captivity – devoid of the outside world and the enjoyment of playing in a field, climbing a tree and experiencing the physical world. Technology, mobile or otherwise, should not be seen as a replacement for real life experience.
How can playing computer games have any positive effect on primary education? It really depends upon how they are used. Video games are the defining art of the 21st century. The video game industry is larger than the film, music and book publishing industries combined. So clearly the creators of video games know something about engagement. The question is whether this engagement can be taken beyond pure
entertainment and into something more. Well, every generation has asked this question as each new medium has
arrived from books to film to television to music. I believe that in the hands and guidance of a skilful and aware teacher
or parent, video games can be a powerful catalyst for learning. There isn’t a race to the bottom among game designers to create the easiest to play video game – otherwise we’d still be playing PacMan. When we are playing a game we are rapidly solving abstract problems in real time whilst being continually assessed and often working collaboratively with other people. Aren’t these the very skills that we expect of 21st century learners? Often the content of the game is not the thing that is the source of
learning but the conversations that happen around it. A skilled teacher can use the game as a launchpad for these discussions that drive other aspects of the curriculum. And let’s not forget the skills required to design and create a video
game. This is, in fact, rocket science. Many young learners in primary would leap at the chance to work
with their co-learners to design, create and publish their own video game. In doing so they will be learning maths, physics, art, creative writing, design and much more. In fact it’s difficult to think of any subject within the school curriculum that couldn’t be included. If this sounds far-fetched then just look at the work of MIT Media
Lab’s Scratch where over one million children are already creating games and sharing them online. Scratch is free, works across all platforms and comes with a host of teaching support materials.
Why should primary headteachers listen to your message? Because they are interested in the future of their learners and what it looks like. This isn’t especially my message, it’s an ongoing dialogue that’s been
running for over seven years by more than 50,000 members of LWF’s various online groups. They represent a global community of thought leaders, innovators, policy makers and practitioners from the education, digital media and entertainment sectors and all have a passionate interest in really improving learning and teaching. The message is not prescriptive but an invitation to share ideas, discuss
experiences and take part in a valuable discourse about the future of learning. Primary education is the foundation; it’s where children have a genuine passion for learning and discovery.
• Headteacher Update was talking to Graham Brown-Martin, founder of Learning Without Frontiers, a global platform for disruptive thinkers, innovators and practitioners to share knowledge, ideas and experiences about new learning.
LWF 12: Future of Learning Conference & Free Festival, January 25-26, Olympia, London
A major annual international conference on the future of learning, presented by Learning Without Frontiers. This year’s speakers include Sir Ken Robinson and Pearson’s chief executive Marjorie Scardino. Tickets include an iPad 2 and are available at a £200 discount to Headteacher Update readers, meaning a pass costs £795. Scholarships for educators also available. Go to
http://bit.ly/lwf12-reg and enter the code HULWF12
Advertorial
Gladstone education to ease administration burden
Gladstone Education is launching Transact, its next generation cashless software for schools, at BETT (stand no S10). Gladstone Education’s full service payment
software is specifically designed for schools and includes an online parent gateway, self service kiosks, a full account balance checker and point of sale systems to manage day-to-day administration of school retail operations. This powerful yet easy to use software
reduces the administrative burden and cost of payment and transactional activities, such as meal ordering, where it also increases the speed food can be served. In addition, pupils will no longer need to carry cash, assisting schools in reducing bullying by removing stigma associated with free school meals. For parents it ensures the money is spent on the right things. Secondary school meals can be paid for with an identity card, which Gladstone
Education can supply, or through a biometric solution such as fingerprint recognition. In primary schools Gladstone’s software is unique, combining meal ordering and statutory a.m. and p.m. registration processes. Payment is associated with the child by picture and catering staff use touch screen technology to quickly and easily allocate meals. Transact integrates directly with the school’s Management Information System
(MIS). Functions include: • Payment – parents can view purchases, balances, top up online and pay for trips and clubs etc
• Meal – enables pre-ordering of school dinners • Key – bespoke printed identity fobs/cards • Registration – self-registration for primary/SEN pupils • Retail – for additional items such as books, uniforms and clubs • Report – reporting and analytics tool • Import – a daily update of staff and students • Data - shares identity information across systems
info@gladstone-education.com www.gladstone-education.com Telephone: 01491 201010
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