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Technology in education: Warm upBefore reading the chapter, ask the students:

• How important computers are for their learning and why.

• When and for what purposes they use computers.

• From what age children should also use computers in school.

• If they think other skills are being lost through dependence on technology.

10.1 Laptops in the classroomText 10.1.1 Interview with an international school technology teacher

Ask the students to read and discuss Text 10.1.1, and complete the exercises. As this text takes the form of a question-and-answer interview, it is a good opportunity to discuss direct and indirect speech. In pairs, students could conduct their own interviews about their use of technology in the classroom.

Text 10.1.2 Article for a school magazine read by parents and students

Before reading the text, ask the students:

• How many advantages they can list for students of their age using laptops in the classroom;

• What could they use laptops for?

Ask the students to read the text silently to see if their ideas are in the article. Discuss their conclusions.

Text 10.1.3 A letter from a parent in reply to the magazine article

Without opening the book, give the students the title of the text and ask them to list in small groups what ideas might be presented and vocabulary which may be used.

Then let the students read the text in the same small groups. After the first reading, they should report back on whether or not their ideas and vocabulary were in the text. Discuss the text and any vocabulary or grammatical issues.

Interactive oral activity – a debate: Put the students in two groups, for and against, regardless of their own, real opinions. Ask each group to prepare their arguments carefully.

10.2 Technology in education around the world

Text 10.2.1 Computers in school in Africa

Ask the students what they know about Africa – the geography, history, climate, economic situation, technological development, etc.

Then let them open their books and look at the illustration for this text. Have the students read the text individually and make notes on anything which surprises them. Then read the text together, before asking the students to comment on any facts in the text which surprised them. Discuss.

Individual oral activity: Have the students choose a topic related to Rwanda in their groups. Allow time as necessary, maybe a few days or a weekend, for them to do research and plan the presentation. Discuss with the class what a good

TEACHER’S GUIDE

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10 Technology in education

presentation looks like – clear structure, good language use, eye contact with the audience, use of bullet point notes only, etc.

Text 10.2.2 The Hole-in-the-Wall project

Before opening the books, ask the students what the expression ‘hole-in-the-wall’ might mean.

Discuss the picture then read the text together, discussing new vocabulary and terminology.

Interactive oral activity: If time allows, have the students do some research about Dr Mitra and the Hole-in-the-Wall project before this discussion.

Text 10.2.3 The Flat Classroom project: Introduction

Before opening the books, ask the students if they have any ideas what a ‘flat classroom’ might mean. Does the expression remind them of anything?

Read the text together, pausing to discuss ideas and unfamiliar vocabulary and ideas as necessary. You could ask students to look at the Flat Classroom project website, as well as the Six Senses of David Pink blog.

Ask the students for their responses to the text or have them write a short, spontaneous response to the text.

Text 10.2.4 The Flat Classroom project: Learning is social

Before reading the text ask the students if they believe that learning is a social experience – if not, why not? If yes they should support their answer.

Exam practice

The three exam-practice activities offer students more opportunities to practise some of the written tasks that are part of Paper 2 for the English B examination.

Suggestions for further reading

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Head Games by Mariah Fredericks

Virtual War by Gloria Skurzynski

Answers

Text 10.1.1

General comprehension

answers will vary

Text handling

1 essential

2 device

3 unrestricted

4 artefacts

5 collaboration

6 reliant

7 transition

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Technology in education 10

Grammar in context

answers will vary

Text 10.1.2

General comprehension

1 He has written the article to answer the concerns expressed by some parents.

2 He thinks that the students’ future careers will almost certainly depend on technology.

3 answers will vary

4 Notes written on a laptop are easier to read, edit and organise than handwritten notes; they can also be shared with other students and teachers

5 answers will vary

6 answers will vary

Text handling

A Students are often required to take notes. These may be related to information that the teacher has presented orally or on the board, or from information they have read, or from ideas resulting from experimental work and group discussions. Often, these notes must be made quickly while the discussion continues and the ideas are fresh, consequently penmanship may suffer. Notes typed on a laptop are easier to read, edit and organise than handwritten notes. Using laptops, the notes can also be shared quickly with other students or the teacher.

Students learn to determine how useful, relevant, or reliable information may be in follow-up discussions with their classmates or teachers.

Research by Educause.edu has shown that students who learn with computers integrated into their studies score better on tests that those who only learn by traditional methods.

Using laptops also allows students to stay in touch with their teachers during lessons because their vision is not blocked by monitors.

The advantages of laptops in the classroom are very clear to both teachers and students, but we look forward to hearing your thoughts as parents.

B 1 competent

2 found everywhere

3 copying someone else’s work and taking it as your own

4 combined

Text 10.1.3

General comprehension

1 Suggested answer: Her daughter takes longer than expected to do her homework (as she gets distracted by links and related sites), and she is also reluctant to read a book.

2 She thinks there are dangerous images and sites that children should not see, and also thinks children may come into contact with dangerous individuals.

3 She thinks the skills of reading and writing are being lost.

4 Her daughter thinks the laptop is a toy because there are a lot of sites that are fun to explore, and they often use cartoon characters.

5 She thinks the school should stop using laptops and give the students books and pencils to use instead.

6 answers will vary

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Text handling

A 1 small mechanical or technical device

2 something which distracts attention

3 likely to be harmed

4 tempted into

B a children

b children

c children

d the daughter

e the mother and daughter

f children

g children

h the mother and her generation

Text 10.2.1

General comprehension

1 The main aim is to distribute 200,000 laptops to primary school children in Rwanda.

2 There may be difficulties with access to electricity.

3 Many teachers will be trained, and teachers will be able to access software for teaching.

4 answers will vary

Text handling

1 was launched

2 distributing

3 collaborating with

4 trouble-shooting

5 optimistic

6 beneficiaries

Grammar in context

Reporting verbs used: said, added, observed, stated, notes.

Text 10.2.2

General comprehension

1 He wanted to see if children could learn to use a computer on their own.

2 It was an instant hit.

3 It showed that ‘the acquisition of basic computing skills by any set of children can be achieved through incidental learning’, given certain circumstances.

4 It was later confirmed when the experiment was repeated in Shivpuri and Madantusi.

5 The aim was to broaden the scope of the experiments and conduct more research to prove and streamline the Hole-in-the-Wall.

6 The results show that children learn to operate as well as play with the computer with minimum intervention.

7 answers will vary

8 answers will vary

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Text handling

1 Interesting phrases:

a playing with an idea

b people who live in extremely poor areas with minimal facilities

c computers which anyone can use

d previous experience

e learning while doing something else

f very little support from others

g education which is gained without a teacher

h held hands

i groups of computers in one place

j someone who has been involved in education for a considerable time

2 True or false:

a True – ‘As early as 1982, he had been toying with the idea of unsupervised learning and computers’

b False – ‘Dr. Mitra‘s team carved a “hole in the wall” that separated the NIIT premises from the adjoining slum in Kalkaji’

c False – ‘with no prior experience’

d True – ‘The acquisition of basic computing skills by any set of children can be achieved through incidental learning provided the learners are given access to a suitable computing facility’

e True – ‘[the] International Finance Corporation joined hands with NIIT’

f True – ‘The results, which have been uniformly encouraging’

g False – ‘he was also conferred the “Dewang Mehta Award” by the Government of India’

h False – ‘offering training that is customized to the varied needs of audiences with diverse backgrounds’

Grammar in context

1 since

2 for

3 since

4 for

5 since

Text 10.2.3

General comprehension

1 answers will vary

2 It allows classrooms around the world to share common experiences and projects/it helps schools to remain relevant/it helps schools to engage the students/it helps schools to be known for strong achievement.

3 It can only be developed through experience.

4 Students work with students from other countries and cultures.

5 They produce a collaborative group wiki and a personal video.

6 They connect on the project’s social network.

7 Educators serve as judges to choose the top videos in the awards programme.

8 Through working with students from other countries and cultures and by engaging with technology in the 21st century, the students actually are part of the forces that make the world flat.

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Text handling

1 learning together with others

2 key feature

3 cooperation across the world

4 people of the same age

5 new developments

6 real

Text 10.2.4

General comprehension

1 True 2 True 3 False 4 False 5 False

Text handling

1 C

2 F

3 E

4 G

5 D

Grammar in context

Answers may include:

Abstract noun Verb Adjective

experience to experience experienced

knowledge knowledgeable

information to inform informative

integration to integrate integrated

responsibility responsible