The Internet in School

Teachers throughout the UK have been asked to make themselves IT literate with little training and sometimes no resources. The Net mailing lists are full of complaints and horror stories: lack of equipment; lack of support; lack of time, and lack of money.

These problems can only be solved at a political level, but there are other questions which come up time and time again. What should we do in our school about pornography, plagiarism, encryption - even where should we place the equipment? Duncan Grey is head of resources at a school in Cambridge [UK] and he has written a guidance manual which addresses not only these questions but all the other problems raised by the use of IT in schools.



He starts by explaining the nature of the Net, how it works, and the advantages it offers. Then he tackles head-on the problems which teachers have to face in their use of it - including issues of capital equipment costs, online charges, and the formulation of a school-wide policy.

The line he takes is humane and well-informed - pointing to the undoubted advantages of Internet access for education, but without shying away from the loopholes for abuse (which are often exaggerated). Whilst arguing that teachers should promote responsibility and understanding as the safest antidotes, he does explore the available filtering software and the much-discussed policy of 'walled garden' Intranets.

At a practical level, he explains what equipment you will need, and how to get connected to the Internet. There's also a consideration of techniques for using IT in the classroom, and he includes suggestions for activities in core subjects. This is supplemented with an explanation of the current relation of IT with the National Grid for Learning, the National Curriculum, and the Initial Teacher Training requirements in ICT.

What I think teachers reading this will enjoy is the fact that this is all so obviously based on practical classroom experience. He offers exercises, checklists, and guidance notes at every stage - and even finishes with model policies for the school and its in-service training needs.

My sympathies go out to all those classroom teachers struggling to cope in an environment made much worse by recent cutbacks in government funding. If they are at all concerned with IT, and especially if they are beginners, this book offers a sign that help is at hand. It should certainly be required reading in every staffroom.