| Blackboards, whiteboards, textbooks and jotters: all | | | | Netbooks are built primarily for internet browsing and |
| objects that wouldn't look out of place in most | | | | applications that don't require a great deal of power |
| traditional school classrooms. With the global | | | | or memory. For this reason, netbooks are smaller, |
| technological revolution in full swing, schools perhaps | | | | cheaper and have much greater battery life – |
| need to look at ways of modernising their set-up. | | | | three good reasons why classrooms should be |
| Whilst teachers are as vital as ever to any | | | | thinking along these lines if they intend to jump into |
| educational process, the tools that they use to | | | | the 21st century. |
| impart their knowledge are equally important. Rather | | | | Then there are interactive whiteboards (IWBs) which |
| than resisting change, it's always best to embrace it | | | | are essentially multimedia-enabled whiteboards that |
| – change is inevitable across the world and as we | | | | facilitate a far greater degree of student |
| move increasingly towards a ubiquitous online, | | | | participation, collaboration and all-round involvement. |
| digitalised society, technology surrounds us wherever | | | | The real interaction comes in the form of student |
| we go. That includes children. | | | | response systems which are small mobile devices |
| Anyone brought into this world from about 1995 | | | | that essentially gives a voice to every child in the |
| onwards will probably be fairly clued up on technology | | | | classroom. |
| and gadgets. E-books are becoming increasingly | | | | Some young learners are natural communicators and |
| popular, whilst the internet now exists in just about | | | | require no coercing out of their shells. Other children, |
| every portable communications device around. Throw | | | | however, can take a little bit of time to find their |
| into the equation portable media players, mp3 players | | | | voice in a large group setting and an individual student |
| and handheld gaming devices and you start to get | | | | response system can certainly help to involve kids in |
| the picture. Technology really is everywhere and a | | | | classroom activities. Question and answer sessions, |
| child's learning environment has to reflect their | | | | for example, can be presented on an IWB, with the |
| experiences from outside of school too. | | | | pupils each possessing a response system on which |
| Portability is probably one of the key defining | | | | they input their answers to a teacher-initiated quiz. |
| characteristics of most modern devices. Everything is | | | | Mobile technology can help optimise and streamline |
| getting smaller and more compact, from mobile | | | | the classroom education process and, as is happening |
| phones to laptops. Indeed, the latest wave of | | | | across much of society, schools should embrace the |
| portable laptops – netbooks – are fantastic | | | | technological revolution. |
| additions to any modern classroom. | | | | |