Teachers need to learn the benefits of IT from their students,
according to Jim Knight, minister for schools.
Speaking at a Labour party conference fringe meeting, the MP for
South Dorset said teachers must always be "in charge" but should
listen to young people on how best to use IT in the classroom.
"People born into this tehnology will always use it more
confidently than people who are more adaptive," he said. "The
effect in the classroom will be that teachers must always be in
charge, but if they are really going to realise the benefits of the
technology, then they need to learn from the young people
themselves about how best to use it.
"There is a huge amount of learning generated from IT, and it is
largely generated by young people themselves."
He said the UK is a "world leader" in applying technology to
education. The government's plans to give a means-tested voucher to
families to enable their connection to the internet at home would,
he said, "not only close the digital divide amoung families with
school-age children, it will have a massive impact on the
classroom.
"Teachers are understandably reluctant to assume people can
access the internet at home, and have the confidence and skills
that go with that. Home access to the internet is worth an extra
two terms of schooling or an extra half grade at GCSE. It is wrong
that 1.4 million children are denied that opportunity."
Lesley Gannon, from the National Association of Head Teachers,
said the growth of IT in schools is challenging for some teachers,
adding, "The divide of knowledge and experience of IT cannot be
drawn along straightforward lines."
She added that better sofware was needed to help staff manage IT
in schools. "We need school systems and filtering systems that are
going to provide adequate protection for young people, but at the
same time are not stifling and frustrating users who are already
highly skilled. We need software systems that will reduce the
workload and problems.
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