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ICT studies
When studying Applied ICT as a GCSE subject it is important for students to appreciate the full extent of ICT applications in a commercial context. Port Operations provide a good example of ICT in action, particularly as they show that there is more to it than computers, and they clearly show ICT’s importance to economic success not only to one business, but also across the whole region. However, there are clear disadvantages in several schools making visits to a port to get the information they need. Suffolk County Council Education Authority and Haven Gateway Partnership, based in Harwich, working in partnership with local schools and colleges, therefore put together a resource pack creating a virtual visit.
This not only avoided the disadvantages of actual visits in terms of:
- cost
- loss of school time and work time
- health and safety risks
But the planned and choreographed nature of the virtual visit ensures that:
- close up and detailed views are available to all
- areas of the port which could not be visited are seen
- poor weather does not inhibit learning
- all relevant questions are asked
- the right person answers them
- all answers are right
Copies of the full pack can be purchased from Suffolk County Council, and have been supplied to all Suffolk schools and colleges on DVD, video, paper and the web. The team also made sure that it was suitable for other subjects such as Geography.
Contacts:
Richard Morton
Haven Gateway Partnership
Suites 3 & 5
The Centre
The Crescent
Colchester Business Park
ICT in action in Harwich Haven Ops Room (photo by Paul Hine)
Colchester
CO4 9QQ
T: 01206 848416
F: 01206 848419
M: 0776 9962554
E: richard.morton@haven-gateway.org
W: http://www.haven-gateway.org/
Kath Ridealgh
County Advisor 14 – 19
Suffolk Advisory Service
Education Directorate
Suffolk County Council
T: 01473 265305
E: Kath.Ridealgh@educ.suffolkcc.gov.uk