drew.burrett

Having reinstalled my webcam to show pupils demos on the projector, it failed again this week with my Higher class.

It was working perfectly as they were coming into the room, I told them what we’d be doing and asked them to get their jotters out whilst I did the register. No sooner did I click ‘Complete’ on Click+Go and my camera failed.

This is exactly what happened last time, now that I come to think of it.

Has anyone else had problems with Click+Go causing other applications or peripherals to fail?

Can anyone provide an explanation?

Almost without exception, everytime I tried to use a bit of technology last week it went wrong.

S1 Science revsion using Web sites - links disappeared or wouldn’t work for one class, internet connection died for the other class

S5 Physics using flexi cam to show how to connect circuit - camera died, wanted the software to be reinstalled (which I can’t do as I’m not a system administrator - waited 2 days)

Only success - S6 Physics using (freshly re-installed) flexi cam to show electrical filed patterns.

S4 off on study leave next week - 6 fewer possibilities for disaster to strike.

I tried a small ICT exercise with my S2 science class last week - producing a simple data sheet for a given chemical element.

With an unusually high rate of successful first log-in attempts (16 out of 17), we got off to a flying start.

The pupils were given a good staring place for information (www.webelements.com) and an overview of the type of data to be included in order to produce a single page MSWord document.

This is where it all started to unravel a bit. Some were highly proficient users of MSWord, inserting tables, WordArt headings, and images with ease. Others needed almost constant instruction. And when it came to emailing their finished work to me, despite my best efforts at demonstrating how to do so via the projector, I had a room full of pupils scratching their heads.

In my last school the network ran IBM’s TLC NetConnect system, where teachers could create class folders into which such files as blank document templates, writing schemes, etc; could be placed, opened and worked on by pupils and then saved on completion.

I’d love to know if a similar set-up exists in Argyll & Bute, so I’m off to speak to the ICT technicians before trying a similar exercise with my S1 pupils next week.

Watch this space!