| Aside from being able to attach digital | | | | Increasingly, computers are being fitted |
| projectors and interactive whiteboards | | | | with DVD Rewriters which can hold up to |
| we have seen computers, in the last 2 | | | | 8GB of memory (8000MB). However these |
| years, being kitted out with a wide | | | | can only be used in DVD-ROM drives, |
| range of hardware that, if used | | | | whereas burnt CDs can be used in any |
| creatively and appropriately, can | | | | computer fitted with a CD drive. CDs can |
| enhance both lessons and teacher | | | | still hold a huge amount of information, |
| management. | | | | but it is worth planning your CD and |
| CD Rewriters/DVD Rewriters | | | | creating themed CDs such as the |
| Most children can burn music on to CDs. | | | | ‘assessment’ CD which has all of the |
| ‘Burning’ is the term used when | | | | school’s assessment material and |
| recording on to a CD because a small | | | | government guidelines, or the |
| laser burns the information on to the | | | | ‘planning and curriculum’ CD which |
| disc. People have been burning music on | | | | holds all the schools planning materials |
| to discs for sometime but only recently | | | | both current and historic. If the school |
| have we, in schools, started using it as | | | | does not have an intranet this is great |
| a tool to transfer documents and for | | | | way to share resources and, importantly, |
| storage. | | | | it can be taken home. |
| The easiest way to obtain Government | | | | DVD Players |
| leaflets is often by downloading them | | | | Since 2000 DVD-ROM drives have become |
| from websites. They can then be burnt on | | | | almost standard pieces of hardware on |
| to a CD to be stored and shared. | | | | computers. With a DVD-ROM drive (look |
| Although virtual booklets will never | | | | for the DVD-ROM logo on the side of the |
| replace real ones it is useful to be | | | | drive – if it has it then the machine |
| able to download and save them. You | | | | is able to play region 2 DVD videos, the |
| could also add school paperwork such as | | | | same as you would have at home) the |
| brochures, time tables, policies, | | | | teacher is able to play a short clip of |
| generic letters, curriculum framework, | | | | DVD video directly from their machine |
| QCA documents, SATs papers, websites, | | | | and if projected can produce a cinema |
| interactive resources, etc. Many schools | | | | sized image. The obvious advantages are |
| are now producing a CD-ROM of these | | | | that they do not need to be set up |
| documents as a virtual resource to share | | | | before use – no more fast forwarding |
| and update with colleagues each year. As | | | | or rewinding to find the exact spot – |
| long as the documents are clearly | | | | and the image and sound quality is |
| labelled it is relatively easy to find | | | | vastly superior to any video machine. |
| your way around a CD-ROM in the same way | | | | The clip can be seamlessly included into |
| you would any hard drive. If you have | | | | a teaching objective without the |
| Windows XP then you can customise the | | | | children having to go to a special TV |
| folders by right clicking on the folder, | | | | room or to move their chairs so they can |
| selecting ‘properties’ and then | | | | see the relatively small TV screen. I |
| ‘customise’. You can then allocate a | | | | recently taught a lesson where we were |
| different icon or draw from any thumb | | | | comparing a classic novel with a film |
| nails of your digital photographs. | | | | adaptation of it. The DVD took no time |
| There is a limit to how much you can | | | | to set up and no cumbersome TV was |
| burn on to a CD-ROM (usually around | | | | involved! It had an immediate impact |
| 650MB), but it is the equivalent of over | | | | with the children and they were then |
| 600 discs. Blank CDs can be bought for | | | | able to write their own screenplay |
| as little as 30p each, so they make for | | | | versions of the film. For such a useful |
| a very economic resource. Photographs | | | | piece of technology it is, ironically, |
| which take up a lot of memory can be | | | | rarely used and although animations and |
| burnt on to CD to free up space on your | | | | TV clips are becoming readily |
| hard drive. All computers with a CD-ROM | | | | downloadable (the BBC have plans to make |
| rewriter installed will have the | | | | all their archive TV shows and films |
| relevant software needed to burn the CDs | | | | available on the net) this takes time |
| (look for the CD Rewriter icon on the | | | | and needs hard drive space. DVDs are |
| side of your CD drive). These programmes | | | | quick and easy to use with a large image |
| are fairly easy to use and are pretty | | | | that never fails to grab the attention |
| much drag-and-drop from the hard drive. | | | | of pupils. |
| More space | | | | |