Hawkridge – ‘Who needs computers in schools and why?’

Although this article does make some useful observations, I struggled to always see the relevance it what was being said due to the date that the article was published (1990). For example, the introduction of interactive whiteboards into most classrooms today has seen a huge increase in the use of ICT by children in schools. Not only that, the vast changes that have taken place since 1990 are far greater than just the use of interactive whiteboards in the classroom and can be seen in most aspects of today’s society.

When I think back to 1990, when I was only 4 years old I can’t remember many experiences of using ICT at school and did not have a computer in my classroom. I was however fortunate enough to have one at home, but this was very simplistic compared to what children today are able to experience (for example digital cameras, mobile phones, Playstations (etc) and laptops).

The rationales that Hawkridge discusses however do still have relevance today – children should be competent on computers by Secondary school, but today it could be argued that they are confident by a much younger age, at Primary school. Children do still use computers in the learning of subjects, and to a much larger extent. ICT in schools does have a positive influence and helps in many areas of teaching and learning.