Alistair: The lesson went really well. Um - firstly, all the equipment worked. The wireless network worked. So preparation is important to check that everything is working. The children were well behaved. And er... I think they enjoyed what they were doing. They can see quite quickly they have a finished piece of work.
Pupil A: I like it on the computer better than on paper because - if you make a mistake you just need to press one button instead of going everywhere looking for a rubber. And you can always do - it's always so fun to look for other things round the computer. Alistair: Learning outcomes were achieved. Um - the only problem was that one or two children had to share a laptop, so they'll have to go back and do theirs.
Pupil B: I like doing it on computers purely 'cos you can check it and it's always neat - and can make the bigger writing. Alistair: The only other problem is to remember to put these on charge every night. Er - once they are charged up, as long as we only use them for word processing, they will last all day.
We have a wireless network using iBooks. There are many, many advantages. Firstly, a child can pull out any iBook to do their work. Er - you don't have to go along to a computer suite. When a child takes out an iBook, the work is saved on the server. They don't have to save it on that individual computer.
The advantage also of the system is - is versatility, that teachers can take out half a dozen iBooks to use as a small maths group, and use it that way. The teachers take them home to do their reports. Er - it doesn't matter which iBook - all the staff have their own folders. They can log on and put their work into their own personal folder. It's all password encrypted so children can't get in there. And - er - everybody likes using them.