Shy students are being given the chance to send answers to questions via Bluetooth from their PDAs, as the classroom embraces the latest technologies.
The times of students hiding behind textbooks and offering silent prayers that they wouldn’t be picked to answer the question could be at an end, with Grenwich schools trialling a high tech alternative.
With PDA use being encouraged in the schools, pupils are now given short spells in lessons where they can text over the answers, rather than face potential ridicule.
Appropriate use
Secondary ICT consultant Jane Gordon explained that the technology was only used at appropriate times. It apparently will not prevent students from picking up vital social skills whilst hiding behind screens and handsets.
“What we have been trialling is the use of PDAs and Bluetooth to send messages between students and teachers,” Gordon told TechRadar.
“An example is an English teacher putting a question on the board and students Bluetoothing over the answer rather than putting their hand up and answering in front of everyone. It’s less intimidating for the more quiet students.
“Like any ICT it should only be used in an appropriate way. It might only be a 10 minute session in a lesson when we try this kind of thing.”
Mobile help
Gordon hopes that a more pro-active response to technology will stop the draconian measures that some schools have resorted to, like banning mobile phones from the premises.
“I think it’s just a matter of teaching them what’s appropriate,” she adds.
