By Andrew Jewell, independent learning consultant
WALKING out on the Great Wall of China is something that relatively few of us will do. Imagine then how the ability to walk virtually through a digital portal such an iPad in the classroom and stand on that ancient landmark can fire the imagination and broaden the horizons of a child.
My background is classroom teaching, with 17 years spent in the classroom. In 2010 I was working at Cedars School of Excellence, a small independent school in Greenock, when I decided to introduce iPads into one-to-one teaching. It was unusual at the time, but I taught with the technology for about four years.
During that time educators from other parts of the world started to ask for help and support. They were interested in finding out how to bring technology into schools, but more important was that the technology would prepare pupils for the wider world.
So I moved away from teaching children to training teachers, and since then I’ve worked in primary, secondary, and higher education – from Greenland to Cape Town and pretty much everywhere in between.
Scotland didn’t come calling until relatively recently. Edinburgh now has a number of schools using one-to-one iPad learning, Highlands Council has a project using Chromebooks, and Borders Council also has a one-to-one project ongoing.
In my work with CGI and XMA, I’m now involved in Glasgow City Council’s ambitious and forward-looking project to use one-to-one iPad learning as one part of its connected learning, a plan to make sure that every pupil across the city, no matter where they live, can have equal access to the technology that boosts potential for learning and attainment.
The iPads are simply the devices, just the tip of the iceberg. I am involved in the much wider project, which also involves strategic planning on professional development for teachers. Every teacher in Glasgow is going to be given a significant amount of learning opportunities through this project.
It might be seen as disruptive technology at the moment, but augmented reality in particular is being used by estate agents, travel agents, medical professionals, and more so it is relevant technology to look at for the classroom.
The iPad is nothing without a suite of carefully curated educational apps, and Glasgow has prepared thoroughly, investing in the best digital educational tools in the world, allowing pupils and teachers to be more productive and creative.
Parents have had questions of course. When they find it difficult to get children to put down hand-held devices at mealtimes, they question why introducing an iPad into learning will be of any benefit. Of course they need to be reassured that this technology is simply a tool to improving education, but it doesn’t replace the classroom experience as they would understand it
It will not replace handwriting. It won’t replace PE or music or art on any of these lessons. It’s only to be used as and when it makes the learning better. As far as I’m concerned, that’s the only time we should be using technology – when it improves our lives.
I am a teacher by nature and love being in the classroom – I would not be doing this job unless I had seen the concrete benefits of the one-to one learning. I’m also passionate about the fact that every pupil in Glasgow, no matter what their postcode or background, will have equal access to it.
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