Should my school upgrade to Windows 7?
Yesterday Microsoft launched the eagerly-awaited Windows 7. After the disappointment of Vista, people were keen to see whether Microsoft could redeem themselves and make an operating system that improved noticeably on XP.
In the preceding months the Microsoft marketing machine generated an exceptional amount of buzz, with Windows 7 remaining a popular trending topic on Twitter http://is.gd/4vYbR. Such was the hype before launch that Amazon posted that Windows 7 was the biggest pre-order product of all time, even beating the indomitable Harry Potter http://is.gd/4vYp0
From the sounds of things the wait was worth it, with internet reviews finding the system cleaner, faster, stronger and more usable.
So, what does this all mean for schools? We understand that rolling out a school-wide operating system upgrade is no small task, so you need to be sure that the new system will bring strong enough benefits.
Gerald Haigh, education writer and journalist interviewed six UK schools who were early adopters of Windows 7. He writes about their experiences of upgrading to the new operating system in a paper entitled Windows 7 in schools: The early experiences.
How public service start-ups could transform Britain for the better
In the battlefield of IT provisions it is always good to be reminded of what we start-ups have over the public sector and large private companies. We thrive on the competition from big organisations and see the challenge they bring as a positive way to improve our business. This confidence is partly due to the knowledge of the advantages we hold.
Paul Miller, education evangelist and CEO of School of Everything, puts it well.
“Start-ups can find ways of connecting with public services by coming up with new ideas. But they are also small enough to talk directly to their users, learning how to improve their service day-by-day – something that the public sector struggles with because of the bureaucracy of change.”
“The capital efficiency [of start-ups] in creating innovation is unrivalled by anything in the public sector.”
UK’s young digital Britons want more technology in the classroom
Four out of five students in England and Wales would like to see more technology in the classroom according to fresh research by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. The research suggests that the nation’s young believe that technology can help them learn, with around 40% saying they would be interested in a greater use of interactive whiteboards. A similar number would welcome an increase in AV equipment such as DVD players.
The Ipsos MORI research questioned 2,447 11 to 16 year olds about their feelings towards technology in the classroom. Of the students questioned, over half wanted their teachers to use computers and the internet to help advance learning techniques.
NETSA’s Chief Executive Jonathan Kestenbaum was excited by the findings. “Young people will be at the heart of the digital economy so it’s promising to see school children embracing digital technologies not just as a form of entertainment, but as a way to learn. This doesn’t mean we have to rip up text books ‘California-style’, but rather look at innovative ways of learning which will best prepare children for the future.”
The research found that many students would indeed support Governor Schwarzenegger’s ‘California-style’ call to replace traditional text books with new technologies.
Young people are traditionally strong adopters of new technology. A recent study by Ofcom (The Communications Market, 2008) indicates that 81% of boys and 77% of girls aged between 12 and 15 have access to the internet. The large majority (70%) use it every day.
Popularity of Interactive Whiteboards Rising
Worldwide sales of interactive whiteboards (IWBs) are rocketing. The market enjoyed a 32% rise from 2007 to 2008, with some 557,000 being shipped globally.
The data was released recently by Futuresource Consulting, an independent research company who were conducting a study on behalf of a leading interactive whiteboard manufacturer. Futuresource estimates that over 2 million interactive whiteboards are now installed in schools and businesses.
It is predicted that in the next 5 years this installed base will reach over 7 million, meaning that one in every five classrooms worldwide will have an IWB.
So, what is all the fuss about?
Interactive whiteboards can be used to deliver a wide variety of benefits to the classroom. They offer exciting new possibilities to display and edit work, conduct classes and engage children in ways that simply weren’t possible before.
The Governor to Terminate Textbooks
California’s is suffering from a severe budget deficit. Currently the state is desperately trying to meet its $24.3bn shortfall and is fielding ever more original money-saving suggestions.
In addition to the sweeping budget cuts already announced, Governor Schwarzenegger has been asking his Twitter followers for their suggestions. He has already approved a plan to sign his name on state cars in order to increase their sale value.
The cuts are affecting every corner of state spending, not least of all the education sector, which is expected to lose around $3bn.
In a bold move to save money, Governor Schwarzenegger has voiced his support for removing hard-copy textbooks from all schools and introducing eBooks.
“It’s nonsensical and expensive to look to traditional hard-bound books when information today is so readily available in electronic form” Schwarzenegger wrote.
“Especially now, when our school districts are strapped for cash and our state budget deficit is forcing further cuts to classrooms, we must do everything we can to untie educators’ hands and free up dollars so that schools can do more with fewer resources.”
