ABSTRACT

Drawing upon and considering research and political change, this chapter identifies the implications of what it means to be a teacher in the twenty-first century. A wireless mouse allows the teacher to move around a classroom freely whilst manipulating displayed materials. This is a good use of technology to support classroom management and allows the teacher to perform other tasks such as monitoring and assessing pupils' progress during the lesson. There are a wide range of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) peripherals that can be used in the classroom to support learning and whilst some schools are well resourced, a more familiar story is that peripherals are used only by the school's ICT champions and are otherwise left to gather dust. According to the General Teaching Council for England, 'The use of ICT and keeping abreast with its application and potential to contribute to work in the classroom' is 'an important focus' for teachers when 'seeking professional development opportunities'.