Interactive Whiteboards

What are Interactive Whiteboards?
An interactive whiteboard, 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. Interactive whiteboards have replaced old fashioned whiteboards and blackboards over the UK. Teachers can access all their resources from one place such as the internet, word processinng documents. This reduces the need for the teacher to keep moving around the classroom handing out handouts. The teacher can stay in the same place throughout the lesson giving more teaching time. They are especially good for watching videos and films on as they are large and clear.

How are they used?
Interactive whiteboards are used in classroom environments and the technology allows you to write or draw on the surface, print the image off, save it to computer, or distribute it over a network. You can also project a computer screen image onto the surface and then either control the application by touching the board directly or by using a special pen. Once drawn over, the image can be saved.

Most use four componants

• a computer connects the projector and whiteboard
• a projector displays an image from a computer screen
• appropriate software
• display panel

• Write over the top of programmes to highlight and annotate points.
• View and navigate the Internet from the whiteboard.
• Allow staff and/or students to move around a screen without the use of a computer because the screen itself is sensitive.
• Offer the same features as a traditional whiteboard such as writing directly on the board, circling things, highlighting or labelling elements on the screen.

Advantages

• They allow learners to absorb information more easily.
• They allow learners to participate in group discussions by freeing them from note taking.
• They allow learners to work collaboratively around a shared task/work area.
• When used for whole class interactive testing of understanding, they can provide learner feedback rapidly.

 Disadvantages

• Interactive whiteboards are more expensive than conventional whiteboards or projector/screen combinations.
• Their surface can become damaged.
• Front projection boards can be obscured by the user(s).
• Fixed height boards are often too high to reach the top or too low for their bottom to be readily visible.
• If multiple data entry is allowed then inputs can get jumbled, resulting in onscreen gibberish.

Interview with teacher

How long have you had your interacive whiteboard?

I think i was one of the last in the school to get one, but about 2 years now. I think most schools have them now as they are so good to teach with

What is your favourite thing about the interactive whiteboard?

I like how i can save work from a lesson and show it again at another for a remind or if that lessons work was incomplete.

How much do you think the white board cost and was it worth the money?

I think they still are quite expensive at around £2,000-£3,000 pounds each but if a school has the money they are worth getting. I also believe pupils pay more attention with them and in my subject in particular i have seen a rise in grades.

What do you use your interactive whiteboard for mainly?

Showing slide show presentations. Students have more time to write down notes and it is much better than having my writing on the board. Students can actually read better from the slide show presentation. Also i sometimes show videos from the internet which show examples of what I am teaching them.

My Maths

MyMaths.co.uk is a resourse for teachers all over the UK. It covers GCSE maths as well as parts of the A level course. Each exam board is also represented and teachers do believe it is a helpful revision and homework resource which has helped improve results.

Teachers can find new ways of teaching certain topics, set homework and keep an eye on all students by issuing them passwords and usernames. A teacher can make sure the student has done their work and got a good grade without having to mark.

A paid subscription is required which can be partial or full depending on how long it will need to be used for.

Blackeberries and work

Features of a blackberry and why they are good for work.

The blackberry includes internet so you can view and send emails in and out the office. For example if you were travelling to London by train to your office, you could view all your emails beforehand and read up as to what is going on and what you have to do and know for the day ahead. This saves time when you reach the office as you can start working striaght away. This is one of the many reasons why so many businesses now issue their employees with Blackberries to make them more efficent at work.

It also gives you 3 gadgets all in one:

• Your laptop to access your email, write up documents and research
• Your phone to contact colleagues, clients, bosses and also your family and friends
• Music. For the train journey to and from work.

News Story

Blackberry users 'work an extra 15 hours a week' out of the office

Staff with mobile technology such as Blackberries work an extra 15 hours a week as they constantly check emails even out of the office, according to new research.

A survey of over 600 employees revealed many were turning into workaholics because of the ability to receive and send messages and work online even when they were at home.

Employment law firm Peninsula said the working week was being extended to around 55 hours for many people and urged employers to make sure their staff were not breaching working time regulations

"Employees should be encouraged to take appropriate rest breaks if they do choose to continue working out of hours. Having a well rested employee with a good work/life balance is a lot more useful than a tired employee that put one too many hours in the night before."

Retaining for ICT improvements

Many people who found that their job had disappeared because of the introduction of computes have had to retrain.

They might have been kept on to do the same role but using a computer rather than doing things by hand.

Or if their job disappeared completely, they would probably have had to train and learn a whole new set of skills.

Training can be given by the personnel department or by other workers. Or it could be purchased from specialist companies who visit the organisation and train people 'on-site'.

Workers can also go on courses at the local college to learn new skills.

This training has many faults. While people are learning new skills they are not working to their full as they are doing something at the same time. The company may fall behind loosing money which can be extremely crucial for a lot of companies. Also the training is extremely expensive although in the long run it is really good to be up to date.

ICT and Accounting

Accounting

Before the development of ICT accountants would keep track of all financial records by hand.
They would enter every payment and receipt into a ledger. This was a full time job for many people.

I spoke to my grandad who was an accountant back in the 1950s and he told me, ' when i was working you actually had to be good at maths. Now spreadsheets and calucaltors all do it for you. Really you dont have to understand what you are doing anymore. I studied a math related course at Oxford university. As far as im aware all you need now is basic computer skills and take a college course for 2 years. I studied for 6. It wasnt until later calculators were invented making life easier. Admittedly we did have a machine but it made more mistakes than i did! It was easy to make a mistake, to add up something incorrectly or even to forget to record something.'

Calculators were not invented until the late 70's.

The introduction of calculators helped to speed up the work involved in balancing the books and helped reduce some of the mistakes made.

When financial packages and spreadsheets for personal computers came along around 1978, it transformed the way businesses handled their financial accounts.

With these changes, the role of Accounting Clark largely disappeared. They now had to re-train to use the new electronic spreadsheets.

The skill of mentally adding up numbers quickly and accurately was no longer required as the computer could do this much faster and more reliably



260

Graphs on Teleworking

New Jobs

Computers in the Office
With the advent of reliable computers, desktop machines started to replace the typewriter. This meant that office typists had to learn new, more varied skills. Many expected to lose their jobs as fewer and fewer typists became needed. Computers, however, had many varied uses and each demanded a different, specialist set of skills:

• Spreadsheets started to be used for accounting, analysing data and modelling situations creating job roles ranging from data inputters to ICT Managers.

• Databases and other management information systems (MIS) also needed specialist staff.

• Software and hardware engineers were required to prevent and solve technical problems.

• The success of the Internet brought with it requirements for Web designers and programmers.

Network Technician

• Helps set up office and school networks
• Monitors network performance
• Installs new software
• Sets up and monitors user accounts
• Ensures network security

Computer programmer

• Writes the code for new software
• Adapts or develops existing software

Website Designers

With the explosion of the Internet, there has been a huge demand for people who can design and write websites.

Help Desk Operator

• Answers technical problems from staff
• Provides advice when software/hardware not working
• Resets passwords
• Can remotely control a computer screen to demonstrate how to do something.

Business Analyst

Because businesses need specialist software and hardware to suit their particular needs, most large organisations employ a team of business analysts.
These analysts examine the methods currently used by the company and determine what works and what needs improving. They then work with employees,employers and software developers to design and create a new system to solve the business' requirements.

 Unfortunately some jobs are lost due to the increase in ICT


Since ICT can automate many jobs and do them not only faster but also more accurately, then many of the old jobs have disappeared.
We no longer have typing pools full of secretaries, there is no need for an office full of clerks to calculate and count out weekly wages, there is no need for printers to manually typeset the newspaper pages. Many hundreds of thousands of people have lost their jobs over the last couple of decades.


For example car manufacturers have been replaced by robots who paint cars quickly and accuratly.
Robots also do not need:

• they do not need breaks for tea and coffee
• they can work 24/7
• they dont need to sleep
• there is no cost after the inital cost

But still there are issues

• someone still needs to watch over them in case one has a fault
• if one fault occurs work can be put on hold whereas a worker could be quickly replaced wif someone was taken ill. 

Journalists

Printing industry

Daily newspapers used to be printed on this old fashioned printing press.

Printing used to be a very manual, skilled job taking years to learn

In 1985, photo-typesetting was developed and it made it possible to automate the printing of newspapers and books.
This is the modern day printing press.

Nowadays, newspapers are written by journalists who use a computer.

The digital layout is then transferred to the printer and newspapers are printed very quickly in their thousands.

Up until the mid 1980s, when letters or reports needed to be typed, a maual typewriter was used.

Each page had to be typed carefully since mistakes were hard to fix - usually the page would have to be typed out again.
There were no formatting features - if you wanted something bold, you had to type over the same words twice

Using a typewriter was a skilled job since there was no room for mistakes.

Teleworking

Over the last several decades ICT has changed a lot in the work place leading to companies who would have never existed before existing now, adaptions being made with other companies and many people being replaced as new technology is brought in.

ICT has led to a big change in the way a lot of people work. Because of the Internet and the ability to communicate with the company network from anywhere in the world, many workers now work part time or full time from home. It is a new method of working.

Advantages

For individuals

- You can work the hours you want, for example you could get up at 6am and finish by lunchtime.

- It makes possible to work around family commitments, for example young children or elderly parents.

- You can take a break when you want one.

- It saves a huge amount of time that would normally be spent travelling to work. You can spend that time working instead. It is estimated that the average person spends around 4 hours travelling to work each week. That is a lot of time sat in a car!

- You save the cost of petrol that you would normally need to travel to work and also the cost of car parking tickets.

For the company

- They can employ people who don't live near to the office. This means they can choose people who might be willing to work for lower wages.

- If there is a shortage of skilled labour in the local area then they can get the skilled staff that they need from elsewhere in the country.

- they might be able to keep hold of valuable members of staff who might otherwise leave, for example, women who have just had a baby.

- they can have smaller premises so they save money on rent.

- they get workers who might be more satisified with their jobs and thus be more committed or work harder.

Disadvantages

For individuals

- It is hard to feel like you can ever get away from work.

- You might end up working longer hours than you would in an office.

- You might always be 'on call'. Because you are at home, the office might think that you are always available to do just a bit more work

- There can be a lot of distractions and you might be tempted to do other things rather than work

- You can miss out on the social side of work.

- It might affect your career prospects. If a promotion comes up in the office, you might not be thought about for the role.

For the company

- They are not always sure that people are putting in the right amount of hours

- Work might not be delivered on time

- Workers might not be at home to receive an email or urgent telephone call

- Work might be of a lower standard than when produced in the office

- Hard to motivate staff and have a feeling of a good company spirit.

- Managers still like face to face contact with employees

- Firms might have to address the criticism that they are running 'digital sweatshops'

- There might be legal issues such as insurance and health and safety implications 

Why teleworking is possible

• 
  
  video conferenceing-talking to clients overseas without paying, or the company paying for travel
• 
  
  webcams-talking to your boss who may be in the office
• 
  
  instant message-receiving tasks instantly
• 
  
  e-mail-sending and recieving files with attachments

ICT is more likely to have changed someone's work rather than led to them losing their job. People in certain professions have had to be retrained to make use of modern technology:

• Secretaries now use word processors and not typewriters.
• Travel agents book holidays by computer, not by phone or letter.

• De-skilling has taken place. Some jobs which needed a high level of skill in the past can now be done more easily. For example, print workers today can use DTP software to lay out their work.
• Designers now use CAD software rather than pencil and paper on a drawing board.

Unit Two

 Unit Two Topics

1. the way we work
2. effect on school life
3. the way we entertain ourselves
4. the way we bank and shop (EFTPOS,EPOS, e-commerce)
5. the way we prevent crime and deal with it

LOVEFiLM

Definition

Lovefilm is a company which allows you to order DVDs online, more commonly for you to borrow, to watch without having to leave your house  to go to a DVD shop such as blockbuster.


Lovefilm have over one million members and over 70,000 DVD titles, games console games, Blu-ray, TV series for you to borrow or buy.


The product you have chosen will be delivered to you within 24 hours and you can send it back via post when you're ready.


At first you can try a free trial for 30 days but membership costs £3.99. Lovefilm now have over one million members.


They say this on there site:


'Britain’s largest range of films and games – 67,000 titles and countingThey have DVDs from all different genres so you can find nearly any film, old or new'

Features

They have all different genres for films and TV shows so you can find nearly any DVD or show quickly and easily, whether it is old or new.

If you are looking for a specific title you can search quickly in the search bar

You can watch new movie trailers

You can see reviews from other members if you do not know which film to choose. This way you can see which film is more suited to you.
This applies to films which are currently in the cinema and films which you wish to rent or buy on the site. It uses a star system so a good film being 5 stars and a bad being 1 star.

Other features include:

• interviews with actors/actresses which you can watch online
• a list is on the site where you can view who got what at the latest movie award ceremony such as the Oscars
• when the next film festivals are
• staff reviews
• competitions and film quizzes are also on the site for any member to partake in,

Advantages: Massive convenience, films come to your door

Disadvantages: It's good value only if you watch enough films a month

Interview


How long have you been a member of lovefilm?
I've first come to know this service from a friend who sent me an invitation for a month's free trial, and I gave it a go. I've been a member for several months since.


Is LOVEFiLM good for money?
Yes, because you pay per month instead of per film so for me it's brilliant because if you were to watched 2 films one month and 10 the next it would cost the same. Although people who don't watch films on a regular basis, say once every two months it is not worth it but for me, it is amazing. Personally I find that I do on average 8 films a month, which translates into about £1.60 per film. This still beats high street rentals, and it has the added convenience of postal delivery. 


In your opinion what is the best thing about LOVEFiLM?
You can quit any time you want! If you don't feel you are not getting your moneys worth, then you just stop paying. There is no contract. Also the list of films they have is outstanding. You never run out of films to watch!


Who do you think LOVEFiLM is most suited for?
I would say families. If one of you wants to watch one film, and someone else wants to watch another, it costs the same. Also elderly people you can't leave the house for whatever reason like not having a car to drive, it is delivered straight to your door step which is extremely convenient.
Do you have any further information you would like to add?
There is a lot information on there about the history of films and actors and actresses. I have learnt a suprising amount from LOVEFiLM.

Entertainment

Youtube

Definition

YouTube is a video-sharing website on which users can upload, share, and view videos.

Including movie clips, TV clips, and music videos, as well as amateur content such as video blogging and short original videos.

Unregistered users can watch the videos, while registered users are permitted to upload an unlimited number of videos. Videos that are considered to contain potentially offensive content are available only to registered users 18 and older.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eQOFRZ1wNLw

Features

When you go onto www.youtube.com and enter keywords into the search bar it suggests videos you may like to watch based on what you typed in.

There is a special section for tv shows, which registers users can upload shows. Also by clicking on the tv show section it will list all the genres so you can choose a show to your preference.

By signing up to youtube you can add your own videos instead of just watching ones other users have put on.

News Stories

COMEDY singer Bo Burnham is a YouTube sensation - with 65million views of his non-PC songs filmed in his bedroom.

And now the 19-year-old is being hailed as the star of this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival after taking his tunes to the stand-up stage.

The keyboard player, of Danvers, Massachusetts, US, found fame at 16 after posting a clip of his song.

It got one million hits overnight and the schoolboy was snapped up by an agent. More cheeky cyber songs followed, including My Little Secret.

He then released an online EP before putting out a full album of his jokey numbers.

Bo is now writing a Hollywood movie script. He said: "I'm not singing like a 16-year-old. I'm trying to get away from being the dirty-song kid."

A GANG of arrogant burglars who posted rap videos on YouTube taunting cops have been jailed.

Matthew Murtagh's self-styled "Night Crawlers" raided 17 homes and boasted they would never be caught.

They stole luxury cars as well as a Rolex watch, jewellery, TVs, sat nav systems and mobile phones in Croydon, South London, and North Surrey.

Murtagh, 19, left messages on the phone of an officer on the case saying: "You'll never find me" and "I'll be celebrating Xmas with my mates," Croydon Crown Court heard.

Detective Inspector Lee Hill, of Scotland Yard, said: "Their YouTube videos are a glorification of their criminality."

Justin Bieber

At just 13 justin bieber posted a video on youtube of him singing with me by neyo and was accidently found by Scooter Braun.

 Braun arranged for him to meet with Usher and Bieber was soon signed to Raymond Braun Media Group (RBMG), a joint venture between Braun and Usher.

 It is reported that both Justin Timberlake and Usher argued over who was going to sign Bieber, with Usher winning.

He is an example as well as Bo Burnham how youtube makes people famous. Bieber has had a single in the UK making number 2 in the charts and two albums one going into the top 30 in 10 different countries and the other going platinum.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages:

most pouplar video sharing site, more chance of finding the video you want to watch.

quick streaming meaning that videos load quickly

easy and nice interface- it is easy to navigate around the site and find exactly what you want.

Disadvatages:
occasinal server problems- sometimes videos won't load or will play partly

if a lot of people are online it can slow the system down.

Perez Hilton

Example of how blogs make people famous!

Blogs are very useful to people all over the world, but Perez Hilton now is very famous for his blog as he posts gossip on his site about celebrities from JLS to the Jonas Brothers who are very big stars of the 21st Century. As soon as he finds out new information in the world of Hollywood it goes straight on his blog called www.perezhilton.com and his blog is now apprently worth over 30 million dollars.

Amazon

Definition

Amazon.com is an American-based multinational e-commerce company. It is America's largest online retailer.


You can buy from many different departments such as books, music, toys and electronic equipment and much more.

Features

Like e-bay people can also sell items they no longer want. So as well as it being a business to user online retail site it is also a user to user retail site.


For example this CD can be bought at the normal retail price of £4.99 but also at a lower price of £3.18.

Other businesses can advertise on Amazon which normally change as to the item you are viewing. For example when I was viewing the CD above an advert for headphones came up as it is relevant. This acts as an income to Amazon as the adverts posted by companies always cost.

Amazon also has many other features such as a money converter and wish lists.

Also a lot of the products have reviews so if you are comparing two products you can see which one other buyers prefer and what is good and bad about each product.

Also you can preview the album before you buy it and if you only like a few of the songs you can download them indivdually as mp3 downloads.

Another feature of Amazon is that there is a tab on the site which tells you what the best deals of the week are on the site such as if a television had been reduced in price it would appear on this page of the site. As it is called 'Deal of the Week' it is updated each week so it is always new and up to date.

Online Banking.

Online banking

Online banking (or Internet banking) allows customers to conduct financial transactions on a secure website operated by their retail or vitual bank,  credit union or building socitety.


This shows that a website is secure. The bar turns green and there is a picture of a padlock.

Pros:

Convenience: Unlike your corner bank, online banking sites never close; they’re available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and they’re only a mouse click away. 

Ubiquity: If a money problem arises while you’re out of state or out of the country, you can log on instantly to your online bank and take care of business — 24/7. 

Transaction speed: Online banking sites generally execute and confirm transactions at or quicker than ATM processing speeds. 

Efficiency: You can access and manage all of your accounts from one secure site. 

Effectiveness: Many online banking sites offer sophisticated tools, including account aggregation, stock quotes, rate alerts and portfolio managing programs to help you manage all of your assets more effectively. Most are also compatible with money managing programs.

Cons:

It may take time to get started: If you’re new to online banking, it might take time to register for your bank’s online program. Or, it may be easier to physically fill out a form at your local branch.

Learning curve: Some banking sites can be difficult to navigate.

Banking site changes: Even the largest banks periodically upgrade their online programs, adding new features in unfamiliar places.

Trust: Trusting an online banking system is an issue for two main reasons: identity theft and operator error. If you use a non-secure wireless Internet connection, it might not be a good idea to use online banking. It’s too easy for a savvy ID thief to view your personal information.

This image shows all the features of a normal online banking site and what you can do online and what you can't do.



Unit One

The topics i will be covering are:

• email
• blogs
• e-commerce
• social networking, newsgroups, conferencing and bulletin boards
• entertainment

E-commerce 2

Features

Nearly all highstreet stores have their own webiste now which allows people to buy items of clothing online. This gives stores a wider customer base so people in remote ares who live no where near a certain store can still buy the companies product.


When finding the stores website for example Topshop you are presented with catorgies of items the store sells like dresses, knitwear, shoes etc.

You select the one you like and then you can browse through the items in this group. When you select an item you like you can view it closer and from many different angles to get a better idea of what the piece of clothing is like.

If you then decide to buy an item of clothing you select the size you want to buy and how many of the item you want. If you are unsure as to what size you can click the size guide for measurments. Then you click add to bag and it appears in the 'My bag' section up the top of the page.

The trouble with internet shopping is there are many sercurity issues. People don't like sending credit card details over the internet incase internet hackers intercept the details and use them. Now though, many sites use encryption software so details are scrabbled on sending and can only be read by decryption software which the only the company will have the details to unscrabble the details to continue the payment process. Other ways of knowing whether a site is trustworthy are that the address bar may turn green to indicate that a site has an additional level of security and a padlock will show in the browser.


You can now also do your food shopping online with all the popular stores such as sainsburys and tescos.

Ebay is another example of an online shopping site where you can buy now or bid on new and used items from clothing to toasters to holidays. It is a comany now worth billions of dollars. All you have to do is start an account and browse through the millions of items on the site. Also once you have an account you can sell goods you no longer need anymore.



Newstories

Boy, three, buys car on internet

A three-year-old boy has used his mother's computer to buy a £9,000 car on an internet auction site. Jack Neal's parents only discovered their son's successful bid when they received a message from eBay about the Barbie pink Nissan Figaro.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/lincolnshire/5379930.stm

eBay fraudster fined after bidding on his own auctions to boost the price


An eBay seller has been forced to pay £5,000 and do 250 hours community service after being found guilty of bidding on his own auctions to boost the price.
Minibus firm owner Paul Barret was told he would have been facing a prison sentence if it had not been for his lack of previous convictions and the relatively small sums involved.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1292179/eBay-seller-fined-bidding-auctions-boost-price.html