A backlash is taking place in the nation’s schools. A few years ago, there was a big push to technologise our schools with web-connected whiteboards and an I-pad for every child. Fast-forward to today and experts are saying that all that screen time may not be so good after all. A report for the OECD found that where information and communication technologies have been adopted in formal education there has been no measurable improvements in student attainment. Some schools are returning to more traditional teaching materials. At Colour Print, we have the facilities to print traditional teaching aids such as leaflets, pamphlets and factsheets.
Too Much Screen Time?
The amount of time that our children spend staring at screens is increasing. According to a report commissioned by OfCom, 5-15 year olds spend 15 hours a week of their free time online and about 13.5 hours watching television. These figures don’t include the amount of time spent on screens in school. When even the tech masters of Silicon Valley are choosing to send their children to screen-free schools, perhaps it’s time to take our own schools to task about their use of screens.
Increased Creativity
Sitting children in front of a screen is an easy option. Teaching creatively is much more difficult but ultimately more rewarding for everyone. The craft of teaching is keeping the children interested. Encouraging children to interact with each other and their environment is generally agreed to be the most motivating approach.
Supporting Materials
Traditional educational materials such as books, leaflets, pamphlets, factsheets, games and puzzle cards will be very familiar to anyone who went to school in the days when there was a single school computer – or none at all. Many companies that produced these have diversified into software programs and educational apps. However, if the campaigns to limit screen time in schools are successful, then we will likely see an increase in demand for these more traditional teaching aids.
At Colour Print, we have the facilities to print and bind educational materials suitable for use in teaching children. If you would like to know more about any of our processes, please don’t hesitate to get in touch. You can call us on 01603 488001 or email sales@col-print.co.uk.
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