We spoke with Stewart Fleming (class teacher) at Mearns Academy in Aberdeenshire about how teachers at the school planned to manage and share the devices that they had available to them in their Android pilot. Mr Fleming stressed that the school was still in the early stages of the pilot and that initially they had decided to focus mainly on using the browser as the means by which learning tools could be accessed. At the time we visited the school no concrete decision had been made about the ways in which the devices would be managed centrally in terms of accessing and installing apps, although they had been looking at Learnpad and Splashtop for this purpose. Mr Fleming was of the opinion that a shared and managed device scenario might make it a bit more challenging to address the personalisation and choice agenda but where he could accommodate this he would.

Mearns Academy: Sharing and managing devices Interview 1 with Mr Fleming

Mr Fleming stated that the principles for curriculum design for Curriculum for Excellence were such that it was important that the school explored different ways in which technology could play an integral part in the learning and teaching experience. He also discussed the importance of teachers and schools recognising the appeal that digital contexts have for learners and how methodologies can be adapted so that positive outcomes for learners can be maximised.

Mearns Academy: Embracing new tech and ideas Interview 2 with Mr Fleming