Teachers take to technology

TEACHERS at a Gorleston school have stayed connected to the latest technological developments, unveiled at a training event involving colleagues from other schools in Norfolk.

TEACHERS at a Gorleston school have stayed connected to the latest technological developments, unveiled at a training event involving colleagues from other schools in Norfolk.

Staff at Lynn Grove High launched the latest upgrade of Circuit Wizard software at the training day for teachers from Oriel, Flegg and Great Yarmouth High schools. They were joined by representatives from other schools including Wymondham College, Hethel Engineering Centre and the Open Academy at Heartsease.

Employees from Yarmouth-based C-Mac Microtechnology, which manufactures products for the aerospace industry, were also present to see the new technology which allows integrated circuits to be programmed.

The software was supplied by Cambridge firm New Wave Concepts which designed the equipment for the school to use as part of its drive to fill a skills shortage for employees in the electronics industry.

Paul Bexfield, an electronics teacher at the school, said schools would be able to use the technology to make key stages 3 and 4 more exciting and influence students to take up electronics at higher education. He added it would enable students to download integrated circuits to make their designs more individual and creative.

In June, the school hosted a meeting to get teachers enthused about technology as a subject because of a skills shortage in the industry in the hope they would pass this on to their students.

Two students from Lynn Grove High School have taken up apprenticeships with C-Mac after leaving school. Anthony Brown and Matthew Houston, both 16, started working for the electronics firm in August.