Digital Divide

Digital divide can best be described as the fact that the world can be divided into people who do and people who don't have access to ,and the capability to use, modern information technology, such as the telephone, television, or the Internet. The digital divide can exist between those living in rural areas and those living in urban areas, between the educated and uneducated, between economic classes, and on a global scale between more and less industrially developed nations. For example, a 1999 study showed that 86% of Internet delivery was to the 20 largest cities. The digital divide also exists between the educated and the uneducated, between economic classes, and, globally, between the more and less industrially developed nations. According to figures from the International Telecommunications Union, Sweden has a mere 12% of its population offline compared to 56.5% in Greece.

Hungary Case study

Countries such as Hungary are investing heavily in high-speed fibre-optic cables. Hungary has no national e-inclusion policy and there are concerns that the networks will be far more sophisticated than citizens' understanding or use of them. There are some efforts to conquer the problem and a wi-fi village programme is reaching out to those of its population living in rural poverty, 80% of whom are Roma or Gypsies. So far 115 rural villages have been provided with wi-fi, offering internet access to 2,000 families living below the poverty line. The target for this year is to reach 30,000.

Global Divide

As computers become more pervasive in the western world, it can be easy to forget that not every country has equal access to key digital resources and infrastructure. Broadband speed Internet is almost considered a necessity in many developed countries today, and yet many people in parts of the developing world do not have any ability to go online at all. This difference in ability of accessing digital and information technology is commonly referred to as the digital divide as countries that are well connected reap enormous benefits while leaving other parts of the world trailing behind. Developed nations who have the economic ability to invest into digital infrastructures are reaping rewards due to fast communication speeds and complex networking. The countries that can’t afford to invest are not keeping up and are missing out, leaving the developed world to forge ahead. In terms of internet speed Western Europe, North America, Australasia and a few parts of Asia like South Korea and Japan are those on the right side of the tracks, digitally speaking. While much of South America, Africa and South East Asia are the ones currently struggling.

The global divide is a problem and one which will not be sorted out anytime soon. The main reason is down to lack of money and, developing countries require computers and they need ways of linking them together effectively. This is a problem of resources. People also need to be trained in order to access and be able to use digital information and to understand the default language of the Internet, English; this is a problem of education. Furthermore there is also the problem of urban areas having a lot slower internet speed compared to rural areas. From research I have found out that London enjoys faster broadband than anywhere else in Britain with download speeds nearly double that of those in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Local Divide

In addition it is also clear that there is a problem on a local scale, Richer families can enjoy a more faster and advanced connection speed whereas families that cannot afford to opt for the best high quality connection speeds can only enjoy the basic connection speeds which sometimes can result in poor internet connection which can result in struggling to use the internet.  ICT Is now part of everyday life, and children are taught ICT from a young age, primary school is where ICT begins to be introduced therefore the modern generation ICT is becoming a lot easier to use however, for the older generation there can be an age problem, with the older generation struggling to use the computer software this can result in them blocking out ICT and using technology that is now “out of date” which they have used all their life i.e. the typewriter, 55% of people aged 65-74 have access to the internet 45% do not and only 26% of people aged 75+, leaving a massive 74% without the web. In addition there is also a problem with the fairness of the distribution of ICT. In countries like Africa, only the rich parts of the country are being faced with ICT the poorer parts to the countries have no contact with ICT, therefore there is a clear distribution problem that is reflected by money.  In similar situations another huge problem of the local divide is the comparison between rural areas and urban areas, the differences in connection speeds in rural areas compared to urban areas is indescribable.  Furthermore, the difference between technologies, some say now computers are becoming “unfashionable” and being described as old technology, whereas laptop connecting to the internet is a lot easier, and quicker. In England there is also a problem with the spread of the broadband the government’s new £128 million invention to create quicker broadband speeds in rural area like London has impacted heavily on urban areas like Cornwall w here Internet speeds are highly low, therefore this shows that there is a clear affected spread of broadband within England that has impacted on certain urban areas suffering with poor internet connection.

Bridging the divide

There are a wide range of ideas on a global and local scale to prevent a digital divide from becoming out of hand.  The first bridge that can be taken to prevent Digital divide is sending out old computers that are no longer useful to us to less economically developed countries such as Africa, this will enable their ICT infrastructure to be built and will prevent a digital divide. Furthermore, develop more centres like the outreach centre a place for the elderly to go to learn the basic fundamental skills to use a computer, this will help increase the older generation percentage as they will become more familiar with how to use a computer. In addition they could also make the distribution of IT infrastructure fairer and give urban areas better internet connection speed by distributing out the spread of broadband to areas where the connection speeds are poor, this will result in more people being able to use the internet. The government also needs to promote the use of ICT especially to the older generation, by using practical examples such as emails that are easier and free to send instead of using letters.

Civil Rights

In today’s society the advanced technology has come at a cost. The technology that has been developed has resulted in major issues however on the other hand it could be said that with so much technology being created if these problems do occur they can be stopped or prevented. The main problems that arise nowadays is hacking mainly computer hacking. However firewalls and other software has been designed to prevent hackers invading our pc’s.

The computer misuse act was enforced in 1990, the law states that in the UK that makes illegal certain activities, such as hacking into other people’s systems, misusing software, or helping a person to gain access to protected files of someone else's computer.

The Computer Misuse Act is split into three sections and makes the following acts illegal:

Unauthorized Access to Computer Material

Unauthorized Access to Computer systems with intent to commit another offense

Unauthorized Modification of Computer Material

The first section in the Computer Misuse Act forbids a person to use someone else’s identification to access a computer, run a program or obtain any data, even if no personal gain is involved in such access. The second provision in the Computer Misuse Act is gaining access to a computer system in order to commit or facilitate a crime. Whereas the third provision in the Computer Misuse Act states that Unauthorized Modification in the Computer Misuse Act means you can’t delete, change or corrupt data. Therefore, this shows that nowadays the laws have become a lot stricter with hacking becoming more common the cost for being caught breaking these acts can result in up to 30 years in jail or a heavy fine. I believe that with modern technology it could be hard to find these hackers therefore the law enforced are probably broken regularly however the culprits are not caught.  Taking all these factors into account the computer misuse act is vital to prevent instances like hacking being stopped however more needs to be done to catch these hackers. In addition, software needs to be used to prevent computer systems being hacked.

With Advanced IT some factors have had some affects hacking has increased by 12% in the last 2 years this statement may not seem like a lot however the result is phenomenal. The development of technology has resulted in hacking becoming easier to do. Computer hacking always involves some degree of infringement on the privacy of others or damage to computer-based property such as files, web pages or software. The impact of computer hacking varies from simply being simply invasive and annoying to illegal. I believe that hacking is wrong, my perception of going into my friends email address I view that as okay however even that is considered as hacking and can have severe penalties. However, hacking can be prevented using a number of technologies are available to companies to prevent hacking attacks. The most popular tools are Internet firewalls, anti-virus software, intrusion detection systems, and vulnerability assessment tools. Firewalls are used to set up a virtual wall between the Internet and the company's internal network to repel attackers. Anti-virus software detects and removes computer viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. Intrusion detection systems watch over critical networks and computers looking for suspicious activities, and can alert administrators in the event of an attack. Therefore this shows that with modern technology hacking can be prevented. Although there is no specific software designed to prevent hacking.

Another law that was designed to protect personal data stored on computers or in an organised paper filing system was the data protection act. There has been a Data Protection Act since 1984. It was introduced largely because of concern at the growth of computerised record keeping. The 1998 Act has been extended to cover all types of records which contain information about individuals.This law was forced in early 1999 and covers how information about living identifiable persons is used. It is much broader in scope than the earlier 1984 act, but does contain some provision for a transitional period for compliance with the new requirements. It works it two basic ways:

·         Setting up rules that people have to follow

·         Having an Information Commissioner to enforce the rules

Although, it does not stop companies storing information about people the data is stored in the company’s database however the rules comply with the companies. The Data Protection Act ensures that personal data relating to individuals is only used according to certain guidelines and that individuals have the right to see data that relates to them. Names held in the database are classified as being 'for research, historical or statistical purposes'. Therefore I believe that the data protection act is a act that needed to be enforced because the general public don’t want personal information being traded between different companies however, I can see why the companies what to collect the information as it can be used in ways to improve their sales and identify a target audience from what customers are using the shop.

Crime in the information age

Computer crime is a regular occurrence nowadays; therefore detection is becoming more important. With the development of technology we are finding more words of preventing crime. 

Fingerprint recognition refers to the method of verifying a match between two human fingerprints. Fingerprints are one of many forms of biometrics used to identify individuals and verify their identity. Finger printing takes an image of a person's fingertips and records its characteristics in addition it has also been used by a small number of banks that have began to use fingerprint readers for authorization at ATMs. Grocery stores are experimenting with a fingerprint scan checkout that automatically recognizes and bills a registered user's credit card or debit account. More recent applications of finger recognition include use of fingerprints for voter registration.  Fingerprint recognition systems are highly accurate, they are also the most economical biometric PC user authentication technique furthermore, and they are also easy to use. Although, for some people it is very intrusive, because it is still related to criminal identification and the system can also make mistakes with the dryness or dirtiness of the finger's skin, as well as with the age. Overall this shows that the positives outweigh the negatives therefore this system is very effective.

Face recognition software is a computer application for automatically identifying or verifying a person from a digital image or a video frame from a video source. One of the ways to do this is by comparing selected facial features from the image and a facial database.  It is mainly used for security purposes and can identify individuals based on their unique facial characteristics. Unlike many other identification methods they do not need to make direct contact with an individual in order to verify their identity. This can be advantageous in clean environments, for surveillance or tracking, and in automation systems.
Because the system keeps a reference model of the individual, and captures their image for identification, there may be concerns about how the system is perceived by its users. They may also be more error-prone when identifying individuals, due to the fairly recent development of the technology. In addition, if used for security purposes, it is considerably more expensive and complex than other methods, such as mechanical locks, passwords, or identification cards.

This is a Close-up of the infrared illuminator. The light is invisible to the human eye, but creates a day-like environment for the surveillance cameras.

This is a Swiss European surveillance system that uses facial recognition and vehicle make, model, color and license plate reader.

A huge element of preventing crime is down to Close Circuit Television more commonly known as CCTV, this system has relied heavily on ICT, on average the CCTV cameras are all over the place these days – in shops, on street corners as well as many other places. These cameras help to detect crime, prevent crime and can be used as evidence if needed. They constantly film different places and can be placed in crime hotspots. CCTV is commonly implemented to deter crime. Especially used in the United Kingdom, CCTV cameras can be seen on nearly every corner of London and other major cities. Many cameras are needed for monitoring cities, and the number of cameras used has grown tremendously over the years. The majority of CCTV cameras are used for basic security surveillance, normally to prevent theft. CCTV is useful for the police as it is hard for the police to be everywhere at once. Therefore CCTV is useful as it runs for 24 hours a day. In the UK there are around 2.5 million cameras in London the average citizen is caught on CCTV cameras at a rate of almost 300 times per day.  However although there are a high amount of positives to using these cameras some people believe that there are to many cameras and its becoming uncomfortable although on the other hand It could also be said that the cameras are there and protecting people and making them for more comfortable walking the streets at night.  Therefore this has mixed opinions although the positives outweigh the negatives.

Criminal records are also another huge aspect of crime protection. The impact of IT has impacted society massively; the development of IT has allowed for us to do new things with computers and in terms of crime protection criminal records stored on computer databases is crucial. The PNC database contains around 6.1 million people. The database is split up into 4 categories:

1. Persons convicted of serious offences
2. Persons wanted or sought by the police for various reasons
3. Persons missing (or found)
4. Disqualified drivers

The PNC system holds information and allows it to be shared throughout the country, this means the police can piece together evidence in an efficient way, it is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week so it is impossible for an officer to not be able to find the information they need. The system takes seconds for the information to be transferred. The PNC deals with about 65 million transactions a year, which shows how crucial this piece of IT is and how much it can help. Whereas if we refer to the Criminal records bureau database. This database holds all the information relating to past criminal offenders. This database makes it possible for police or even businesses to check records on any to find any previous convictions. People who work with young children especially teachers have to be checked against this database before they are allowed to complete the job. Therefore, without this database people with past convictions even dangerous people would be able to work with young children this conveys how important IT is in today’s society.

With  the development of IT there has been some problems, cyber bullying has becoming a adverse effect with the development of IT this can be anything from using social networking sites to sending a text message on a phone.  With the majority of today’s society having mobile phones cyber bullying can occur easily. The main factor to why this cyber bullying happens is down to the screen in between the person getting bullied and the bully, the bully doesn’t realise the effect he is having, this bullying can go on for months even years with the victim becoming more tormenting cyber is hard to stop often purely down to the adults e.g. teachers or parents not knowing the bullying is happening.  Cyber bullying can lead terrible consequences even a young person taking their own life therefore this portrays that the development of IT has not had all positive effects on society.

Life in the information age- Entertainment

With the development of technology the life of entertainment has improved massively with new technology being developed every day. Technology has impacted our entertainment we now have new applications we can use for entertainment, a huge aspect of entertainment is games. The platforms of games is rapidly expanding with more users using different sources of games, including the playstation, xbox and the Nintendo however these video games have no been developed so they can also be motion captured games.  Although, games is not the only popular aspect of entertainment many people also use music as a source of entertainment, MP3 known as 'MPEG-1 Audio Layer 3' is what started the listening to music using a portable device known as the mp3 player however this developed to the ipod which is know being developed every year to improve the ipod with new ideas the latest ipod consisted of a touch screen with games applications that could be installed.

MPEGS- Are a group that develops standards for digital video and digital audio compression. Certain types of audio or video files are called MPEGs. They are usually of a short duration. You can access MPEGs through your Windows Media Player. In my personal experience I have used windows media player to construct a video and the MPEGS were very effective the quality of the video was good with good pictures and sound quality. MPEGS have a variety of advantages and disadvantages some advantages of using MPEGS are videos can be compressed in an encoder before transmission or storage, perhaps to 1/50 of the original size, and then decompressed in a decoder for playback. Disadvantages of using MPEGS are MPEGS are tightly compressed videos and tends to lose quality quickly the smaller you try and make the file. If you are looking to place video online, you may try QuickTime, or even better - Flash video, which is optimized for web-streaming.

Digital Television- is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals. Digital television is a contrast to analog television that uses analog signals. With the develop of technology analog televisions are now being scraped and all television broadcasting is in digital television, therefore this shows the development reflecting technology with the old analog signals being withdrawn. Digital television has allowed consumers to view broadcasts in ways not possible with analog signals. Images broadcast by digital means arrive to the television with less distortion and with less delay. Even with all of its technological advantages, some drawbacks do exist for the technology. Digital television is an all or nothing scenario. Either the signal comes through in crystal-clear quality or the image is not present this is probably the biggest disadvantage because comparing with analog televisions seeing nothing on a television was not common even if the signal was bad the picture could still be seen, whereas digital television has the all or nothing effect. Advantages of using digital television are digital television allows stations to broadcast in more than one programming stream. I believe that digital television was a great creation and has impacted society massively with digital television becoming worldwide.

Games- Games is probably the most popular source of entertainment, video games. Sixty-eight percent of American households play computer or video games. But what is a video game? A video game is an electronic game that involves human interaction. The electronic systems used to play video games are known as platforms; examples of these are personal computers and video game consoles. These platforms range from large mainframe computers to small handheld devices.  Video games have expanded massively with the growth of technology. The video games consoles began with playstation and Xbox however with the development of technology motion censored games began to become popular with the Nintendo wii console furthermore Xbox and Playstation developed the Playstation move and Xbox kinect both motion censored consoles. U.S. computer and video game software sales grew 22.9 percent in 2008 to $11.7 billion – more than quadrupling industry software sales since 1996. This fact conveys on the impact these video games have had in society. Advantages of using games are fun and enjoyable, there is also a wide range of different video games platforms therefore choice is a huge advantage. Although these games do have disadvantages video games can cause video game addiction which can cause many problems furthermore, video games not including motion censored video games can cause serious illnesses. I view video games as a huge element of entertainment, nowadays mostly all children and teenagers have a video game console there wide range of games play allows for games for everyone and the games are fully enjoyable.

Music- Music is massive part of everyday life, with the expansion of technology handheld musical devices have now been created allowing music to be played portably. MP3 players more commonly known as a portable media player. Again the contrast is evident with the growth of technology cassette players are now being replaced by MP3 players or ipods. However ipods and MP3 players have got their downfalls. With loud music playing regularly in the ear this can damage ear drums which can cause people becoming death in the ear.  Although the key aspect of why these portable media devices are so popular is they are so easy to use and can be used anywhere. I believe these portable media devices is a great piece of technology they are simple and easy to use they are also effective and not highly priced I have a ipod touch and believe its very good.

DVDS- A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, again the key talking point is with technology being developed the videos have been replaced by DVDS. Why is this? A factor I believe that has withdrawn videos and replaced with DVDS is the fact that DVDS are formatted using digital rather than analog whereas videos use analog, with analog signals being overshadowed by digital signals this factor is a key aspect of why DVDS have replaced videos. Advantages of using DVDS are good for large media files furthermore the quality is a lot better than videos, although DVDS have some disadvantages the key disadvantage being a DVD being played requires a DVD player, it also requires a physical distribution.

E book readers-A e-book reader, also called an e-book device or e-reader, is a mobile electronic device that is designed primarily for the purpose of reading digital e-books.  My knowledge of e- book readers is very basic as I have had no experience using a e-book readers. The e-book readers have a wide range of advantages including the have a specific screen size, battery lifespan, lighting and weight making the picture clear and easy to read. Although the e- book readers also have disadvantages such as they are often expensive when compared to multi-purpose devices such as laptops.  

Digital cameras- A digital camera is a camera that takes video or still photographs, or both, digitally by recording images. Again my knowledge on digital cameras is basic as I have not got much experience using digital cameras. The digital cameras have various advantages including the key advantage being  Digital cameras can do things film cameras cannot for example they can display images on a screen immediately after they are recorded, storing thousands of images on a single small memory device, and deleting images to free storage space. However, digital cameras do have disadvantages a disadvantage of digital cameras is that the cameras are much more sensitive to breaking after being dropped or hit, as the casing is usually made of plastic. In addition another disadvantage is they usually have poor focusing ability in poor or low-light situations.

Virtual learning enviroment

What is Virtual learning environment?

“A virtual learning environment is a collection of integrated tools enabling the management of online learning, providing a delivery mechanism, student tracking, assessment and access to resources its more commonly known as a VLE it is a computer program that facilitates computerized learning or e-learning. A more correct term may be a virtual environment for learning, rather than virtual learning environment. A student will normally work over the Internet and a VLE provides a collection of tools such as those for assessment (particularly of types that can be marked automatically, such as multiple choice), communication, uploading of content, return of students' work, peer assessment, administration of student groups, collecting and organizing student grades, questionnaires, tracking tools, etc. New features in these systems include wikis, blogs, RSS and 3D virtual learning spaces. VLEs are often used in schools and other educational establishments in order to make the learning experience more interactive and with the technology of today all in done via the internet. With the modern technology increasing everyday programs like VLE are beginning designed to make it easier for students and teachers. I believe that VLE’s are a great learning tool, Their interactive easy to use. Work is easily set by teachers. An example of a VLE I use is frog the program is easy to use. Work is easily accessible, I believe that frog has developed my learning. There are resources on frog such as revision notes submitted by teachers that is really useful.

What can we do with Virtual learning environment?

Using a virtual learning environment allows us to do a wide range of different function, the key aspect of using a virtual learning environment is for handing work set by teachers and also if for an circumstances we are not in teachers can set us work via are virtual learning environment. For my virtual learning environment frog has a variety of different functions including I can access my timetable using frog therefore so if I forget my journal I can still access my timetable using frog. In addition, using frog I can also look at my set work by teachers.

Using frog I can access my school work from home, I believe this is the key aspect of why a virtual learning environment is so good for students. Furthermore, frog allows users to access videos. Therefore any important videos that are educational for students can be accessed through frog.

Advantages of using VLE

Frog has a various advantages these advantages include,The accessibility of the course is improved for students with special needs, and for distance learning and part time students. It can also make a difference to students in any category who learn best by being able to watch a video, or by interacting in a virtual environment instead of in the classroom, or by repeating their learning process at their own pace. Frog can also be used for revision purposes therefore it is a good source of revision material. Frogs special features allow for it to include disability and special needs some of the features that frog does for the disabled/special needs are its available in variety of formats/customisable. There is also no need to take notes (NB auditory impairment will require script or subtitles for video elements) this evidently shows that frog can be used for everyone. Frog is self directed/paced.  Frog can be described as a personalised study area. It also allows student to feel part of a learning community. The areas in which this is most effective are assessment and bulletin boards.

Disadvantages of using VLE

Although frog does have its disadvantages it can be difficult to change/update (unless you have an accompanying content management system) to use frog you need access to a PC.  It can also be hard to take account of whatever hardware the students have to work with off school premises. Using frog can impact on reducing face to face contact which some students need face to face contact to help if stuck on work. My personal experience using frog I found it hard when work was set via VLE it was hard to understand what work has been set.

Life in the information age education

What is life in the information age- education?

Life in the information age can be defined as Bringing about a fast evolution of technology in daily life, as well as of
educational life style, the Information Age has allowed rapid global usage of ICT in schools.

ICT has become a huge element of ICT in schools, ICT is even used out of ICT specific lessons. On my average day I use ICT in various ways to help develop my learning. ICT has impacted massively on school life. It has also resulted in new resources being made to help improve education. ICT is also developed at an earlier age, it’s been incorporated into primary schools curriculum, and So ICT skills can be developed at an early age. Furthermore, in primary and secondary schools more subjects are using ICT to help interact children’s learning, this could be by using interactive whiteboards. I believe this scheme is a clever idea because I find things easier to remember if they are taught in an interactive manner using the advantages of modern technology.

Smart cards- Smart cards are vital for are learning in school we use smart cards for a wide range of different purposes. Smart cards allow us to gain access to buildings in addition, they allow us to pay via the paypal. Smart cards purpose is security. Using paypal helps to prevent money loss of cons and prevents hackers.  Smart cards has various advantages, it can secure maximum security it’s a useful tool to use and is easy to use. However it can have its disadvantages using a smart card can result in the card getting lost or even falling into the wrong hands where a person can use your card to gain access to places they are not suppose to be or even use your card to purchase items.

Registration- Registration in schools is now done using computer software, this process is a lot easier for teachers, and means the data can be stored on a computer hard drive, therefore if you need to find out if a student was in on a specific day this process can be easy to do. I think this creation is down to the multi purpose of computers they can now be used for a variety of different things, which is the reason computers can now be used for registration. I believe registration done online has helped improve attendance and can easily outline to the teachers students who have no been participating in lessons. This creation has many advantages, its relatively easier to use doesn’t require a lot of effort, Can be stored on a PC therefore access is easy. However, it can have its downfalls, if the PC is not working than this can result in the register not getting done.

Surveillance- Surveillance is essential to enhance our learning, without surveillance in ICT class rooms. Teachers wouldn’t be able to monitor what is going on in lessons. Surveillance is crucial for teachers when an instance happens in a computer room, surveillance allows us to monitor what has happened. I believe that surveillance is a great creation and is vital to be in all computer rooms in the school and without surveillance it would make teachers lives a lot harder. Surveillance has a wide range of advantages including it helps teachers monitor students. It can prevent bad behaviour in the class rooms. Disadvantages are its expensive to run, it can also be hard to see every part of the computer room therefore for some areas of the computer room bad behaviour still happens.

Bitesize-  BBC Bitesize is the name given to the BBC’s free online study support resource for school-age students in the United Kingdom. It is designed to aid students in both school work and, for older students, exams. Bitesize use many different ways to engage students to help them revise. Some of these ways include games, quizzes, audio listening and message boards. All of these ways entertain the users and help them to learn. Bitesize was launched in 1998 and was created by the BBC to try and help develop students learning by using new ways of teaching.  Advantages of using bitesize are that bitesize is an interactive learning resource designed to help students learn in different ways, it’s effective and is very useful.  I use Bitesize a lot there is a wide range of ideas that help me to learn, There interactive diagrams with audio explaining about the diagram is a great way of understanding information its breaks it down and explains point by point, however some people may view this as a disadvantage its very tedious and take a long period of time to explain one topic.  Furthermore bitesize is only designed up to GCSE’s it doesn’t cater for higher education so for someone that enjoys using bitesize after they have done their GCSE’s bitesize can no longer be used.

Interactive white boards- 10 years ago a key aspect of learning was using white boards, however know with the development of technology, all schools use interactive white boards, in school there is a interactive white board in every class room.  An interactive white board is a large interactive display that connects to a computer and projector. A projector projects the computer's desktop onto the board's surface where users control the computer using a pen, finger or other device. The board is typically mounted to a wall or floor stand. I believe that the interactive white boards is a key aspect of learning, its different with interactive learning some students believe is a better source of learning.  Advantages of using interactive white boards are its different and easy to use, in addition, its interactive therefore a wide range of students can participate in educational games. Disadvantages are their expensive can be complex to set up also requires a huge wall surface.

Computer use in schools- Computers in schools help develop learning and are essential for all students nowadays all jobs require a basic understanding of ICT therefore ICT is essential in schools.  I believe that computers in schools has helped develop my understanding of ICT, and without computers I would struggle in the job I am currently doing. Advantages of computer use in schools are it helps develop a understanding in ICT, for some students computers are easier to use to present information the writing, in addition,  computers can also be used to hand in and collect work. However computer use in schools has disadvantages some students don’t work in lessons and simply play on games therefore computers can be distracting.

SIMS- School Information Management System is a management information system used by more than 21,000 schools in 150 local authorities across the United Kingdomboasting around 80% of the market share. SIMS started in 1984 and is now used in a wide range of schools spread all over the UK. Sims helps schools manage student registration and truancy, student performance, personalised learning, exam organisation, timetable construction, cover management and a range of other school activities.  I believe SIMS is a fantastic programme which has a wide range of functions that help teachers.  Advantages of using SIMS are it has a variety of different features furthermore it also has a database filled with information that data is stored on students for 10 years. Although, SIMS has its disadvantages data can be entered wrong therefore data saved is incorrect.