Teaching resources are being drained by expensive corporate software says Tristan Ashman. The question is do we need it all? The level of sophistication far exceeds the real needs of the educational classroom. If we are brutally honest do we really need it; have we become overcome by hype? If we stuck to blackboards just think of the hours saved from sorting computer crashes, lost broadband, stolen laptops and the other the host of technological nightmares that beset the learning programme. And how often do we used the interactive whiteboards to their full design capacity. If we used chalk there’s absolutely no need to queue all night for that essential iPad. Suddenly we get to realise that our lives can actually continue and our teaching skills can be better used.
Please note theses sanguine comments are not at all influenced by the fact the writer has just inherited a 3rd generation iPod which refuses to load new tunes. Not that he begrudges the astonishing gift from his now upgraded son, but heavy metal rock is not the ideal listening content for theses delicate ears. And he dreads to think how long he spent trying to remove and replace the software and myriad of on-line advice. Oh for radio and FM at that – don’t get him going on DAB unless it is a brand of beer.
Read the article by Tristan Ashman
