The double click generation
If your child seems to be able to programme the DVD player in less time than it takes you to make a cup of tea, you are not alone. But how IT savvy are the next generation? We take a look at how computers are used and taught in the classroom
According to globally accepted views on ICT in education, the computer is introduced into the classroom to upgrade the quality and efficiency of ‘traditional’ teaching, to provide motivation for the participation of all students in the learning process and to provide the main skills for its use in implementing processes of productive learning.
Important changes in compulsory education over recent years have seen the enrichment of the syllabus with classes in technology and information technology and the broadening of specialties in technical education.
In 2002, the government signed a contract worth £260 million with the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Investment Bank for the improvement of education given to students in public schools. The duration of the programme was five years.
The project was separated into two major sub-projects: the first was the improvement of buildings’ infrastructure at a cost of £195 million and the second was the implementation of ICT in the teaching process, at a cost of £65 million.
Over 95 per cent of Cypriot teachers see significant learning benefits for pupils using computers in class and say that pupils are more motivated and attentive when computers and the internet are used. With this figure, Cyprus ranks second in Europe, and is first at the primary school level. Cypriot teachers seem to have fully internalised the use of ICT as a key element of teaching in schools.
And it is not just children that become more interested when a computer is introduced into the classroom. The value parents put on computer skills is, “quite phenomenal,” Education Director at Highgate, Maria Theochari said.
All private schools in Cyprus have their own internet connection and a private email account. This access is given to all school terminals (PCs). All the secondary schools and the majority of primary schools, have a broadband connection to the internet of 1.5 Mbps. All the other schools are connected to the internet by ISDN connections.
“Technology is the way forward now and knowing about it is vital to a child’s development,” said Janet Panayides, Head Teacher of The Senior School in Nicosia. “I would say that it’s preparation for coping with life in our ever-advancing technological world.”
She explained that children receive basic IT lessons from the age of five. “Children at our feeder Junior School follow the IT programme of the English national curriculum. This begins with fairly basic computer skills, which then lead on to more detail, for example learning how to use Microsoft Word.”
By the age of 11, the pupils have learnt how to use Excel and know how to handle basic data. Between the ages of 12 and 16, a pupil at the school will have two IT lessons per week with a specialist IT teacher. They will learn more advanced skills such as graphic design and PowerPoint presentations.
The computer lab gives access to a computer to every child, while each classroom will have a computer for staff and pupil use.
In addition to the basic computer, the school also utilises electronic whiteboards, which allow for a more interactive approach to learning. They also have special three-dimensional projector systems in the science laboratories.
“All of these tools make the learning process far more relevant, with the child able to take a more active part,” Panayides explained.
“We have moved premises this year and have spent around £25,000 on developing our IT facilities.”
Teacher of four and five-year-olds at another private school in Nicosia, Tanya Zayat tells a similar story. “From an even earlier age, we let the children know about the concept of a computer,” she said.
“At Highgate, we will basically explain how the device works and let them have a play to get them accustomed to the machine. This involves showing them how to use a mouse, as this helps with the development of hand-eye coordination.”
She added that it’s becoming more and more important for children to learn about technology from an early age as it is now part of everyday life and will help children to develop in the modern world.
“Parents are also demanding that their children are taught about computers and they want to make sure that they have enough access.”
In the public sector, during the mid-1980s, the Department of Secondary Education appointed committees to study the introduction of computer technology into upper secondary schools (Lyceums). It has now acquired the status of a fully-fledged supplementary subject offered by all Lyceums. In Gymnasiums (lower secondary schools), ICT is taught also as a separate subject in Grades, 7, 8, and 9.
But this is not where in-classroom teaching begins. In primary education, the first attempts to introduce computers began in 1991 with a government report into how they could be usefully employed in the classroom. During the following school year, the Pedagogical Institute of Cyprus carried out a trial programme involving the introduction of computers into two primary schools in Nicosia. At the same time, the Committee of ICT of the Ministry of Education decided that computers should be introduced in primary education, and prepared a five-year plan for doing so. In 1993, a programme was launched aiming to introduce ICT in primary education by investigating the possibility of using computers and other information technology media as teaching and learning aids in the primary school. Within the framework of this programme, ICT is not viewed as a separate subject, but as a dynamic means of teaching and learning and of reinforcing the curriculum and the development of children’s basic skills of concentrating, processing and presenting information.
Today, all schools of pre-primary and primary education are equipped with computers and other software and the majority of teachers use ICT as an educational tool, which supports the current curriculum.
The Department of Secondary Education has a scheme that aims to train all secondary school teachers in the use of the PC, as an aid in teaching their individual subjects, as well as a tool to improve their professional efficiency. A large number of teachers of English, mathematics, physics and art are being relieved of their school duties for one day per week, and are attending specifically designed seminars for this purpose. A significant development is the teaching of design and technology, and home economics, in Gymnasiums. This was brought about by adjusting the aims, methodology and content of the existing traditional subjects of craftwork and home economics in schools. These programmes have been monitored and revised, so that the subjects can be brought into line with the needs of contemporary society.
Toys for the students
FLY Pentop Computer
Students who still prefer to “take notes” during class instead of typing on a laptop or tapping a PDA screen can now have the best of both worlds. The latest high-tech pens remember everything you write or draw on special paper; once docked in its USB-connected charger, your handwritten notes will be immediately copied to a PC’s hard drive for safe keeping, emailing or jotting onto sticky notes. In fact, your chicken scratch can also be transcribed into text, if desired.
Available for around £30 from www.amazon.com
Record lectures & more
Sure, you could purchase a stand-alone digital voice recorder, but unless you’re sitting in a huge lecture hall you can probably get away with a portable MP3 player with a built-in microphone.
The teeny 8GB Creative Zen V Plus ($169.
99 to 199.99; www.us.creative.com) is only the size of a Tic-Tac box (4.35 by 6.75 by 1.59 cm), yet this mobile media powerhouse can store roughly 4,000 songs, display photos and videos on its 1.5-inch OLED colour screen and record dozens of hours of lectures onto its integrated Flash memory
Available for around £140 from www.creative.com
English to Greek electronic translator
This product is the latest in iTRAVL translators. This new generation portable device is the ultimate talking dictionary available today. Complete with the most sophisticated voice capabilities available anywhere, this device features a unique combination of state-of-the-art speech recognition allowing your machine to understand an individual user”s voice, professionally recorded real human voice output, and advanced TTS voice synthesis. Featuring over 14,000 phrases it can voice in Greek and English, this unmatched phrasebook is a must-have for students.
Available for around £199.95 from www.amazon.co.uk
