The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Using Computers
in American Primary Schools

Suggestions for Future Fellows

• Explanatory Notes

• Domestic Aspects
  of the Fellowship

  • Purpose of the Fellowship

  • Success of the Fellowship

  • The Fellowship Grant

  • Suggestions for Future Fellows

  • Dissemination of the Report

• Professional Aspects
  of the Fellowship

  • Overview

  • Information & Communications Technology (ICT)

  • Delivering the ICT Curriculum

  • Other Curriculum Areas

  • Assisting with Teaching Tasks

  • School Administration
    and Management

  • Electronic Communication

• Conclusion

• Appendices

  • Acknowledgements

  • Itinerary

  • Technical Details

  • Internet Links

  • TELDEC Grant Project

  • Gates Foundation Grants

  • US Dept of Education
    Executive Summary

  • WebQuests

• Picture Gallery

My main recommendations would be to take a laptop computer and a digital camera. (See Appendix 3: Technical Details for more information.)

Laptop Computer

I used the laptop to take notes on a daily basis in a form which has made the writing of this report much more straightforward. Not only were my own notes already in a digital format but I was also given a number of relevant files in compatible formats.

It also gave me constant access to the Internet which had a range of benefits:

• I was able to conduct more detailed research into educational aspects of the Fellowship by visiting relevant websites at times when I was not involved in actual visits and meetings.

•  I had constant access to e-mail which made it easy to make arrangements on a day-to-day basis in the USA as well as allowing me to keep in touch with people back home.

•  I was also able to build a list of e-mail contacts which has already proved useful for keeping in touch with American colleagues.

•  I produced an online diary of the Fellowship which was a regular contact point for family, friends, Duns Primary School and other colleagues back home in Scotland. I updated this every few days.

•  I was able to book hotels and hire cars online. I had access to street maps, bus timetables and other practical information.

It proved to be very easy to set up an Internet account for use in the USA before I left Scotland. The only additional requirement was a telephone socket adapter which was provided with my computer.

Digital Camera

Although the quality on paper may not be (quite!) so good, digital cameras have a number of advantages over traditional equipment:

• I was able to transfer digital photographs to the laptop each day. This meant there was no limit to the numbers of photographs I could take.

•  Pictures could be displayed on any computer within a couple of minutes – children in the schools I visited particularly enjoyed this capability!

• Images could be easily included in my online diary, sent as e-mails and are also included in this report and its associated website.

Continue..............