Naace is the professional association for those concerned with advancing education through the appropriate use of information and communications technology (ICT). Naace was established in 1984 and has become the key influential professional association for those working in ICT in education.

Welcome to the first edition of Primary Focus in 2008, published to coincide with the BETT Exhibition at Olympia in London (9-12 January 2008). The major positive change to the Primary Focus journal is that, similar to other Naace publications, we are now encouraging Members to contribute and interact with Articles, myself as editor, and other Members - with the idea of stimulating points of view within a continuing professional dialogue.

When computers first arrived in primary schools in the early 1980s, the BBC ran a series of programmes on their use in schools called 'The Learning Machine'. We were excited then by the huge potential of ICT for learning but the technology of that time was not much good for teaching: the interactivity was too limited and the screen too small.

Things are different today. Twenty-first century ICT is superb for teaching. The interactivity is literally at your fingertips and screens can be as big as you like. (In Las Vegas this January I saw a Celine Dion extravaganza where the whole of the backdrop was an 80ft computer screen.)

But it's not just what you've got - it's how you use it. This publication is about the latest technology in the hands of creative and interactive teachers. Read on and be excited by the new potential of interactive teaching technologies.

The cover pictures are of my daughter. One was taken on her first birthday. I think it shows personalised learning; she had made her own choice of what she learned, when she learned and where she learned; she had access to one-to-one support if and when required; the task gave her instant reward and instant feedback; she had open access to someone who had knowledge of her learning needs; her learning platform was the floor.

The other was taken recently. She is now 20 years old, at Leeds University studying philosophy and psychology. She makes her own choice of what she learns, when she learns and where she learns (within fairly broad limits); she has access to one-to-one tutorial support by email if and when required (her dad's a psychologist); the tasks are rewarding (because she is interested in them) and although feedback is not instant she is now old enough for deferred gratification to be an effective reward; she has access to a tutor who has knowledge of her learning needs; her learning platform is her computer/the university/the world.

But how much personalised learning has gone on in between? Not a great deal I suspect.

All the articles in this term's edition of the Naace Primary Focus explore ways in which personalised learning can become a reality during the years of compulsory schooling.

I have enjoyed reading them. I hope you do too.

Heather Govier (guest editor) h.govier@btopenworld.com

Last term the Council for Subject Associations (CfSA) which was set up in September 2007 and funded for three years (before it has to become a self-financing organisation) produced the first of a series of Primary Subject folders that went into all schools across England for free. Other organisations can purchase a copy for £7.50. I was asked to write the ICT leaflet for the first issue on the theme of 'Every Child Mattters'.

The second Primary Subject's theme is the Gifted and Talented strand of the National Curriculum and was sent into schools in the last week of September 2008. Although I gave a sneak preview of the text in the Summer edition of Primary Focus, I have included the PDF that will be distributed along with leaflets from the other 16 subject associations to all schools in England during the third week in September 2008. The third edition of Primary Subjects will be distributed to schools in January 2009 and it has been confirmed that the theme will be Globalisation.

Your comments (posted underneath the article) on what you think of the leaflet would be very helpful feedback!

Within these pages you'll find many ways in which you can deliver a rich curriculum through a range of topics. We have chosen to focus on just five. For younger children there are some exciting ways to learn about Food. Margaret Allen highlights the versatility of IWBs and Susie Arnott and Marie Hindmarch suggest ways of using stories as a starting point. Andy Pierson brings inspiration and help when teaching music in a Seaside topic. Photographs of beach huts, taken by Roger Keeling, provide a stimulus for mathematical activities.

Anyone who works with pupils who have additional or special educational needs will understand when I say how difficult it has been to try to cover the range of needs that this encompasses. I am delighted to have such a diverse and talented group together in one publication and between them have created a magazine that should have something for everyone and lots more to make you think and consider how your classroom practice could benefit from their experience. I hope you enjoy reading the articles and that you are inspired to try out some new ideas in your classroom.

Sandra O'Neill
Guest editor

In this article we are looking at a piece of software that has the potential to support Lego-related activities at Key Stage 1 and beyond: BlockCAD, available from: http://web.telia.com/~u16122508/proglego.htm

In this article we are looking at a piece of software that has the potential to be very helpful in textiles activities at Key Stages 2 and 3. We believe that this piece of software is in the public domain and available for educational, non-commercial use. Even so, we advise you to carefully read any restrictions or conditions of use before installing it.

Why ask?

This may seem a strange and inappropriate question to ask as word e-learning is a ubiquitous term, but it is quite possible that by separating e-learning from learning, we might actually be holding back progress in the adoption of new models, and better tools for learning.
When we consciously, or otherwise, start to make a distinction between learning and e learning, we may be providing those, that are unlikely or unwilling to engage with it an escape route.

This raises some important questions; is is one form more of learning more appropriate than the other; and if so why? What are the differences in value between them? And, even more importantly; what type of learning would not benefit from, from technologies at our disposal?. Thinking about it in this way we soon realise that learning and the technology is only an enabler. In fact a great deal prescribed e-learning is likley to be relatively low level activities as pointed out by Stephen Hear. (*1)
"The experience of e-learning for many has been no more than a hand-out published online, coupled with a simple multiple-choice quiz. Hardly inspiring, let alone empowering"