Media Releases
Reading primary school hosts first classroom use of Microsoft Surface in Europe
26/01/2009
Press Release
Churchend Primary School is to be the first school in Europe to showcase the new Microsoft Surface.
The Microsoft Surface is a multipoint touch sensitive computer, which means that children can interact with digital media in new and exciting ways, without the need for a mouse.
Based on a standard PC, the Microsoft Surface consists of a table-top mounted screen that responds to multi-touch, multi-user gestures and can recognise objects placed on the Surface.
The multipoint aspect of the Microsoft Surface enables any number of children to interact simultaneously with the computer at the same time so encouraging communication. This makes the Microsoft Surface ideal for collaborative projects. The alluring nature of the Microsoft Surface gets everyone involved, whether they are an adult or child.
Steve Beswick, Microsoft's Director of Education, said: "We wanted to learn what this technology would mean for real pupils in a real classroom. As Churchend have been at the leading edge of technology, it made sense to ask them to help."
Microsoft believes this new style of computer has significant value in education and is working with Churchend to build up understanding of its use in support of teaching and learning in a real classroom environment. The experience at Churchend will be used to inform development of further applications for Surface in education.
Headteacher Kate Dethridge said: "We're delighted to be able to assist Microsoft in the development of this very innovative technology and it's been a wonderful experience for our pupils."
Classroom Teacher Caroline Golledge said: "The Microsoft Surface is really intuitive to use and the children love it. Everyone is just so eager to have a go. It's fantastic."
Jon Hartley, Reading Borough Council's Lead Councillor for Education and Lifelong Learning, said: "It's great to see Churchend at the cutting edge of IT development for the classroom. I congratulate the school and Microsoft on working together on such an exciting project."
Microsoft Partners RM Education and Infusion worked with Microsoft to develop "Finguistics", a Proof-of Concept game-based application to develop maths skills and spelling skills in English, French and Spanish. The experience at Churchend will be used to inform development of further applications for Surface in education.
Churchend Primary school, in Usk Road, Tilehurst, is a National Support School and has recently maintained its "outstanding" grade from Ofsted (September 2008). Churchend continues to innovate in the area of ICT, giving pupils access to a wide and varied range of ICT in every classroom.
ENDS
Notes for Editors:
About Churchend Primary School:
- Judged by Ofsted to be an ‘outstanding ‘ school twice in the last 3 years
- A National Support School
- Innovative use of ICT in classroom
- Using new service based model of ICT delivery
About Microsoft Surface:
- This will be the first live classroom usage of Surface anywhere in Europe and the experience gained at Churchend will be used to inform development of further applications for Surface in education.
- Surface is new class of computing device that is designed to encourage multiuser collaborative interaction with different media types and data.
- Based on a standard PC, Surface consists of a table top mounted screen that responds to multi-touch, multi-user gestures and can recognise objects placed on the Surface. In effect this means that Surface can be used by small groups of students working collaboratively around the device.
- The first UK public demonstration took place at the BETT show at Olympia on 14th-18th Jan and received significant press coverage (BBC, Times Educational Supplement)
- Microsoft believes this new class of device has significant value in education and will work with Churchend to build up understanding of its use in support of teaching and learning in a real classroom environment.
- Microsoft Partners RM Education and Infusion worked with Microsoft to develop “Finguistics”, a Proof-of Concept game-based application to develop maths skills and spelling skills in English, French and Spanish.
Microsoft Surface
What is Surface? Surface is a leap forward in computing technology - forget the mouse and keyboard, this is the first interactive computing platform from Microsoft. Surface has the potential to completely change the way teachers and students interact with data, allowing them to move it between devices, change its shape and play content by touching the screen.
How Surface works:
- Direct Interaction: Users can ‘grab’ digital information with their hands - interacting by touch and gesture, without the need of a mouse or keyboard.
- Multi-Touch: Surface computing recognises many points of contact simultaneously, not just from one finger at a time like with a typical touch-screen.
- Multi-User: The horizontal nature of Surface makes it easy for several students and their teacher to gather around together, providing a collaborative, face-to-face computing experience.
- Object Recognition: Users can place physical objects on the display to trigger different types of digital responses.
- How will teachers and students use Surface? Surface has the potential to make a transformational leap in the way teachers educate students because it provides a mix of physical and virtual worlds for a rich interactive experience. The diversity of Surface means that developers are continually creating applications to use this technology to inspire new ways of teaching.
- How Surface might be used in the classroom: · Finding and navigating through information and knowledge. Using Surface to discover information visually. For instance, in a geography lesson, students could research a country as a group on Surface and be able to drag snippets of information, pictures and sounds into a virtual ‘basket’ which is ready for use anywhere else the students might log on. ·
- Interactive Discovery: For instance, in a science lesson, students can virtually dissect the human body, opening it up, and gently moving organs to one side to expose circulation systems and body parts. · Supporting better collaboration. For instance, if a class goes on a field trip to a local heritage site, any photos they take on their phones can be uploaded onto Surface and ordered into collages of the day.
- Helping support special needs: As these students often have either physical or processing differences they can have difficulty using traditional devices. The visual, tactile nature of surface means that it will allow them to visualise and manipulate pictures, videos and content in different, new ways.
Chris Branagan
Tel: 0118 939 0330
Ray Fleming (Microsoft)
Tel: 0118 909 2029