It was great to see the ways in which teachers diversified their programmes to suit having the same resources in their classrooms every day. However, there are still times when it would be better to have a larger number, especially if you are teaching a specific skill that you want the whole class to use simultaneously. It would seem that the older the children are, the easier it is to manage larger numbers of computers/laptops, as they are more capable and are able to remember more instructions/directions and can troubleshoot themselves. Observations in younger aged classes shows that it can be very difficult to operate a larger number, as the children are more demanding of your time and need a lot more assistance - even with finding the letters on the keyboard - this can potentially lead to disaster, and can turn a lesson into a nightmare! The option of having an extra adult pair of hands would eleviate the problem, or use older students to help. With the second option, this would mean that children would miss out on the learning that is going on in their own class which could pose issues later on.
All teams that were part of the trial have expressed a need for more equipment - we will have to see what the BOT can give us in regards to this. Watch this space ...
