1. HARDWARE FOR THE TEACHERS

After a long period of enabling pupils with technology through hand-held devices and computer laboratories, the emphasis in the UK over the past few years has been enabling the teachers in the classroom. This switch has been led by the availability of a new range of dynamic object-based software titles, and the increasingly affordable ceiling-mounted data projector – hardware which is now being seen by many as an indispensable tool of the trade for teachers.

The debate about what to shine the image onto is still alive and unresolved. Several competing Interactive Whiteboard systems are in wide use in the UK, led by the pen-driven models from Promethean and Cambridge-Hitachi and the finger-driven Smart boards (from Canada). Promethean are the market leader; Cambridge-Hitachi boards have the distinction of being tougher, and can be written on with ordinary pens. The Smart boards encourage a tactile approach, favoured by younger users, but the important 'mouse-over’ signal needs careful management when used with dynamic software.

Some teachers are concerned about having to stand in the light of the projector all day, and also having to cope with the fact that their bodies and their shadows are inevitably in the way.

A solution from Smart Technologies is growing in popularity – this “Sympodium” has a pen-driven tablet sitting on a podium at standing height. The teacher is facing the pupils as the computer is being used, and the shadow and glare problems are solved.

Another popular approach is to have a wireless mouse, which can be passed round the class.

The Tablet laptop is also gaining ground – giving the teacher complete freedom to run the class from anywhere in the room. There are still technical issues here as the essential wireless connection to the projector is currently too slow to show videos or to demonstrate 3D graphics. Hopefully this will be overcome in time.

A good source of details of hardware for use in schools in the UK is:
Ambra Solutions