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