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