The family computer is a centerpiece of the modern home and an indication of the supreme importance of technology in children’s education. Kids in current society must learn how to filter the hi-tech input they receive from every angle, and how to use the abundant information and power available from the internet and computer software for positive ends.

While some may be skeptical about the value of kids learning games and educational software, it is important for teachers in the classroom and at home to recognize the positive influence software based learning games can have on the modern day child.

Educational software is a powerful tool, capable of providing compelling, appealing, easily internalized lessons on multiple subjects, from reading and math to typing and chess. In a world exploding with exciting forms of entertainment for kids, educational games can teach children that the computer is a tool and not simply a hi-tech distraction.

Children love computer games, spending hours in virtual worlds of fast paced, highly charged competitive games and simulations. The excitement of computer games does not have to end before the educational experience begins for kids of all ages. From preschool learning games that teach children to recognize colors and animals, to interactive education games for middle-schoolers that ask them to create the software and write their own puzzles, the world of educational software is ripe with benefits for kids and teachers alike.

Rather than separating the world of “games” from school and leaning, learning games teach kids the value of technology and the importance of interactive learning. The term edutainment, the combination of entertainment with education, has been used to describe the current climate of kids’ education. The thought goes, if kids of are entertained while they learn, they will tune out and learn nothing.

However discouraging that concept, the idea behind that should encourage educators to use the educational software available to them, at school and in the home. Kids have been predisposed to interact with information in the computer and internet age. So our educational methods must involve tools that will equip children in a way that develops interactive learning and that has technology at the center of their classroom experience, as well as their entertainment.

Virginia Bryson covers educational software and homeschool supplies topics for EducatorsSoftware.com.

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It’s often said that pupils learn the most from what their teachers do, rather than what they say. Here are eleven good practices you need to adopt if you want your kids to lean good habits rather than bad.

Ensure that computers and software are set up and working properly before the lesson.

Observe health and safety regulations and common-sense rules, such as not eating or drinking at the computer.

Observe the correct procedures for using the equipment, such as by shutting down properly rather than simply switching the computer off.

Save your files in folders on the hard disk or on the network with meaningful names, not Doc1, Doc2, or Joan1, Joan2 etc — in fact, you should have a system for naming your files.

Organise your computer workspace well.

Save your work frequently.

Use the correct terminology, and not confuse “memory”, say, with “hard disk space”.

Back up your work regularly.

Use ICT to produce signs for displays.

Use computers for administrative tasks, such as producing lists of pupils, producing quality worksheets, communicating with other schools, exchanging data with examination boards and so on.

Use ICT overtly for real tasks, such as giving each pupil a sticky label with his/her name and class on, obviously mail-merged.

As you can see, none of this is rocket science — or even complicated. Makes a big difference, though, especially when carried out day in and day out, week in, week out.

Terry Freedman writes and advises on all aspects of teaching and managing educational technology in schools. Visit his website for even more hints and tips, an the opportunity to sign up for a free newsletter called Computers in Classrooms.

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The UK’s renewables industry is set for significant growth in the coming years as demand grows for energy efficient technologies.

An increasing number of tradesmen will need to up-skill and learn how to design and install these technologies by taking renewable energy courses but many are unaware of the new appliances on the market.

One technology which is growing in popularity is rainwater harvesting systems which enable both direct and indirect feeds to property appliances, such as WCs and can be used for garden irrigation and watering.

A standard rainwater harvesting system can provide a household with two thousand litres of stored water and vastly reduces the need for mains supplied water.

Overall this system saves on your carbon footprint and offsets the cost of water usage within the property. The tank is installed underground, although above ground tanks are available.

The system is relatively straight forward; it harvests water direct from the roof of the house, takes the water through a filtration process and stores it in the underground tank ready for use by the home owner.

The water is pumped to the appliance on demand. The system also has a main back up facility to ensure the appliance always has a water feed, even in times of drought.

Solar Thermal drainback systems are growing in popularity also and more tradesmen should take renewable energy courses in order to understand how they work.

These systems provide hot water through absorption of solar irradiation into the panels surface, heating up the transfer fluid and then extracting that heat out of the transfer fluid and in to the hot water unvented cylinder via a high surface area coil.

This is also linked to a combi boiler to show how it is possible to link renewable technologies with traditional gas combi boilers, which enable greater savings on the boilers use of gas.

The boiler will only heat up the water if the solar temperature reached needs topping up. The solar system pre heats the water and reduces the need for the boiler to heat the water to higher temperatures.

Once the water is at 60 C in the cylinder the solar valve will recognise this and direct the water straight to the tap, bypassing the need for the boiler all together.

This is different to a pressurised system, where there is no drain back tank and the panel is linked directly to the unvented cylinder.

Able Skills provide training through renewable energy courses and solar PV courses and much, much more. Able Skills have opened an Energy Saving Training Centre to provide approved training on the installation of energy efficient forms of heating and lighting.

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