I often get asked the question about how to establish a digital classroom and what is the process/programmes/resources/areas to be aware of/required reading/web sites etc?

I advise people to be careful of using the term 'Digital classroom' as some schools when they have tried to do this, were seen by the parents and sometimes other teachers as creating an elitist class. Some schools charge the students a certain amount for the privilege of being in the classroom, some schools pick the 'best' students, and one school I know have picked the best from Year 4-6 and made a vertical group class. Personally myself, I would make the classroom with whatever level, age and ability that was handed to me. I also tend to not use the term Digital Classroom, it is just a classroom that may have a lot of digital equipment in it. I prefer to say that we are now wired for action!

I personally see 'digital classrooms' as being part of the classroom everyday happenings, it is not made a special deal of, it is there just as pencils, papers and books are. Activities are not designed around the technology, the technology is used if it is the best tool for the activity.

Remember the final product is not the most important thing here. It is all about how you got there and what you learnt on the way. When you are doing research you use the best tools available; if the internet is the best you use it; if the Britannica CD is the best then use that. If a printed Encyclopaedia or topic books are best then use them. A mix of resources is a good thing, it doesn’t have to be totally digital.

There is a difference between digital learning and digital access, be clear about what the children will be learning, if this is an older group of children then they should be able to say what they think they are going to learn, (don’t make too much of an emphasis on learning how to use the digital equipment). It has to be totally integrated and a balance of printed resources must be available. Children must be able to make a choice of what method and materials they are going to use to complete that particular activity. Particularly with older children they must drive the technology and make the choices when and what to use. Any technology skills are taught as they are needed.

It’s not a class for gifted children, anybody can do it. This class encourages independent learners and children can be more self directed. The environment should promote the developing of higher order thinking skills. It should offer children global learning opportunities through more available access. It improves children's self esteem (I really noted this when I ran my digitally enhanced classrooms, it absolutely works well with those children who are not motivated by pencil and paper.) Most of all it promotes collaborative and co-operative learning, which can mean that you will have a noisy, busy classroom.

I am all for mixing platforms. Macs are fantastic for making movies, DVDs, making own music etc. Windows I like using for some photographic work. Most simulated software and encyclopaedias will only run on Windows.

There needs to be at least one Digital Video (DV) camera and one digital still camera (don't use the DV camera for photos, keep them separate). You need at least one per class but if you can afford more, than two or three are great.

If you are a Mac user make sure that you keep up with the iLife updates. These updates will keep your iMovie, iTunes, IDVD, iPhoto and Garageband up to date and healthy. Do this by connecting to the internet, go to the Blue Apple and select Software Updates .

There is a variety of Higher Order Thinking models using a range of approaches. The ones I use the most are Blooms New Taxonomy, De Bono Six Thinking Hats, Ryan's Thinkers keys, Gardner's Multiple Intelligences and other thinking models that you can find in Michael Pohl's books 'Teaching Complex thinking' book. These are not used for special occasions but are integrated into the programme. Many of these models cross relate. In the example below which is from a book I am writing at the moment 'Graphic Organisers and the Pedagogical approaches', there are several cross overs into different HOT approaches. In this Writing example students will be using De Bonos', White (facts) and Green (creative ideas) hats; Gardner's Verbal/Linguistic (Word smart), Intrapersonal (Self Smart), Logical Mathematical (Number smart), Naturalist (Nature smart) intelligences; and Bloom's Applying and Creating stages.

The only way this can be successfully implemented is by the teacher perhaps having to make a change in teaching style from formal practitioner to informal practitioner. Teachers need to start thinking when they plan their activities or lessons of how the technology can be used. It doesn’t matter if there are one or half a dozen computers in the classroom, how can the computer be used for that activity? Could a small group of children work on that computer while the rest work at more conventional ways of doing the activity? The next day another group of children can use the computer for another activity. Maybe the class is given a choice of different ways of completing the activity and children book in time to complete the task. Start using the technology available to you. If there is a projector in the classroom, use it for modeling writing or to explain a maths concept. Start using your teacher laptop to record children’s responses in a graphic organiser rather than on a white board that will eventually get wiped off. For children to use technology in the appropriate way then teachers have to model that behaviour by using the technology themselves.