School Reporting Suite

Saving Teachers Time

Month: August 2015

Technology Is Intertwined With Teaching

 

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Since the invention of the abacus, technology has been shaping the way children are educated. Things have changed a little since ancient times, with recent advances in technology happening at a staggering rate.

It is only 30 years ago that computers started to be commonplace in schools. Yet, now they are an indispensible teaching tool. This is not only due to the access to information they can give children of all ages, but also has to do with the central role that technology plays in the lives of students, both now and in the future.

We now live in a digital economy. As a result, the ability to use technology effectively will be a key tool for students once they finish their studies and begin looking for a job.

This means that technology needs to be intertwined with the way that children are educated. Schools are adapting quickly, with more than 70% of schools giving pupils access to tablet computers during the learning process.

In nearly 10% of schools, each student has their own tablet device. Between 2014 and 2016, the number of tablet computers in schools is expected to rise from about 430,000 to almost 900,000.

What Next

Technology is going to continue to evolve. The challenge for schools will be to continue to adapt to get the best results for children. In an article for the BBC, Dr Clarke of the University of Cambridge spoke about the role of technology and how it will evolve:

“The type of device might change, but it’s not going to go away. It will almost seem ridiculous if some of them are not using technology,” she said.

Moving forwards, the challenge is always going to be finding the balance between adopting technology and keeping the focus on knowledge. This is particularly salient given the distraction that technology can provide, which is something that has had some senior figures in education wanting to discuss the banning of mobile phones and even iPads in schools.

How Teaching Has Changed In The Last Twenty Years

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The education system in the United Kingdom has changed significantly over the past two decades, as successive governments look to boost national standards and to manage the existing system.

Changes in government and the pressure to deliver progress has seen widespread modifications in school structures, the curriculum, and the way that success from a teaching and pupil perspective is measured.

Therefore, we thought we would look at some of the changes that have occurred in the last two decades.

The Rise Of The Academy School

One of the most fundamental educational changes in the last two decades is the move from grant maintained comprehensive schools to academies. The key difference being that maintained schools were managed by the Local Education Authority (LEA), whereas Academies are administered independently.

The academy structure is designed to give academies more freedom than comprehensive schools run by the local education authority. The transition to academies continues, despite the change of government in 2010. In 2015 it is estimated that half of all schools are now academies.

Changes In Pupil Qualifications

The way in which achievement is measured at 16 and 18 years old has been a controversial topic since the first national qualifications were created.

In recent years we have seen some schools adopt the European Baccalaureate, as institutions seek to position their pupils with the qualifications they think will give them the best path going forwards, particularly in an ever-increasing globalised market economy. In the traditional system there has been the introduction of AS levels, and more recently the introduction of the A* grade to A Levels.

Renewed Focus On Languages

The number of children learning foreign languages has dropped in the last two decades, particularly when the regulations around the number of compulsory languages at GSCE was relaxed.

However, due to the personal and economic benefits of being multi-lingual the government has taken steps to reverse the trend. One of these is to teach languages at an early age across certain selected parts of the UK.

These are just a couple of things that have changed. I am sure teachers reading this would also want to highlight a number of different changes that they have witnessed, and to comment on whether they are good or bad in terms of their impact on education standards.

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