No place for 'gadgets' in the classroom?

BBC News reports that both the Children’s Minister and the NASUWT’s General Secretary of Teaching have urged parents to ensure Christmas toys stay at home. The latter, Chris Keates, is quoted as saying, “can be a real headache for teachers when they are trying to get everyone settled down to start learning. Teachers would be grateful if pupils just brought a pen.”

This is fairly short-sighted and in fact does not reflect the view of all, or even most, teachers. At the time of revolutionary devices such as the iPhone and the benefits of ‘games’ such as Dr. Kawashima’s Brain Age we need to be looking towards new pedagogies to replace the ‘teacher-at-the-front’ model. The two spokesman above have shown how out-of-touch they really are with education in the 21st century; it’s time to start harnessing the power of the technology students own to really personalise learning. 🙂