I am ambidextorus in terms of computers, by that I mean that I can and will use both PC and Apple Mac with equal competence. When planning the Transformation Teachers Programme we thought that it would be essential to provide the participants with a core set of kit comprising of a computer, microphone, headphones, digital camera, capable of taking quality photos and video, and a tripod. The next decision was to identify the software that we wanted staff to use and when we brainstormed the elements it included iLife and Microsoft products. The ideal situation would therefore incorporate both Mac and PC. In the past I have worked with a Mac using a PC emulator but it was clunky and not the sort of environment that I would wish on a ‘new to mac’ participant. The new Intel structure provides the best of both worlds – although a lot of PC users feel that they have won and Apple has sold out – the partitioning of the drive and the ability to walk around with 2 computers in one in very useful. Hardly any of the participants in the course were Mac users so this was going to be a major experiment. I have taught in Haringey for over 29 years and well remember in 1979 buying a Commodore Pet, 1 computer to 25 CSE students.
In 1987 I was lucky to be part of an project using 5 Mac Classics, a scanner and a Laser Printer. I was hooked. Dos or Mac OS – no choice to be made. My students wanted to know why we used the DOS machines (RM Nimbus NT stations) when the Macs were around.
Haringey was a Mac authority and reaminded that way for a number of years, however a shift to PC’s occurred, mostly under the misunderstanding that students were not using “industry standard computers” and therefore would be disadvantaged when they went to work. In my experience, this has never happened. All the competent Mac students who went out into work experience were fine and adapted quickly, it was the PC students who had to adapt to the MAc environment who struggled.
I have always been a fan and since 1985 always used Macs in one way or another. My role at the Haringey CLC has allowed my to use the Macs more extensively and develop a number of skills relating to manipulating media. Since March 20th 2007, the exciting element has been watchine new staff use the macs and begin to consider their application within their own teaching environments. There have been frustrations, expected when learning something new, but also surprise, excitement, a sense of achievement and a release of creativity due to the ease in which the software enables such good outcomes with a small learning curve.
The journey begins here. What are your thoughts? Please add to this blog your comments about using Macs in education.
