Academic Educational Support ICT Provision
ICT Provision
ICT Provision
IT Across the Curriculum
The digital age forces schools to reflect on what they teach and how. What skills do pupils need for a high-tech 21st Century and how can computers best support teaching, learning and communications in communities such as ours? The debate about IT in the classroom is no longer a philosophical clash between traditionalists and modernizers; Millfield pupils want to develop good IT skills and enjoy lessons delivered using the most effective techniques; be those techniques old or new.
Millfield can boast network connections provided for every pupil in the houses, an Extranet with wide editorial control, an annual programme of training for staff, data projectors in half the campus classrooms, a large pool of general purpose IT rooms and a curriculum model which offers both core IT skills and opportunities for IT to be used well in all subjects.
With a computer some pupils overcome their handwriting difficulties whilst others find enlarged text on screen helps their reading. Coursework is invariably produced using a computer. Subjects such as Geography, History, Mathematics, English and Business Studies have increased their demand for computer resources. The new Design and Technology building houses eight new IT-rich classrooms. Physical Education now has two PC clusters and another is planned. In Modern Languages pupils now find audio clips on-line or view live French news broadcast.
Developing autonomous study skills is very important and IT has a key role in this. In the Library there are 54 networked PCs for use throughout the school day. All rooms are networked in boarding houses. Pupils who are currently connected enjoy fast access to the Internet and they are protected by means of content filters and firewalls.
There has been a healthy debate about resources, skills and educational impact of IT. Our developments are a result of a careful analysis of the benefits to be derived now and in the future we are committed to a sensible evolution which preserves the best of traditional teaching supported by modern electronic resources under the control of tutors.