store and online, before making a purchase. A number of websites, such as App Safari, categorise apps to make it easier for ICT managers to browse products relevant to the education market.”

Drew Buddie, vice chair of Naace and head of computing at Royal Masonic School in Hertfordshire, also advises a degree of caution when choosing which apps to use. “If you happen to be a frequent user of Twitter, or reader of edtech blogs, it can’t have escaped your notice that it’s currently in vogue to tell teachers which mobile apps are best for

use within the classroom.

“But it’s important to bear in mind that some of these can be promotions made by individuals with a vested interest and this sometimes can’t be established until a teacher tries out a recommended app, only to find it’s a bit of a damp squib and doesn’t live up to the hype. In addition, all such recommendations should come with some sort of caveat that different circumstances can lead to particular apps behaving differently.”

Jacqueline Emkes is a maths teacher and independent e-learning advisor at Biddenham Campus Trust, Bedford. Following a small-scale research project last year into the use of tablets in the classroom she says: “We mustn’t be afraid of tech going wrong because it will! Creative and curative tools make the best apps, and introducing competition and critique into the classroom engages even the most reluctant learners.”

Emkes recommends schools begin with four apps and consider carefully how they’ll be managed. “Where will you store the students’ work? Your work? Your personal information? What about data protection? Safety and confidentiality? How will students find their work, submit it and receive feedback? Careful management of devices must be understood before rollout.”

Looking to the future, it’s clear that technology going forward will be driven by students; Forster thus recommends that network managers and teachers encourage students to make their own apps. “This offers students the chance to develop increasingly sought after skills, such as coding, while also strengthening their teamwork and problem-solving abilities,” she says. So what are you waiting for? Start engaging with your peers and finding out which apps could revolutionise the way your students learn. 

Be aware that popularity among students doesn’t necessarily denote quality

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