Small scale computing devices in schools David Perry

My interest Evaluating sub-laptops in EAZ Becta WLAN guidance booklet PFI Connected Learning Project Becta Handhelds (PDAs) report author

Products Sub-laptops / ultra-portables Web Pads with or without wireless networking PDAs (with phone?)

Products Apple emate 1997Intel Florence 2003 NEC MobilePro : keyboard that's nearly the same size as those found on regular notebooks and an 8.1-inch screen, 8hrs battery life, medical market 2003 HP/Thai Govt Peoples notebook £285 (Linux)

BECTa/DfES PDA project 150 teachers in 30 schools with about 100 devices for pupils Palm OS (Palm M130s) MS-Pocket PC 2002 (Compaq iPAQs) Some graphic calculators

Twin focuses Managing teachers workload Supporting teaching and learning Managing teaching Managing learning

Three categories of user School managers – SMTs/ technicians/ caretaker as per business users Teachers managing functions direct support to teaching Pupils learning managing their information/games/etc

School managers Up to date - fully synchronised Access to network resources anywhere (WLAN) Instantly available Contact lists, diaries and meeting arrangements anywhere Attendance info & chasing

School managers I co-ordinate my diary between my Personal Assistant and myself - I have no paper diary anymore. I have all my tasks on the PDA, they are all under control. I can manage tasks better and can give tasks to staff Russell Moon, Headteacher Philip Morant School and College, Colchester

Teachers - managing learning I use my PDA regularly…. It has become my first, best reference tool… I would never willingly go without one now; it is my instantly accessible Encyclopaedia, Thesaurus, Periodic Table, Diary, Register/Mark Book, World map and even Star Chart!" Mike Rutherford, Durham Johnston

Pupils If I didnt have the PDA, Id probably forget my work There is more room to write what the homework is in the PDA than there is in the planner, so you write better notes People dont always bring their homework planner, but no one ever forgets their PDA Im not very good with my homework, but when I put it into the PDA and turn it on when I get home, it s telling me to do my homework A cool tool!

Palm PDAs Carolyn Offer ICT Co-ordinator East Herrington Primary School Sunderland

Palm 130m Compact/Portable Quick boot up Powerful/Internet Additions Colour screen Battery & Charging Supporting websites Sturdy

Software? Word documents Spreadsheets Powerpoint presentations connected to a projector Display photos in Photosuite QCA maths software available Downloaded books Notepad, calculator, addresses, alarm & reminders

Downloading & printing We have 31 Palms in the class and downloading into Word is done by means of a cradle attached to the laptop and each Palm in my class has its own account. One pupil is in charge of supervising this operation and printing off the work.

Beaming (Infra-red) Sharing information Simple programs downloaded from net and beamed to each child Cooties! Maths and literacy software Foundation subjects, even Spanish Easy for children to use

Group use Hannah inputs the weeks spelling list and beams it to the rest of her spelling group Some children prefer to use small keyboards The PDAs are used for paired writing in poetry

Taking notes Making notes and observations on the sights and sounds of spring These were collated later and used for poetry writing The Palms are useful for note taking on school visits as a worksheet can be prepared and beamed to each PDA before the visit.

In class With only 16 computers in our previous ICT room the PDAs provided valuable extra ICT equipment - so the whole class of 30 were hard at work preparing poems.

Motivation - special needs pupils No problems with story writing! Willing to complete work Short task in pairs to correct a piece of work with some incorrect spellings beamed from my PDA Downloaded books for group reading Literacy text work

Staff use School diary Making notes when marking books Recording marks on class spreadsheets. Preparing worksheets Literacy frameworks Uploading to my PC at home Literacy frameworks Sharing skills and ideas

My class at the moment….. Science projects on Living Things Powerpoint presentations Downloaded to PDAs. Shown to parents at home Used with projector and presented in the classroom

Learning together

Psion netBooks Beverley Russell-Burke Hill Mead Primary Lambeth

Introducing netBooks Get to grips with Psions - teacher perspective Awe and wonder to the classroom Pupils attachment to netBooks Using the netBooks in the classroom

How are they used? Home school agreement netBooks going home Literacy lessons Numeracy Lessons

How are they used? Foundation subjects Internet searches Creative Activity Afternoon (CAA) Parents

And Finally... netBook benefits: Promote Literacy and Numeracy Extend and enhance ICT skills Give children a wider experience of the internet Involve parents/carers in childrens learning.

The York e-Learning Pilot Chris Sharples, e-Learning Officer, City of York

Simpad – latest pros Wirelessly connected to Network - Internet, printing, interactive whiteboard Applications: Internet, word, excel, textmaker, datalogging Handwriting recognition CF memory card Classroom management essentials : On/off, 10 second soft reset, connectivity icons

Where are we now?

Classroom of the Future?

Classroom of the Future

Getting there… key issues Pupils - skills and responsibility Teacher capacity Finance - E-Learning Foundation Changing Technology Building shared understanding within and between schools

Thank you to … Teachers Pupils Parents LEA Colleagues

Conclusions David Perry

Bold steps Exploring potential must not mean half- hearted commitment Most projects choose: Limited users, comprehensive uses OR Comprehensive users, limited uses Ubiquitous computing is difficult to test

Ubiquitous computing? Wherever, whatever, ownership Important for pupils as well as teachers ICT capability – pupils take decisions ICT literacy – understanding and using information – how do we get them there?

Small device advantages Small size, lifestyle integration Instant-on, no waiting for boot up Classroom integration – changing the pedagogy of ICT Transformation potential

Small device advantages Wireless networking – LAN/Internet Quantity of data always available Up-to-dateness (currency) of the data Ease of synchronisation and sharing of data by infra-red beaming or WLAN Price – universality potential

Limitations Need projection for sharing Rugged enough for child use? Input techniques (free text/DTP) Management demands – charging/ file storage/backup

The device of the future? Most small devices wont (yet) do everything Interim possibilities: A bridge between: classroom and ICT suite school and home teachers, pupils and families £40 each - is it feasible to equip every member of staff and pupil with a PDA - now?

Mobile phones Ban them? Encourage them? Use them? Who pays for them?

Small computers Ban them? Encourage them? Use them? Who pays for them?

Nina at 2yrs 7m