In message <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>, Rick Chagouri-Brindle <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes
>>> Fair enough. Do you teach ICT then? Snap, although I am a part-time >>> lecturer on loan from business!!! At the local college at which I teach >>> they insist on calling it Information Communications Technology . . . >>> hence the ICT. However, the function of ICT in a educational environment >>> is no different from IT in a business environment . . . they are both >>> using technology to achieve a purpose. >>> >> >> I teach Technology, in a secondary school. >> >> I hate all these pseudo titles, that come and go ... >> >I couldn't agree with you more . . . there is too much emphasis at work >and in education on naming things! Yes ... "new", so called, initiatives ... :-( >> We just use the hardware and software to help achieve project work. >> >And why not? Well, after all, isn't this what technology is for? At >times we all get too focussed on technology without purpose, I know I >can be guilty of that!!! Our role is to try to see the technology as a tool to encourage creativity, inventiveness, et, through project based work. >> Not forgetting, that there is just as much value in hand skills too. >> >I couldn't agree with you more. I have two young sons and the older boy, >who is four ,has his own laptop, but we ensure that he mixes sitting at >the computer with actually physically making things with kicking a ball >around with . . . . . . . >> I have no problem with software investment going into PC applications. >> What I find disappointing is that in many schools/colleges it is purely >> a Microsoft environment and that students have no concept of the history >> and development of ICT. That, in my view, is a real shame. Even in >> programming, the concentration seems to be totally on Visual Basic - >> with all the bad habits that gives us - without considering the huge >> variety of better cross-platform languages. Oh well, that's life, I guess! >> >> >> Yes it is boring, but the way it is at present. >> >A colleague of mine actually had a student penalised for "thinking >outside the box" and using an alternative language - Ruby - for a project. >> My school has a Humanities specialist grant, that gives us even more M$ >> products, as a part of the deal. >> >MS aren't stupid, are they? Yes, by pumping in funding now, for their own products, they are seeding the next generation to use them. >Actually, that reminds me. I also "teach" on a volunteer basis at a >local pre-school. I use the term teach with this age group very >loosely, but I was amazed how much these children pick up and how >quickly. As part of the project, I setup and installed four PCs for >them, and we installed the Edubuntu Linux variant - partly for reasons >of cost, and partly because it is designed for young children. They >have all taken too it so well, it is amazing. Many of the children use >the machines with more confidence than some of the staff!!! Umm ... this is why it is still fun and interesting to use the QL, in its modern form and derivatives. My introduction to "home computing" was in the heady days when there was lots of free choice around. Now it is M$ dominant. Although the iPod has shown that the market dominance can be challenged, and new markets created. -- Malcolm Cadman _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
