Response to Stephen Heppell's webblog.

I think, as a general all-round statement, I strongly agree with Heppell's views on our changing society and ways in which we should be moving forward with it.

I think his idea about computer being used as "machines to 'deliver' the curriculum" is fantastic, because, in my experience in Primary Schools, I would agree that they are not being used to their full advantage. We need to use technology as a tool to enhance learning - there's no point in it, really, if we could do the same activity without it. I think teachers feel the need, if they're not totally up-to-scratch about this idea, to allocate the minimum possible time towards ICT, simply to tick that box off. More and more people are being trained up on how to use the Interactive White Boards now being installed into schools to their best effect, but we're still not quite there yet.

Heppell also states that pupils never really have "a chance to 'demonstrate' their literacy and creativity". Any confidence boost for a pupil can do so much for them, so why not let them show us what they can do? A child's life revolves around technology in this day and age, what's to say that our almost 'old-fashioned' methods of teaching and learning aren't holding them back? Pen and paper, for all we know, could be out of a child's comfort zone. Im not saying do away with pen and paper altogether - I'm saying that there needs to be some sort of balance between learning the skills needed for everyday life and taking their learning to a new level entirely. Look at it the other way round - ask someone from an older generation who doesn't use technology to do many things in everyday life to complete a task that a child growing up with computers would be able to do no problem. Chances are, that person will not produce work to the best of their ability.

Expecting continuous good work is sure to change the ways of a child's best work being "rarely seen or celebrated by any audience other than examiners and moderators". I agree that a child's best work should be what they are assessed on, but I disagree that it's ok for the rest of that pupil's work to be only satisfactory when they can do it a lot better, simply because it is not being assessed, like it doesn't matter.

Times are changing, and assessment should change with it. We can't expect to have all of these wonderful plans about giving children the opportunity to shine and show us what they can do, if we're then going to go back to our old paper-based ways when it comes to proving it.
Let's use technology to the best of our ability - let's show the world what our kids can do.